Former member of the House of Representatives, Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, on Monday declared his intention to run for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State when he hosted leaders and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Edo South at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Airport Road Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Speaking at the official declaration, Ogbeide-Ihama appreciated the leaders and members for their patience due to some level of delay in kick-starting the event. He thanked all the PDP leaders across the seven Local Government Areas of Edo South for standing by him when he became the party’s senatorial candidate in 2022 before the Supreme Court ruled against him.
He further stated that Monday’s ceremony was a formal notification to the leadership of Edo South Senatorial district of his intention to run for the governorship seat of the state and appeal for their support to clinch the party’s ticket.
According to Ogbeide, “This ceremony is a formal notification and an appeal to the leadership of my senatorial district, Edo South Senatorial district for their support towards my ambition to run for the governorship election of Edo State come September 2024.”
The Edo South Senatorial district governorship aspirant pointed out that there have been a lot of speculations about his aspiration of his intention to run for the governorship seat or not, and that therefore it became imperative for him to do a lot of consultation.
Ogbeide-Ihama stressed that he is a founding member of the PDP, noting that since 1998 he has been loyal to the party and he has never left the party for once.
“I have been in this party since its inception, I registered as a PDP member in 1998 and between 1998 till date I have remained in PDP. We have had good and bad times in PDP but I have remained loyal and faithful to this party,” he maintained.
Ogbeide-Ihama further expressed, “I was born and brought up in Benin City, I attended Primary school in Benin City before proceeding to Federal Government College, Warri, for Secondary School. I came back to Benin City to study Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Benin. After graduation, I worked with Exxon Mobil in Port Harcourt as a Drilling Engineer. After a while, I proceeded to my Master’s Degree at the Robot Gordon University Aberdeen Scotland, where I did my Master’s in Oil and Gas Management. I have a Master’s Class Certificate from the London School of Economics, and I also studied at the prestigious Harvard University, where I studied Strategy Design with Leadership and Ethics.
“So I stand before as your son and someone who is educated, and to the pinnacle of education, I have attained it. I also worked with Lembros Solar Systems when renewable energy started in Nigeria, and I was the first to install solar energy in Edo with borehole systems. I eventually set up my energy firm carrying out energy services.
“I was not just only educated, I have the required skills to manage human beings and resources.”
Ogbeide-Ihama narrated, “I was given the opportunity after a failed attempt to go to the House of Assembly from Oredo, I did not get the ticket. Four years later I went for the House of Representatives, I got the ticket but I lost the election. Four years later, I came back to contest for House of Representatives, I got the ticket and I won the election.
“I went back to the House of Representatives again and we won in all 12 wards of Oredo.
“In 2020, I came out to aspire for the governorship election of Edo State, the rest is history.
“Today I stand before you as someone who has represented a constituency like Oredo which is a metropolis and if I have been able to satisfy the people of Oredo, Benin City, it means I can satisfy the whole of Edo State. We have our brothers from Edo North and Edo Central living with us in Benin City.
“With my experience, I am capable and I am mature enough to be governor of Edo State. I have the political experience to be able to manage the political atmosphere of Edo State. I have the managerial experience and skills to be able to manage Edo State resources both human and capital, to be able to drive development in Edo State that will satisfy everyone. I have the managerial relationship to be able to relate with anyone from Benin to anyone in Jattu junction in Edo North and Ekpoma in Edo Central.
“Please we have come to appeal for support, by the grace of God as candidate of PDP the election is over. PDP will vote en block for me, APC will vote for me, Labour Party will vote for me and Edo people have been waiting for Ogbeide-Ihama.
“I want to be governor of Edo State, I don’t want to be governor of a senatorial district. My roots and connections cut across the state, and I want to bring development to Edo State. I want to secure your lives and property, I want to empower the youths and take care of the elderly people. I want to stop child mortality, I don’t want to just build schools, but I want to put in those schools capacity to transfer knowledge to the pupils and students.”
Responding, Edo South PDP Senatorial district Chairman, Barr. Nosa Ogieva Okunbor prayed for the aspirant, Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama, and asked that God see him through in his ambition to lead the state as governor.
Also speaking, a member of the PDP board of trustees, Hon. Charles Idahosa, applauded Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama and declared that his time has come to become the Governor of Edo State, saying that anywhere they go to campaign in the state, they should keep on saying Ogbeide-Ihama time has come.
Similarly, Hon. Austin Osakue, a PDP leader from Oredo, described Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama as a true son of the soil, a visionary leader, a spectacular economist, an outstanding Engineer, a man who will respect and promote the culture of the land, a man who respects both old and young. He appealed for the leadership of the Senatorial district to support the aspirant to ensure he gets the party’s ticket and becomes the party flag bearer ahead of the governorship election in September 2024.
Addressing Journalists shortly after the official declaration, Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama, said he believes that power comes from God and that his chances of clinching the party’s ticket and winning the election are very high.
In his words “Power comes from God and my chances are very high, I have been in PDP since 1998, and I am a true party man. In PDP, they know me and I know them, and it’s a delegate election, there is nobody that will emerge as a delegate in the eighteen Local Government Areas of Edo State that does not know Ogbeide-Ihama.”
He further commented that he doesn’t think that Governor Godwin Obaseki is supporting anybody, saying the governor has not told him he is backing anyone.
He said if allowed to lead Edo State, the state will experience governance at its best as his slogan is “Edo New Vision”. He assured that he would continue from the existing legacy of the previous administration, and commended those that have governed the state in the past. He promised to revamp the health sector with better infrastructure and equip the education sector. He said he is the most qualified and well-known aspirant among other persons vying for the governorship seat.
Ogbeide-Ihama appreciated his supporters and encouraged them not to relent in their support, saying that he’s the bridge between the young and the old. He also appreciated the women for trooping out and giving him massive support, he assured them that they would be his priority when he became governor.
