THE political fortunes of the All Progressives Congress, APC, swelled, yesterday, as the daughter of Esama of Benin who is a former member of the House of Representatives, Omosede Igbinedion, and her supporters joined the APC a few hours after she resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
She was received at the Edo South senatorial district flag-off of the APC governorship campaign where political leaders carpeted the almost eight years administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the APC Candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo unveiled a five-point manifesto which he said were security, infrastructural development, education, agriculture and water provision.
The rally, held at the Ekheuan Campus of the University of Benin, attracted leaders of the party from the 77 wards that make up Edo South senatorial district.
Speaking at the rally, former governorship candidate of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu said it was the end of the PDP in the state. A former member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the PDP who recently returned to the APC, Charles Idahosa, urged the people of Edo Central to organise a debate for Okpebholo and his PDP counterpart, Asue Ighodalo in their homeland to speak to their people and see who would falter.
Why I left PDP – Igbinedion
Omosede Igbinedion said she left the PDP because the APC had supported her vision for Ovia people. “There was Esan Agenda and I also have the Ovia Agenda, the APC has fulfilled the Ovia Agenda because we have never produced a deputy governor and the APC has picked our own Dennis Idahosa as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.”
To Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Igbinedion’s coming to the APC was an asset and urged the people to vote out PDP and its candidate who he accused of presenting fake credentials of who they are not. “They claim to be technocrats and in this era of seeking knowledge, they destroyed a library and replaced it with Shoprite. I can assure you that our candidate will turn it back to a digital library. They destroyed a hospital and are building a museum for them to re-loot returned artefacts which belonged to the palace. Our candidate will partner the palace to build the Benin Royal Museum for the kingdom. He will rebuild the Benin Water Storm project and desilt the city to check flooding”
How we can stop PDP – Shaibu
The court reinstated deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, called on the people not to be scared of the PDP and its candidate and urged them to join him so that they can jointly defeat the PDP while the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Dennis Idahosa said the contest was between the youth and old men.
A former deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Paul Ohonbamu said: “Election has come and the die is cast and the battle line is drawn between one man’s ambition and the survival of the state.
The leader of the APC in Edo South, Odubu in his remarks said the best time to save the state was now.