… pledges to tackle poverty, transform Edo into first-world economy
A governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo State governorship poll Asue Ighodalo, a seasoned lawyer and business leader, has dismissed claims of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s backing for the election, describing it as a distraction.
This is against the backdrop from speculations in many quarters that Asue Ighodalo is enjoying Governor Godwin Obaseki’s backing and is favoured to succeed him.
According to Ighodalo, the speculations are plots to distract him from his journey to becoming the next Edo State governor.
“It is not a weakness if it is true. I would have welcomed it if it was true because it should make life easier for me,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“With the level I have heard him say a number of times that he is creating a level playing field and has no candidate, I believe him,” he said, saying, “If you look at the space, he has four or five friends in that space.
So, I wonder why when people say what they say, they think I am his particular friend. I don’t think I am his closest friend or his favourite friend among the people in the space.
“What I have just done is not to get distracted. I see it as a distraction. I see it as people who want to move the narrative away from the focus on the people and issues affecting the state.”
The PDP aspirant also spoke about his plans for the South-South state if elected as governor, noting that his government will be a model state and will drive development to the grassroots.
Furthermor, he pledged to innovatively harness Edo’s abundant human and natural resources to tackle poverty and transform the state into a first world economy if given the mandate to govern the state.
Ighodalo, while speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said his mission is to drive growth and prosperity in the interest of the majority of Edo people.
Noting the warm reception he has continued to enjoy from the people, especially at the grassroots during his consultation visits across the State, Ighodalo said he is the most credible, qualified and competent to lead the State and place it on the path of accelerated development and growth.
He said, “We have the capability, resources, the people and the enterprise to move ourselves into the first world, and that’s the story I’m selling. I’m looking at my people in Edo State and I’m saying that we can move into the first world with the resources we have, with the capacities, natural and human resources, as well as our terrain and landscape; that’s my story.
“I’m saying, let us come together as one unified people of Edo State, looking into the future and working hard to do the things that will move us out of poverty into prosperity.”
Ighodalo continued: “In Nigeria and particularly in Edo State, which is where I’m focused, there’s no reason why a mother is going to a hospital to have a child and we’re all very worried about her chances of coming out.
“There’s no reason why we have no water in many areas, why we have no light, why we have bad roads, why I can’t cross the road to say hello to someone, because I’m afraid that in crossing the road, somebody is going to kidnap me and that’s the last of me. There are just things that aren’t working.
“They say it’s a microcosm of the whole country, but let’s focus on us and let’s do the best for us, so that we can move forward. My feeling is that if we have a number of States across the country that are taking this position and are working hard to move their economy into the first world inclusively, looking at these soft and hard social issues, if we have many more States or a few more States doing this, it will grow Nigeria bottom-up.”
The PDP guber aspirant added, “So, with this, we wouldn’t worry about what’s happening here in Abuja or worry as much, and the people’s focus would go to the State level. Truly, it is the States that should drive development, and that’s what we seek to do in Edo State.”
