… insists Asue is the only viable candidate in Edo guber poll
The members of the Publicity Committee of the Oredo Local Government Campaign Council for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, has said that Asue Ighodalo is the only viable candidate in the forthcoming September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
The group stated this while addressing journalists at a press conference on Monday in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
They called on Edo people to come out enmass on election day and vote for Asue Ighodalo as he is the most viable candidate among the three major political parties.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the Chairman, Publicity Committee, Oredo Local Government Campaign Council of the PDP, Mr. Crusoe Osagie said that Asue Ighodalo is the most competent among other candidates.
According to Crusoe, “It is no longer news. It is clear for all to see that as we speak today we have only one viable candidate that is running in this election.
“Although there are several other candidates. But there is only one that is viable and there is only one that can be Governor of Edo State in the forthcoming election and the reason we say so is simple:
“If you look at all the other parties, there are so many of them that are completely structureless. They don’t have men on ground. You have only three political parties that have men on ground, and that’s the PDP, the All Progressive Congress and Labour Party.
“The other political parties don’t have antecedents in the state and even other parts of the country. So it leaves the race between three parties.”
Mr. Osagie berated the candidate of the Labour Party, Barr. Olumide Akpata, as someone that is inexperienced in the private sector, stating that he has never done anything in government before now.
“The Labour Party candidate is an inexperienced private sector operator who has never done anything in government before.
“Yes, he’s buoyed by youthful enthusiasm, but he lacks depth and experience and so he cannot lead, and beyond that, he’s an insensitive gentleman. He’s not very sensitive, because if he was sensitive, he would have placed the interest of the Edo Central district, the Esan people, above his personal aggrandizement.
“He believes that he has money and that he’s accomplished. Therefore he must run. You must run, but you should run a sensitive race,” Osagie said.
He further expressed that the Esan people have been left out in the seat of power for almost 20 years and as such by equity they deserve to be giving the opportunity to being governor of Edo and takeover from Governor Godwin Obaseki who is a Bini man from Edo South just like the Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata.
“You should consider the fact that for the past 20 plus years, a certain segment of this state has been sort of excluded from the political calculation of governorship in this state. They deserve to be given an opportunity to be on the table. Otherwise, there’s not going to be equity, there’s not going to be justice, there’s not going to be fairness, and it won’t work.
“So on the grounds of that, we believe that Olumide Akpata should have waited, should have put the interests of Edo Central District above his primordial interest, personal aggrandizement, pride and ego.
“You must try to understand what the sentiments are, what the people are saying right now. After all the people you are coming to lead. If there is no Edo state, there will be no governorship.
“For there to be an Edo State, there must be some equity, and for equity to prevail, the Esan people must be on the table. We have had several years of people from Edo North leading as Governor and Deputy Governor and then handed over to South.
“Governor Obaseki is from Edo South, Benin speaking part of Edo State. He has done eight years and we have an Edo North person in the person of former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, who ran for about seven years plus.
“Then after Shaibu’s impeachment, another person from Edo North took over as Deputy Governor.
“That’s what knocks out Olumide Akpata, beyond the fact that he’s not competent, beyond the fact that he’s inexperienced,” Osagie stressed.
Osagie said that there are two persons from Edo Central that are in this race, the person of Asue Ighodalo of the PDP and Senator Monday Okpebholo (Akpakomiza) of the APC.
He urged Edo people to reject the APC candidate owing to the fact that he lacks the requisite personal intelligent, brightness to govern a state like Edo State as a Governor.
“If you look at the two people, you will find that even though Akpakomiza is from the Edo Central, he also does not have the requisite personal intelligence, brightness, depth to be Governor of anybody in this room. I dare say that everybody in this room is more intelligent than Akpakomiza.
“How can we give our lives to somebody who does not know the fact that animals are not in the museum, that animals are supposed to be in the zoo? How do you do that? How do you give your life to somebody like that to run?
“He can do very well as a businessman in his private business. But not to take the collective destinies of over 4 million people into his custody.
“I think that would be a risk that is too big for us to take to that extent. We believe that Akpakomiza is not qualified to be a Governor,” Osagie maintained
Osagie stated that Asue Ighodalo is the only candidate that has the capacity, competence and character to govern Edo State having demonstrated leadership in several spheres of endeavor.
“That leaves us the only viable candidate. The person of Dr. Asue Ighodalo, an accomplished lawyer, built one of the biggest law firms in Africa.
“They hired perhaps the largest number of lawyers in the country. They pay perhaps the highest wages to lawyers in the country, if not in Africa.
“He’s been Chairman of many blue chip companies. He’s led people’s destinies to be right.
“He has established successful businesses. He’s contributed to the development of this state as well. Probono, providing advice and guidance to the government straight from the time of up until today.
“We believe that is the only candidate that is viable. We are calling on all Edo people to join us in Oredo because we know we are going to be giving the PDP and Dr. Asue Ighodalo a landslide victory in Oredo Local Government. We are certain about this,” he said.
