…Obaseki, PDP leaders meet, strategize ahead campaign flag-off
…APC inaugurates campaign council, receives Shaibu, others
…state govt petitions IGP over July 18 shooting incident
Barely two months to the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is leaving no stone unturned as it waxes confident that its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, will emerge victorious at the poll.
On the other hand, the major opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it has what it takes to take over the state come September 21.
Meanwhile, the dust is yet to settle on the events of last Thursday, July 18, in Benin City, the state capital, which led to the death of a police officer.
At the weekend, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, met with leaders of the PDP from each ward across the 18 local government areas of the state to strategize ahead of the governorship election.
The meeting, which was held at the Government House in Benin City, had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Engr. Marvellous Godwins Omoboyo; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Osaigbovo Iyoha; Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku; Chief Tom Ikimi; Senator Clifford Ordia; State PDP Chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi; PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo; local government chairmen, members of the Edo PDP Working Committee, serving commissioners, amongst others.
At the meeting, Obaseki expressed the party’s readiness for the coming election.
Thanking the party leaders for their commitment, dedication and courage which, he said, have kept PDP together as one strong, united, and indivisible party, Obaseki said, “I am convinced that with the efforts that all of you have put in, Asue Ighodalo will be the governor of Edo State come September 21 governorship election 2024. We are the only party in the state and I am not afraid, we will win the election.”
He commended the Director General and members of the campaign council for their hard work and effort so far in the campaign.
“We have been able to inaugurate the State Campaign Council, Local Governments Campaign Council and the ward campaign teams are all in place too. We have also been able to upload the list of all our party agents in all the 4,519 units, and successfully uploaded the names of all our agents into the INEC portal. This meeting is to brief you on our political activities over the next 60 days leading to the election,” Obaseki said.
“The candidate is finalizing his campaign itinerary. What we have done is to make sure that the last campaign will take place on the 18th of September 2024. Local Government campaign will start on the 1st of September while this campaign will be flagged off on the 29th of August 2024 where we will be inviting national leaders of the party to come help us with the flag-off of the campaign.
“Between today and that date, we expect the candidate to tour all the 192 wards in the state as the candidate will be making stops in all your wards,” he said.
The governor said the PDP in Edo State “remains united, focused, and organized and is able to deliver and produce the leadership our people have been yearning for”, adding that with the work that the party has done so far, ”it will be a miracle if the next party gets up to 20 percent of the votes”.
“We are not afraid or disturbed by the antics to try and distort us. I want to assure you that under my watch, the next governor of Edo State will be a PDP governor,” he said.
Similarly, while inaugurating its National Campaign Council for the Edo 2024 elections in Benin City on Saturday, an event during which the embattled former deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, officially decamped to the APC with some Legacy PDP members, the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, expressed confidence that the party would win the governorship election.
He informed that the party would soon organise a grand rally in Benin to be attended by President Bola Tinubu.
Apart from the APC National Chairman, the inauguration ceremony was attended by a former governor of the state and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole; the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa; Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; his Cross River State counterpart, Bassey Otu; Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh; former Edo State deputy governor, Lucky Imasuen; state party chairman, Jarret Tenebe; Chief Ayiri Emami, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, General Cecil Esekhaigbe, among others.
Speaking at the event, Shaibu said he was back to add value to the APC.
“It is time to take back our state. We will not talk too much because action will speak for us. We are not afraid; we are ready to move forward,” Shaibu said.
“We, the home boys, are ready to take our state back through the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa. We are not trouble makers but if it comes, we will use it to rub our body and move on,” he said.
Shaibu was impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly in April this year. On Wednesday, July 17, a Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated his impeachment, but the Edo State Government and the State House of Assembly immediately filed a notice of appeal and stay of execution on the judgement.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the breakdown of law and order in the state on Thursday, July 18.
The State Government, in the petition sent to The Nigerian Observer on Sunday, said last Thursday’s chaos was orchestrated by Philip Shaibu under the pretext of executing a judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja for which a stay of execution had been filed and an appeal entered.
The petition, titled “Request to Investigate a Case of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Murder, Malicious Damage to Property, Breach of Public Peace and Assault Occasioning Harm by Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Philip Shaibu and his Cohorts”, was signed by the State Solicitor General, Prof. Faith Osadolor, on behalf of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 5.
The state government said Shaibu, contrary to the rule of law, recruited a throng of heavily armed thugs, including Tony Adun (aka Tony Kabaka), Daniel Eromosele (aka Pikolo), Efe Stewart, Joseph Okonigene, Noah Amiolemen Idemudia, among others, resorting to self-help, leading to the wanton destruction within the Benin metropolis and death of a police officer.
The government, therefore, urged the police to “embark on a thorough investigation of this matter by inviting Hon. Philip Shaibu and other members of his gang, and if found culpable, be brought to book, as no man is above the law”.
The government commiserated with the Nigeria Police Force on the passing of Inspector Akor Onuh attached to MOPOL 45 Abuja, who was killed in that mayhem.
Recall that there were sporadic shootings on the Airport Road axis of Benin City on Thursday moments after Shaibu and the APC governorship candidate, Okpebholo, arrived the Benin airport.
On Friday, the Edo State Police Command said it has launched a full-scale investigation into the tragic shooting incident.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Funsho Adegboye, while addressing journalists on the ugly incident in Benin City, stressed that the incident was avoidable if all political gladiators had played the game according to the rules.
He described the tension generated by the shooting as unfortunate and emphasized the urgent need for the investigation to unmask the perpetrators, their motives and sponsors as the state governorship election builds up.
