Ikimi: Why Ighodalo Emerged Sole Aspirant in Edo Central PDP

*Poll shows 78% of voters support zoning

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Chairman of the Edo Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Special Committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, has given reasons why Asue Ighodalo was chosen as the district’s sole aspirant for the party’s primary election.
He said this was as a result of the overwhelming support he got from co-aspirants and stakeholders in the district.
 Ikimi who stated this at the weekend while presenting the committee’s report to the Chairman of the Edo Central PDP Caucus and the Senatorial Chairman, Archbishop Anthony Okosun, said the committee was given the mandate to meet and interact with aspirants in the zone with a view to screening and recommending the best for the senatorial caucus to adopt.

He said that the committee which commenced sitting with the tour of the five local government council areas in the district on November 15, 2023 concluded its mission on January 10, 2024 after sitting for six times.
The PDP national leader stated further that during the committee’s sittings, seven aspirants, 22 traditional rulers, PDP leaders and other stakeholders in Edo Central consulted.

He gave the names of the seven aspirants who met with the committee as: Senator Clifford Ordia, John Yakubu, Martin Uhumoibhi,  Friday Itulah, Anselm Ojezua, Asue Ighodalo and Marcus Onobun.
Ikimi said that Felix Akhabue who was not part of the seven aspirants sent an apology to the committee saying that he was in Northern Nigeria at that time.
“Under this circumstance, Asue Ighodalo, remaining the only aspirant facing the Committee, after receiving overwhelming support from a majority of the other aspirants made an impeccable presentation to the committee.

“Accordingly, the committee unanimously accepted him and hereby recommends him as the consensus aspirant for the PDP Edo Central Senatorial District to contest the PDP ticket for the Edo State gubernatorial election 2024”,  Ikimi concluded.
Meanwhile, an Eagle Badger poll of 1,017 registered voters in Edo State has revealed that 78 per cent of voters support zoning and power rotation; and that the number one pain point for voters across the three senatorial districts as the 2024 governorship election approaches is roads.

In a randomised telephone survey conducted on the January 5, 2024, the group said that majority of respondents across the state said they support the rotation of political power across the senatorial zones.
When further asked where exactly political parties should zone their governorship tickets to, the group said 73 per cent of respondents picked Edo Central; 16 per cent picked Edo South and 11 per cent picked Edo North.

“The two main reasons given for supporting zoning were equity, fairness and justice and inclusiveness. Conversely, the two alternative reasons given by those not in favour of zoning were that competence and merit should be the primary determinants of who emerges as governor,” it stated.

Across the three senatorial districts, it said that the main issue respondents wanted the next governor to tackle was roads.
Managing Director of Eagle Badger, Sharon Orisakwe, stated that voters exhibited high levels of intention to vote in the upcoming elections and that more than 90 per cent of respondents had collected their permanent voter cards.-