Edo 2016: APC Flags-Off Edo Guber Campaign, Drums Support For Obaseki,Shaibu.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday in Benin City flagged-off its Edo State governorship campaign with several calls on the people to vote for the party’s candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his running-mate, Hon Philip Shaibu in the September 10, 2016 gubernatorial election in the state.

At the campaign rally, which attracted a mammoth crowd, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun, who commended Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for revamping Edo State with the building of infrastructure across the state, described Mr. Godwin Obaseki as the brain behind the developmental achievements of the governor, adding he is the soft-ware and Governor Oshiomhole is the hard-ware of the success.

The Chairman of the All Progressives Governors Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha noted again that Governor Oshiomhole built schools, roads, fought flood and erosion and hospital among others pointing out that Godwin Obaseki would do much more.

The Governors Nasir El Rufai (Kaduna) and Simon Lalong (Plateau) were among the governors that canvassed support for the APC governorship candidate as somebody that succeed Governor Oshiomhole for he had worked so well to develop the state, stressing that Edo State people voted for somebody that had worked and Edo people would still do it again for Obaseki.

In his remarks, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who disclosed that this was the beginning of a new chapter to present a personality that would continue from where he would stop.

In the history from Midwwest through Bendel to Edo State, Governor Oshiomhole said no government had executed developmental projects across all the local governments in the state, pointing out that what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said was not possible, APC says it isd possible.

Noting Godwin Obaseki’s contribution to laudable developmental strides in the state, Governor Oshiomhole admitted that he is the hardware and Mr. Obaseki is the software with he made the developmental accomplishments, adding that he is resourceful and intellectual.

He observed that a governor needs a loyal deputy governor hence the choice of Hon. Philip Shaibu as the running-mate to Godwin Obaseki.

While urging Edo state people to repose confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari particularly in his fight against corruption, the Governor also thank them for supporting the APC candidate President Buhari.

Chief John Oyegun later presented the APC flag to Mr. Godwin Obaseki and received thousands of defectors from the PDP to APC.


Responding, the APC standard bearer, Mr Godwin Obaseki disclosed that he would attract industries as well as focus on agriculture through which over 200,000 jobs would be created, emphasising that Governor Oshiomhole had already laid the solid foundation for him to build on.

Mr. Obaseki, who was by his running-mate Hon. Philip Shaibu and their spouses, said he is motivated to give back to Edo State including empowering women and giving them specific training.

While assuring that he would not disappoint the people of Edo State, he also said the collective aspiration of the people would be fulfilled.

The APC leadership and the governors had earlier visited the Edaiken N ‘Uselu, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa to present APC candidate and the running-mate to him during which he described Governor Oshiomhole as the messiah of Edo state whose achievement is unparalleled.

The National Leadership of the Party had earlier inaugurated the National Campaign Council on Friday night.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Edo 2016: Notable PDP leaders will be defecting to the APC today as Obaseki flags off guber campaign-Anslem Ojezua.

 

oshiomhole & osinbajo

BENIN CITY- The state chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezua who briefed newsmen, said

 “As I am speaking with you now, we already have more  than five APC governors in the state and more are being expected soon. Our Vice President will be arriving shortly.

“This is for all Edo people and you will see them at the stadium today. ” Asserting that the flag off  will signal the final death of the PDP in the state, We are not PDP that went to hire crowd to pretend that they have people when they have no body.

We are also going to see tsunami because notable PDP leaders will be defecting to the APC today. We are not talking about just PDP members but those who are the foundation members of the PDP in Edo state.

 “They are tired of the tattered umbrella so they want to move to a progressive party. They have seen the difference between the PDP and the APC, while the APC government has worked for them very sincerely in the past seven and half years, the PDP was here for ten years and nothing was achieved. These people are elders who want something good for their people and they are going to help achieve victory for APC in the coming election.

“This is the time to show appreciation for what the APC government has done by voting in another APC governor. Oshiomhole has done well and that is why you see a lot of people dumping the PDP for the APC across the state. But today’s rally will be the final burial of PDP in the state” he stated.

Meanwhile, more than ten governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the Progressives Governors’ Forum are expected to join the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo in flagging off the governorship campaign of the candidate of the party in the September 10 governorship election in the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City today.

Also, over one thousand police officers and the anti-bomb unit of the state Police Command took over the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium Benin City Friday with a view to ensuring a hitch free exercise. Disclosing the presence of the APC governors for the event, Oshiomhole said,”while the PDP couldn’t get any national person of note to present a tattered flag, our own national chairman will be around, as a former governor, former federal Permanent-Secretary and National Chairman of the governing party to present the flag to our candidate. And my brother governors will be coming from Friday, all the Progressives Governors will be here to show solidarity. We are not going to be represented by one governor. 

Edo Decides: Esan In Twilght of Political Direction.

 

Gov.Oshiomhole

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

Political diminishing returns in full circle in Esanland. Esan ethnic block has been degraded and is now in its twilight of political endgame of irrelevance as a result of the married of political convinience between Edo South and Edo North.

Edo Central hitherto the horseman of Edo politics is now sleepy hollow completely taken apart by this new found political love between Edo South and Edo North.

To some political pundits, this scenarios has been quietly brewing, but there was absent of charismatic person to put a seal on it either from Edo South and Edo North until the advent of Comrade Oshiomhole on the one, and on the other, as a result of some sagacious political characters before now from Edo Central.

However, to some pundits, Comrade Oshiomhole is only an opportunist; they opined that the political unwiseness of Edo Central people to invest into individuals as a shrine, rather than ideology, which before put them at the forefront of progressive politics is responsible for their fall from Olympian height of politics in the state.

According to them, the fall of Edo Central from political relevance is self inflicted, as the district was not been proactive in its political networking.

This school recalled since the present political dispensation in 1999, Edo Central has pit their tent with the conservative party, PDP, even when it was clear the party is not only ideologically absent, or its 16 years of governance was less than impressive. They recalled the hold on the political pipe was its ability before to play on the divide between Edo South and North.

Secondly, while the two other districts were more ideological driven, Edo Central was more or less behavouring or playing the politics of a caliphate, driven more on individual loyalty and allocation of resources.  In other words, while the other two districts were dynamic on their politics of collective success, Edo Central was blindly following individuals.

Esan is second monolith tribe in Edo State, after the Binis. Despite its population estimated at about 25-30 percent of Edo's and the recent dominance of the political space in Edo, the current political field has left Esan orphaned as a direct result of the above stated reasons, to the extent that today, the entire race is now jotting to even be appointed as the Secretary to the state Government or jubilating that at the other side of the river bank, deputy governorship slot was given to them which is windy as per actualization based on the new political wind.

The pertinent question now is what would they do to get back to political reckoning?

Personal and tribal action over who gets what in the next dispensation has become intense in Edo state. The echoes are loud enough to deafening ears.

One thing is clear as the next governorship election date draws near; the three ethnic nationalities in Edo State are scheming for one position or the other. So, it is now a game of interest. No longer collective interests!

Prior to this time, electorate is expected to vote on the basis of party ideology and suitability of the candidate for the position of the number one seat; most ethnic groups in the state are preparing to vote based on what they get in the next dispensation. A 180 degree turning indeed!

Political geography divides Edo State into three senatorial districts, namely: the Edo North, Central and South Senatorial districts respectively.

To every political analyst, the major political parties in the race are APC and PDP. The ruling All progressives Congress (APC) gave its ticket to the Edo south after Mr. Godwin Obaseki emerged winner of a keenly contested primaries. The Central senatorial district, going by the original calculations, lost the bid both to produce the next governor and deputy. A topic for another day!

The People Democratic Party (PDP) gave its ticket to Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu (though under a factional outlook for now), who is from the Edo South district also. The governorship candidate of PDP picked its deputy from Edo central to balance the political equation and their chances of winning in the main election but Mr. Godwin Obaseki of APC took his deputy from the Edo Northern senatorial district.

As it is now, and with the emergence of Hon. Shuaibu, as deputy governorship candidate, the Edo Central Senatorial District will have no outstanding electable position from 2016 should the APC sweep the polls?

Sensing that the Esan people would be further endangered in the next dispensation if they continued to fold their arms and watch the Esan political class dictate the pace of the polity, the leadership of the young Esan elites and some other prominent leaders in the ethnic nationality began a rescue mission. Observers of political events say the young esan elites believe that the ‘Esan political class’ were their problem and they were no longer prepared to further mortgage the future of the land on the altar of self-imposing politics being played by the political class under greed and selfish interests.

To me as an esan man, I hereby task the Esan people to vote wisely and for a candidate that can truly win according to the direction of the political wind. Esan people must vote creditably and wisely. One thing that my Esan people must avoid, a vote that will place or tag us as opposition stronghold in the state.

...to be continued!