January 14, (THEWILL) – Preparation for the Edo State Governorship Election heightens as political parties begin the process of choosing their candidates. The main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has released its timetable and schedule of activities for the election.
The timetable, released last Monday, was signed by the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaimon Argungu. According to the party, the sale of Nomination, Expression of Interest and Delegate forms for contestants, which began on January 10 will end on January 29, 2024, while the party’s primary election will take place on February 17, 2024.
The APC pegged the price for the expression of interest and nomination forms at N10m and N40m, respectively. The party said that female aspirants and persons living with disabilities are expected to pay for the expression of interest form, while the nomination form is free of charge.
“Youths from 25 to 40 years are to purchase expression of interest forms with a 50 per cent discount on nomination forms,” the APC stated.
THEWILL recalls that aside from Edo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also scheduled the governorship poll in Ondo State for November 16, 2024.
Ondo and Edo are two of the eight states where governorship elections are held off-season due to litigations and court judgments. The others are Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi and Osun.
Meanwhile the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, Asue Ighodalo, Felix Akhabue and Anslem Ojezua last Thursday picked the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary scheduled for February 22.
Barr. Blessing Omosede Igbenedion had on Wednesday purchased the forms, bringing the total number of aspirants to five as of last Thursday.
While the expression of interest form costs N5 million, the nomination form is N30 Million. At the cost of N35 million and with five aspirants, who had already purchased the forms, PDP has raked in N175 million into its coffer.
Speaking with journalists after obtaining the form, Asue Ighodalo denounced the rumour that he was the preferred candidate of the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki.
He said, “I have heard the rumour. It has no basis. Prompted by the people that know I have the capacity to serve as the governor of Edo State, I decided to run and it took me a long time to agree to run because of many other things that I was doing.”
Speaking on why he thought he was the best candidate for the job, Ighodalo said that experience taught him that in public office he would have the opportunity to affect the lives of many people.
He said, “At this point in my life, when I have been able, by the grace of God, to do things in other spheres, maybe it is time or the hand of destiny that pointed me to the direction of wanting to help my state.
“People can say what they like in order to discredit me. I am not in the business of discrediting other people and there are many good people that can be governor of Edo State.
“What I am bringing to the table is definitive focus. I see a path that will move Edo State from where it is to first world economy. I see a path that will take all our children into school, to provide health services, to remove our people from poverty, to provide water, to provide electricity and provide security by working with our team, the Federal Government and other states.
“I am a man of peace, I am a man of fairness, I am a man of justice. I want to see my love for the people translate into benefits for the people of Edo State.
“If the people of the state give me this chance, I will do my very best and I know that my very best will be good for the people.”
Deputy Governor Shaibu, whose form was obtained for him by the Forum of Past National Association of Nigerian Students Leaders, said that it was the people’s turn to decide who will be the governor of Edo State.
Speaking on behalf of Shaibu, the Forum of Past NANS Leaders, led by Patrick Afubera and Godwin Maliga, said that once the deputy governor got the PDP ticket, the people would elect him.
The forum said: “For us, we believe that the primary election is for the party. If the primary is going to be held today, we are confident that the delegates, who are party members, will definitely pick our candidate.
“What we are doing here today is for the PDP. The PDP has never given its governorship ticket to anybody from Edo North. Go and check history. If you go to Edo Central, they have had the ticket of the PDP more than once. In most cases, they lost the election.
“In the PDP, the party on whose platform Philip is contesting, we saw that he has a bright chance of emerging as governorship candidate. It is about strength and capacity.”
Another aspirant, Akhabue said the PDP should pick him because of his ability to galvanise his people to win the primary. He said, “I am that kind of person that if I don’t have a conviction in anything I want to do, I don’t embark on it. There is nothing that I have done in the past that God has not blessed with success at the end of the day because I will pray about it and by the time I have a conviction, I will put in all my efforts.
“I will be able to galvanise my people to win the primaries. Yes, the big names are there, but that is not a problem to me. For me to have embarked on the race, you can be sure that old politicians like myself certainly have consulted widely across the state. I am not just planning to win the primaries; I am planning to win the election proper by God’s grace.”
For now, Ighodalo remains the leading aspirants in the PDP as the Edo Central Senatorial District PDP has adopted him 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.
Archbishop Anthony Okosun, in a press statement made available to journalists after the meeting, said the Senatorial Caucus accepted the recommendation of the Special Committee and adopted Barr. Asue Ighodalo as the consensus aspirant of the PDP from Edo Central Senatorial District.
He said, “The Edo Central PDP Caucus met today, Thursday, 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.”
The statement enumerated the resolutions adopted by the Senatorial District to include, “One, the Senatorial Caucus applauded the members of the Special Committee for the diligence and transparency they applied in carrying out their assignment.
“Two, the Senatorial Caucus accepted the recommendation of the Special Committee and adopted Barr. Asue Ighodalo as the consensus aspirant of the PDP from Edo Central Senatorial District.
“Three, the Senatorial Caucus noted the adoption of Barr. Asue Ighodalo is without prejudice to the right of any other aspirant to pursue his or her aspiration.”
Okosun added, “The Senatorial Caucus mandated the Special Committee to lead Barr. Asue Ighodalo and introduce him to all stakeholders in the state as the consensus aspirant of the Edo Central PDP.”
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
