Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A governorship aspirant in Edo State on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Kenneth Imasungbon, on Friday collected his nomination and expression of interest forms after paying N30 million at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The forms were handed over to him by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, who pledged that the party would ensure a level playing field for all the governorship aspirants.
Imasungbon said that the purchase of the forms was the beginning of the process to liberate Edo State indigenes from the stranglehold of the opposition party in the state.
He said that his purchase of the governorship form, symbolised a yellow card for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Imasungbon, who is popularly called the ‘rice man’ because of his philanthropy, the purchase of the forms was to free the less privileged persons in Edo State who has been marginalised by the ruling PDP.
He 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, who 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.
The LP governorship aspirant, who rated the outgoing governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, as a failure, stated that he failed in road construction and failed to maintain security in the state.
He urged LP to maintain fair play so as to ensure that the best candidate emerges from the primary election, while justifying the payment of N30 million for the nomination and expression of interest forms, when compared with the N50 million and N30 million that the APC and PDP and other political parties are charging.
