Politics

2024 Poll: Edo-born Canadian Police officer, LP Guber Aspirant, Promises Security Dragnet

Published

2 years ago

December 14, 2023

Editor

An Edo-born Canadian Police officer and a Labour Party (LP) govenorship aspirant in the 2024 Edo State governoship election, Ogbemudia Bassey Osagie, has promised to build a security dragnet around the state with a view to attracting and creating an enabling environment for industries.

He said being an Edo son with experience of over 24 years in the Toronto police, he has what it takes to secure the state and make sure investors are attracted to invest in the state.

Osagie, who stated this in Benin on Thursday during a chat with Journalists, lamented that many Edo sons and daughters who have big companies in the US, Canada, UK, etc are willing to come to the state to invest but due to insecurity they are scared of coming.

The govenorship aspirant who noted that after many years of experience in a foreign land he decided to come to his state to bring to bear his wealth of experience, said: “I have had the privilege to serve the people of Toronto. That same ethical value, that accountability, that transparency, that mindset that you need to do something good for your people is what I have brought to Edo State.

“What I am going to do as Edo State governor, is to bring Toronto to Edo State so that we can start to see progress. Our people need change.

“Our major priority is security. Without security, there cannot be a success. There cannot be economic development unless you have an efficient and effective law enforcement agency to keep people in check. These are my vision for Edo State.

“All our people I consulted in the US, Canada and UK claim they cannot come and set up their factories because the state is not secured. We have many of our people who own big pharmaceutical companies and others, but they said they can’t come home because our state is not secured.

“So, as an international security expert, I will build a security dragnet around Edo State so that our people in diaspora will start coming home to invest. Trust me, I have served in the whitman security for years, but the white will not come and fix our security for us. We will fix it. We are going to persuade our people to come and invest.

“We will create the enabling environment for industries to flourish in Edo State. We have mineral resources, but we have no industries. What I am going to do is to build factories, industries, so that we can be able to produce instead of consumption,” he said.

While promising to build the youths of Edo by making sure they acquire modern technologies, the governoship aspirant also promised to give farmers soft loan so that there can be food security.

“We need to go back not only to secure our farmland but farming. We will give our farmers some fundings. There are a lot of young men who want to go into farming, we need to give them loan. That way, we will reduce food insecurity in Edo State and in Nigeria in general,” he added.

He also promised to fix all roads in the state and give 24 hours electricity.

He said: “During my tenure as governor God willing, there will be no federal road. Any road that my people drive belongs to us, and we will not leave it to collapse.”

He added: “No country can develop without electricity. You can’t have factory without electricity. What I am going to do as governor is to look into the power problem and solve it. We plan to provide 24 hours electricity to our people. It is not a rocket science. If the companies we have in Nigeria cannot do it, I will bring Canadian Hydro to look into our power structure and fix the electricity challenge.”

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

23 hours ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.

Politics

PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.

In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.

The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.

“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.

“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.

“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.

“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.

“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.

“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.

“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”

Politics

Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.

He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.

Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.

He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.

Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.

“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.

“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.

“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.

“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.

He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.