Problems continue to mount for Nippon Ishin no Kai amid growing pressure on the governor of Hyogo Prefecture to resign over a power harassment scandal, for which he will give a sworn testimony Friday.
It comes after the Nippon Ishin-backed mayor of Minoh in neighboring Osaka Prefecture lost his reelection bid Sunday — the latest in a string of recent political setbacks that raise questions about whether the center-right opposition party’s Kansai base will further weaken and what that would mean in a national election.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito, who was elected as an independent in 2021 but with the support of Nippon Ishin, faces allegations of power harassment and other forms of misconduct. Saito, who is scheduled to testify before a prefectural assembly committee tasked with investigating the allegations on Friday, is rapidly losing the support of his Nippon Ishin allies.
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