By Chukwumah Umeorah
Veteran journalist and immediate past Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Imo State and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Media Committee has given reasons why the APC would win the September 21 governorship poll in Edo State.
Among other reasons, he said the people are yearning for a change after what he termed anti-people policies of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP administration.
Less than three weeks to the election, how do you see chances?
If you have been monitoring events in Edo, the APC is the only party that has been campaigning across the state. Former governor, Adams Oshiomhole is leading the onslaught against the PDP. And of course, it has been like a carnival in all the local governments. You could see the total rejection of the PDP across the state. Few days ago at a rally in Oredo which was televised live, members of Governor Obaseki’s family led by Mr. Osaro Obaseki dumped their brother to join the APC. Honestly, the Okebholo/Idahosa ticket has received traction across the state due to the failure of the Governor Obaseki-led administration to provide the needed infrastructures or the so-called dividends of democracy to the people. In Edo State today, there are no roads. The government will shout to high heavens about Edo Best in the educational sector but go to schools across the state; there are no teachers, no desk, pupils sit on the floor during classes. In fact, there are no roofs in most schools in the rural areas. Yet you talk about Edo Best. People are angry. What we have observed so far during our campaigns is that people will tell you that the roads that still exist in Edo were those built by the administration of Adams Oshiomhole. The only schools still standing were the red roof schools constructed under Oshiomhole. The much-celebrated Azura power plant was a creation of Oshiomhole’s administration.
The Obaseki-led administration boasted they would construct the Gelegele Sea Port, but not even a block is at the place now. They collected lands belonging to over 10 communities that they were going to construct an industrial park. The former vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo, was invited by Governor Obaseki to do a ground-breaking ceremony for the industrial park. That was in November 2017. Go there today; not even a block was moulded.
The Central hospital that was constructed by the Oshiomhole administration was given out to consultants making it difficult for the people to get affordable health care. Part of it was destroyed and turned to a museum. The idea of that hospital which was well equipped by the Oshiomhole administration was to provide affordable health care for the people. Rather than maintaining it, the state government decided to construct a private hospital which can only be afforded by the rich. He jettisoned the Benin water storm project which was constructed under Oshiomhole. That project helped in deflooding Benin City and today flood has taken over Benin City once again.
But sadly, Governor Obaseki is bringing to succeed him, Mr Asuen Ighodalo. Both of them have been in cahoots in the under-development of Edo State in the past seven and half years. Ighodalo was the chairman of Obaseki’s Economic Team. The people cannot afford another leprous years under the same system. And the good news is that Senator Okpebholo, aka Akpakomiza, like the former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu explained at a rally recently that Akpakomiza means a redeemer; one who is coming to assuage the sufferings of the people. The truth is that governance in Edo was truncated after Oshiomhole’s administration and that is why Senator Okpebholo will win so he can continue where Oshiomhole stopped. I served as a journalist in Edo State for years so I know what I am talking about. Speaking grammar cannot save Obaseki and his candidate, Ighodalo from tasting defeat in this coming election.
The people of Edo State have been scammed on several occasions by this PDP administration and they have resolved to sweep out the PDP with the votes on September 21.
Governor Obaseki defeated the APC to get his second term as governor. How are you sure he’ll not defeat your party again with his incumbency? There are claims that the APC is banking on federal might to rig the election…
Are they not begging President Bola Tinubu for help? So, nobody should blackmail anyone with federal might. As we speak, the PDP-led government in Edo is trying to use state might to rig the election. They are sowing fake police and Army uniforms, purchasing arms to give to their thugs with a view to unleashing mayhem on APC members. They have a standing squad and you saw how our candidate and the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, were attacked at the airport. The orderly attached to Senator Okpebholo was shot dead. And that was why Comrade Oshiomhole has been raising the alarm and appealing to the Inspector General of Police to mop up the arms in possession of PDP thugs. PDP has no message, so they are relying on thugs. You said Obaseki defeated us in 2000; he succeeded then because he was able to use armed thugs to intimidate APC leaders out of the collation centres. That election was rigged heavily. But this time around, we are going to stop him from rigging and we will win. Obaseki’s actions in office such as his failed promises of Gelegele Port, Industrial Park, signing of thousands of MOUs that never came to fruition, his reported feud with the Palace, his tax regime that lacks human face, infrastructural decay, vendetta against political opponents, factionalisation of the PDP, dehumanisation of the political class has made the election very easy for the APC.
You see a situation whereby poor traders are sent to jail just because they failed to pay revenue of N20,000. We all witnessed how Governor Obaseki refused to swear in 14 duly elected APC House of Assembly members. These people were elected by their people but he denied them the opportunity to serve their constituents. These are wicked and anti-democratic actions and the people are ready to pay him back through their votes on September 21. So, APC doesn’t need to rely on any federal might to win this election. We are not like Obaseki. Let me also remind you that APC has two senate seats – Edo North and Edo Central while Labour Party controls that of Edo South where Obaseki hails from. The deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Dennis Idahosa, is a sitting House of Reps member, who controls the two LGAs in Ovia. APC controls the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency while the Labour Party controls Egor/Ikpoba Okhai federal constituency. So, you will see that the real battle in Edo South is between the Labour Party and APC, not even the PDP. So, I don’t know where PDP is going to get their votes from. As it stands, APC is already winning. We are only waiting for September 21 to come so we can celebrate.
But why is your candidate evading the media? Only Oshiomhole has been talking. What do you make of that?
How do you mean he has been evading the media? Our campaigns have been live on television. Have you not seen Senator Okpebholo talking to the people? Let me tell you, because the PDP has no message to deliver to the people, they have been involved in blackmailing the intellectual ability of our candidate. The APC candidate has been addressing the people both in English and his Esan language while his counterpart in the PDP cannot even speak his Esan language. Rather, he goes about with an interpreter. That is why the people see him as an outsider and say that they want a homeboy like Okpebholo and not a Lagos boy. The man is a serious-minded person and not talkative like the Lagos guys that have pauperised the people of the state. Let me also remind you, when Comrade Oshiomhole was campaigning for Obaseki in 2016, Obaseki was not talking during campaigns. It was Oshiomhole that was also talking. In fact, people were writing then saying Obaseki should come and speak to the people because he is the one running for governorship. But in this case, our candidate has been speaking to the people and addressing the issues. Let me also remind you, in the Bible, God asked Moses to go and free the Israelites from Egypt and take them to the Promised Land. God knew that Moses may not handle the mission alone, so he directed Aaron to go with him. Moses was the anointed one while Aaron was like a helper in that mission.
So, in this case, Senator Okpebholo is the anointed one coming to assuage the pains of the people of Edo State while Comrade Oshiomhole and other leaders are helping to deliver the message to the people. And I am happy that our candidate is enjoying the cooperation of other leaders of the APC but that cannot be said with Mr. Asuen Ighodalo of the PDP. There is no notable leader in the PDP that has joined his campaign including Governor Obaseki. That will tell you there is a big problem in that party. Even in America, you can see the Obamas, Clintons, the Carter family speaking on behalf of Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party presidential election. But who is speaking for Asuen Ighodalo? Nobody. So, we are proud of our candidate, Okpebholo, a senator of the Federal Republic and a man who has touched the lives of the downtrodden in Edo State and particularly in Esanland where he comes from.
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