. State party’s central zone adopts Ighodalo
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city
With the commencement of the sale of forms for the September governorship election in Edo State, four frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the race yesterday picked up their governorship forms.
The four governorship hopefuls are: Asue Igbodalo, Felix Akhabue, Anselm Ojezua, and the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu. Each of the aspirants paid N35 million for the Expression of Interest form.
Speaking when he picked his form yesterday, Ighodalo, who is from Edo Central senatorial district of the state, said he was in the race to bring private and public sector experience to bear in the governance of the state.
Ighodalo recalled that he was the chairman of the Adams Oshiomhole economic team in 2007 and later the chairman of the Governor Godwin Obaseki economic team from 2016 till he resigned.
He said it would be unfair for anyone to describe him as an outsider in Edo politics, stating that he has played active part in the management of the economic affairs of the state.
According to him, “With my experience as a lawyer and in corporate boardrooms as well as public sector policy management, my election as the governor of Edo State will set the state on the path of global excellence.
In the same view, the forum of past National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) led by Godwin Meliga and Patrick Afubera yesterday picked the governorship nomination form for the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
Speaking after collecting the form, Meliga said the deputy governor of Edo State remains the aspirant to beat, adding that he commands the respect of the grassroots in Edo State.
Meliga said Shaibu would not be an on-the-job training governor as he had garnered enough experience with eight years as the state deputy governor.
Moreover, he stated that apart from the possession of the required experience, Shaibu remains the only person that has a combination of both private and public experience in governance.
Akhabue, who personally picked his governorship nomination form, said as a former local government chairman and later commissioner in Edo State, he woud bring his experience to bear in the governance of the state.
He explained that due to how he managed the affairs of his local government as chairman, he received multiple commendations from the then Governor Oshiomhole.
Also, a former member of the House of Representatives, Omosede Igbinedion, picked the PDP nomination form for the September governorship election in Edo State. Igbinedion was the first governorship aspirant to purchase and collect the forms to contest the elections.
Meanwhile, the Edo Central senatorial district PDP has adopted the governorship aspirant and former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Ighodalo, as its consensus governorship aspirant.
The resolution was announced during the Edo Central PDP caucus meeting chaired by the Senatorial Vice Chairman of the party, Archbishop Anthony Okosun.
The party’s decision followed the report of the Edo Central PDP Special Committee chaired by the National Leader, Chief Tom Ikimi.
In a statement made available to journalists in Benin-city, after the end of the meeting, Okosun said the caucus accepted the recommendation of the special committee to adopt Ighodalo.
“The Edo central PDP caucus met today (January 11, 2024) in the PDP senatorial district secretariat in Uromi. The meeting was chaired by the Senatorial Vice Chairman of the party, Archbishop Anthony Okosun, in accordance with Section 20(1)(a) of the 2017 PDP Constitution (as amended).
“The caucus in accordance with its functions as spelt out in Section 20(2), considered the report of the Edo Central PDP Special Committee chaired by the National Leader, High Chief Tom Ikimi.”
He said the senatorial caucus applauded the members of the special committee for the diligence and transparency they applied in carrying out the assignment.
Okosun noted that the caucus accepted the recommendation of the special committee and adopted Ighodalo, explaining that his choice was without prejudice to the right of any other aspirant to pursue his or her aspiration.
“The senatorial caucus mandated the special committee to lead Asue Ighodalo and introduce him to all stakeholders in the state as the consensus aspirant of the Edo Central PDP,” Okosun said.
