The debate organised for governorship candidates of various political parties on Sunday ahead of the Edo State governorship election was shunned by the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

The debate organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council in conjunction with the Broadcasting Organisation Nigeria (BON) and the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NERD), was attended by governorship candidates of Labour Party, LP, Barr. Olumide Akpata; Action Democratic Congress, ADC, Derek Izedonwmen and Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Miss Patience Ndidi.

The debate could not hold due to the absence of the APC and PDP candidates, but the candidates who showed up were given opportunity to speak briefly.

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In his brief speech, the LP candidate, Akpata described failure by the APC and PDP candidates to honour the invitation to debate as an outright disregard not to the NUJ and BON, but Edo people, urging residents to call out the candidates and use their votes to do justice to them at the poll.

Akpata, who claimed the two candidates depend on violence and manipulations to win the governorship election, and that that is why they did not show up, also charged media organisations and executives to condemn the action by the two candidates in their editorials, writing, among others.

The LP candidate who wondered why a candidate should intend of governing a state without coming out to tell the people what he has for them, said: “Asue Ighodalo comes from the private sector like I do, but if I may ask, as chairman of board of several companies, did he employ any intending employee without an interview? This is a simple logic.

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“But because they intend to win election through violence and manipulation, they feel there is no need for coming out to tell Edo people why they should vote for them. This act must stop.

“I will implore the media to condemn this. I expect to see headlines and editorials as from tomorrow condemning this total disrespect for Edo people.”

On her part, PRP’s Ndidi said people are giving these two political parties undue regards, stressing that this is why they have taken the people for granted.

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“For me, leadership is about the people and respect for the people. But see what has happened. This is an outright disrespect for the people. I condemn this act. By the way, people are giving them undue respect this is why they feel too important. We need to stop giving them the respect they do not deserve; The popularity they do not deserve,” she said.

ADC candidate, Izedonwmen said it’s quite unfortunate that the two political parties copied what Tinubu did in 2023, where he declined to honour debate invite but still won the election, urging Edo people to stand against this.

More coming soon…

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kassim Shettima; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and nine All Progressives Congress (APC) governors attended the mega rally of the party to rap up its campaign for the September 21 governorship election.

Others at the rally were serving ministers and members of the House of Representatives, amongst other dignitaries.

Shettima said Edo State needs a strategic thinker, builder and a man with a compassionate heart that can lead his people right, adding that intelligence is not determined by the size of the head but ability to solve problems that affect the people.

Shettima said he has “absolute confidence in Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state”

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He urged the people of the state to come out in large numbers to vote for the candidates of the APC next Saturday.

He said the people don’t need somebody who can speak grammar but one who can perform.

On his part, Senator Akpabio said Okpebholo as a senator, has been living up to his billings in the Senate and that there is no doubt about his ability to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Addressing the crowd, former governor of the state, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole said Governor Godwin Obaseki “has been insensitive to the plights of the people of the state. There is nothing to write home about his eight years in office as the governor of the state.

“Markets that were burnt during his tenure were not rebuilt; rather the hospital and the state library have been converted into museums and a shopping mall, respectively.”

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On the part of the national chairman of the party, Umar Ganduje, he said the state has been mismanaged for the past eight years as it was marred with insecurity, and unemployment and that it is time for them to take it back by voting for the APC.

On the part of the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Monday Okpebholo, he said he would employ 5000 teachers within his 100 days in office as governor of the state.

He assured the market women of soft loans to boost their businesses just as he promised to build primary healthcare around the 192 wards in the state.

Earlier the national chairman of the party, Ganduje received a former senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Senator Francis Alimikhena and the former member representing Oredo federal constituency, Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama who decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC.

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Alimikhena said he was glad to be back in the APC and that he was going to mobilize his followers to vote for the party in the forthcoming governorship election.

Ogbeide-Ihama, said he had earlier advised his former party, the PDP against its decision when it brought in Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2020 but they didn’t listen to him.

He also advised when they again brought in Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the PDP they still not listen to him

…Damagun sends message to INEC, Others

…’It’s do or die’ – Obaseki

The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Ilia Damagun, an Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Saturday, September 14, talked tough at a mega rally of the party ahead the September 21 Edo governorship election.

Addressing members of the PDP and supporters at the rally which took place at Garrick Memorial Secondary school in Benin City, Damagun declared that the governorship election will be a test for the country’s democracy.

The PDP Acting Chairman, while urging Nigerians to focus their eyes on the state during the mega rally attended by the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and several PDP governors, said “You have to kill or arrest all of us if you have to take this state.

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“You may have gang but we have God. To INEC, we don’t want that midnight result announcement. It is not a threat but we will defend our votes with our blood”, he said, promising that PDP will continue to give Edo State good governance.

He later presented what he called “the flag of victory” to the governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

In his speech, Ighodalo promised to take the state to the next level, saying Obaseki has built a solid foundation for the state.

Besides, he pledged that he would be transparent and govern with integrity, adding that he believed governor Godwin Obaseki and President Bola Tinubu assurances that the election will be free and fair.

Earlier, Governor Obaseki had described the governorship election as “existential threat” adding “This election is a do or die. If they do, we will die”.

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On his part, the party’s Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphous Wabara, urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to announce results of the election until he is sure.

He further urged the INEC boss to correct the wrongs of the 2023 general elections and go on a peaceful retirement.

Also speaking, former Vice President Abubakar and Presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 Presidential election, urged the Edo people to vote for the PDP, “defend and protect their votes”, saying that “PDP is winning next week”.

Several governors of the party from other states, who attended the campaign rally, spoke in similar vein and urged the people to vote for Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie.