Politics

Edo 2024: Esan Enigies Endorse Imuse For Governor

Published

8 months ago

September 17, 2023

Editor

Traditional Rulers better known as Enijie in Edo Central (Esan) at the weekend collectively prayed for the success of the gubernatorial aspiration of Col. Dr. David Imuse rtd and endorsed him for the office of Edo state Governor come 2024.

Imuse, who is the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC and a gubernatorial aspirant for the 2024 Edo governorship elections, was guest of the traditional rulers, who had gathered at the palace of His Royal Highness, Abumere, the Onojie of Ekpoma.

Along with his wife, and supporters from across the state, he told the traditional rulers of his qualification and desire to govern the state if he secures his party’s ticket to contest next year’s governorship elections.

Col Imuse who said he was seeking the high office not because he is from Edo Central, described himself as a very informed, competent and capable hand, who understands the duties of a state governor.

The medical graduate of the University of Benin, who served in the Nigeria Army before retiring into private business and politics, said he knows Edo State like the palm of his hands, having traversed its length and breadth for more than two occasions.

These occasions include when he served as Director-General of the Campaign organizations of two gubernatorial aspirants and as the Acting Chairman of the party during the 2020 governorship elections with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the APC flag-bearer.

Assuring the traditional rulers that he was at home in most of the communities even in the remotest part of the state, he said he was prepared to provide purposeful leadership as governor to address all the challenges facing Edo state.

Responding on behalf of all the traditional rulers, the Onojie of Igueben, His Royal Highness Ehizogie Ailuojerior, who broke the kola nuts, prayed to God for Dr Imuse’s aspiration to become reality moreso for the honour he did by coming home to inform the Enijies of his dream.

The Zaiki said, “The late Professor Ambrose Alli, was the last governor of Esan extraction and he performed excellently well. Our prayer is that you will attain the heights he attained and do more.

“We also pray that God will make it possible for you to get your party ticket to enable you contest and win the 2024 Edo governorship elections. We are asking God for governor that will bring about good governance in Edo State and by so doing bring overall development.

“And just as you requested, we the traditional rulers of Esanland will consider your aspiration and we pray that God will make your dreams become reality by answering your prayers.”

According to the Zaiki Ailuojerior, “It is clear by mere looking at you that you are a vibrant, visionary and a purpose-driven man. From your submission about the challenges facing us as a people and as a state, we can say you are indeed prepared for the journey you have embarked upon. We pray that God and our ancestors, grant you success”.

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

4 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.