Edo South LGs Endorse Asue Ighodalo as Sole Aspirant, Imasungbon Joins Guber Race

Group picks APC nomination form for Umakhihe

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and members in Uhumwode,  Orhionmwon and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas in Edo State have endorsed Dr. Asue Ighodalo as their consensus aspirant for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

Also yesterday, Kenneth Imasungbon, a governorship aspirant in Edo State on the platform of Labour Party paid N30 million for nomination and expression of interest for the party’s nomination form.

This was just as the Edo Unity League Worldwide, a none partisan socio-cultural organisation from Edo State, with members drawn from all the 18 local government areas of the state, has bought the Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form for one of its member, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, to contest for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

The unanimous endorsement of Ighodalo was disclosed yesterday, during the aspirant’s visits to the areas as part of his ongoing consultations across the 18 council areas in Edo.

According to the leaders and members of the party in Uhumwode, Orhionmwon and Ikpoba-Okha, the endorsement was informed by the aspirant’s track records of excellence in the various capacities he has served humanity, hence the need to adopt him to transform Edo State.

The motion for Ighodalo’s adoption in Uhumwode was moved and seconded by former Senator Roland Owie and Mr. Charles Egbe amid wide acceptance and jubilations.

Addressing the people, Ighodalo appealed to the people to nominate him as the PDP flag bearer for the September 21 governorship election, maintaining that with his capacity and proven track records, he remains the best aspirant for the election.

He blamed bad governance in Nigeria over the years on the wrong choice and sentimental voting of the people, noting Edo State will have no reason not to be developed if the right aspirant is chosen as the governor, which he said he represents.

He said: “Edo has no reason not to be developed if the right leaders are chosen to lead the state. I am the leader that will take the state beyond the next level, hence, my appeal for your nomination and support.

“Let us choose who can help us, knows the developmental road to lead Edo State and in doing so, we will have good roads and other basic amenities”.

Continuing: “I work hard to stardom and today, God has blessed me as I have created one of the biggest law firms in Africa. God made me chairman, Nigerian Breweries, Sterling Bank and others.

“God has helped me and in return, I try to help people but I believe the best help you can render is when you are in public service which is governance where you will be opportune to help millions of people.

“So, I am appealing to you all to give me the opportunity to help our people in Edo State. I promise you all that I will help the people and remove them from poverty. I saw the standard in Edo State during my time as governor.

“I will be governor for everybody, operate an open-door-policy, accessible to the people. We are going to govern Edo State together as one man can not do it alone. So, together, we will create a better Edo State and Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Imasungbon, a governorship aspirant in Edo State on the platform of the Labour Party yesterday paid N30 million for nomination and expression of interest for the party’s nomination form.

He picked the forms at the Labour party national secretariat in Abuja

The forms  were handed over to Imasungbon by the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu. He pledged that the party will ensure a level playing ground for all the governorship aspirants.

Imasungbon in his acceptance speech said that the purchase of the form is the beginning of the process to liberate the stronghold of the opposition party in Edo State

He said that by the purchase of the governorship, it symbolises yellow cards for the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.

According to Imasungbon, who is  popularly called the ‘rice man’ because of his philanthropy, the purchase of the forms was due to contributions from the less-privileged persons in Edo State who have been marginalised by the ruling PDP.

The governorship aspirant of the Labour party  election in Edo State,  called on other political parties to field candidates from Edo Central so as to ensure fairness, equity and justice as the region was yet to rule the state since 1999 safe for the truncated 18 months reign of Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor was removed by a court.

“I hear people talking about Edo South having the capacity to win the election but I ask where is the place of fairness, equity and justice in our politics? Edo Central should be given the opportunity to rule the state this time.

“The narratives have changed and whoever wins must have done a lot of work during the campaigns. However, Edo Central should be given a chance in the state,” Imasungbon said.

Imasungbon who rated the outgoing governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki as a  “failure”, stating that he failed in road construction and failed to maintain security in the state.

In a related development, the Edo Unity League Worldwide, was represented by some Board of Trustees members, led by Chief Victor Ekhator, the Enobore of Benin Kingdom, Comrade Orobosa Omo-Ojo JP, Comrade Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo.

While handing over the forms to Edo Unity League Director of Youth Organisation, Mr. Marvis Okharedia, the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Mr. Nze Chidi Duru, thanked the BoT members for identifying a member of the APC worthy of EULW support.

Members of the Edo Unity League Worldwide are drawn from the open society of the state, cutting across all disciplines and different political affiliations.

A press statement that was shared at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja by EULW reads in part: “Rising from an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Edo Unity League Worldwide (EULW), we resolved to play a more proactive role in the political leadership process of our dear state, rather than the mundane attitude of armchair criticism of political actions and sociopolitical institutions alike.

“We reached this resolve, in the best interest of the younger generations, who are unable to find role models amongst the multiplicity of political actors of Edo extraction.

“We made this resolve in the best interest of our teeming people who are unable to enjoy any reasonable recompense from their commonwealth that God Almighty has bestowed on our motherland.

“Lamentation is incapable of lifting dead woods from doldrum.

“So, let it be on record, that we, Board of Trustees and Members of Edo Unity League Worldwide purchased these APC gubernatorial forms, at a whopping sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira), for one of our members, as a seed of good governance investment, in that, it will form a strong ground for us to interrogate Dr. Ernest Afolabl Umakhihe, OON, if he wins the party (All Progressives Congress)  ticket in the primaries, and he is eventually returned elected as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“For us, we must demonstrate selflessness, and the capacity to be above board in finding a candidate with the right socioeconomic and political pedigree to lead our state from its present primordial prism of a Civil Service state, to a largely capitally productive state, by optimising all home- based demographic variables, for the good of the average Edo-boy and Edo-girl, as well as Edo men and Edo women.

“We are convinced, we made a very good choice, and this democratic contribution by all our members, will altruistically count for the prolific transformation of Edo people from November 2024 by God’s Grace.”

Also, in an unexpected turn of events, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, a frontline aspirant, has submitted his nomination form for the Edo governorship race to the PDP headquarters in Abuja.

The form, which was purchased yesterday by Onaiwu’s friends, including some former PDP Governors, cost a staggering N35 million.

Onaiwu, buoyed by the support he has garnered, is hopeful that his bid for the governorship position will be successful. As he handed in his nomination form, he expressed his optimism for emerging victorious in the upcoming primary election.

The next crucial step for Onaiwu is the screening process, which has been scheduled to take place on Monday, January 29th, in Abuja. The screening will assess his suitability and qualifications as a candidate, determining whether he meets the party’s criteria for the governorship race.

As the race for the Edo governorship continues to heat up, Onaiwu’s submission of the nomination form is expected to inject further buzz and anticipation into the political scene. With his campaign gaining momentum and influential figures lending their support, Onaiwu poses a formidable challenge to his competitors.