An aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, Osaro Onaiwu has chided those calling themselves homegrown.

He said they (politicans) are doing this for the purpose of gaining cheap popularity in the name of election.

He argued that position of the governor should about capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state and not mere sloganeering of homegrown.

He expressed his views while speaking with newsmen in Benin ahead of the party’s primary.

Onaiwu said that there is nobody that is more homegrown than himself if that is what they should go by.

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He boasted that he once represented the state in a competition when it was still Bendel State, adding that he had equally served the founders of the state which none of those chorusing homegrown has done.

“Nobody is more homegrown than me because my wife is Edo. Majority of the aspirants’ wives are not Edo.

“So, as governor-to-be, my wife understands the values and culture of the women and which is key.

“I served the two major people that built Edo. Samuel Ogbemudia, was the maker of Edo, then the man who created the state, Augustus Aikhomo, so I served him.

“So, when they say homegrown, there has to be a definition of homegrown.

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“I have also participated in sports festival. I played handball for Bendel state.

“So who could be more homegrown than me? Let any of the aspirants come out, put a medal on the table to say this is what I did for Bendel state when he was young.

“This is not the time for us to talk about who is homegrown and who is not homegrown. We are looking at capacity, we are looking at those who are ready to serve.

“In Igboland, there is what we call the apprentice system. When you have finished serving, they will set you free. I, therefore, challenge all of them to come and tell me who they have served that they now want to serve Edo people.

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“When you have not served somebody, you can’t serve the people. Service is about passion, service is about humility, service is about care.

“We don’t want people who say that they are coming to serve us. Are they coming to serve us or they are coming to loot our common wealth? No. Homegrown issue should not even come to play because if they want to talk about the homegrown, I am the original homegrown because my wife is Edo,” he added.

On the issue of zoning, the aspirant said those who are advocating for it have forgotten the political history so soon.

He added that politics is a game of numbers, therefore those who are seeking for elective position should be prepared to canvass for votes and stop playing up sentiment.

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“On the issue of zoning, we have never zoned in Edo. It is clear. People are just trying to bring sentiment and emotion.

“Emotion and sentiment don’t win election. Election is about consensus; election is about talking to people. We have never zoned. If you check from 1999 till date, every other areas in the state have always participated in elections.

“So why the emotion? why the sentiment? When Osunbor was the governor, was it zoned? He contested against Julius Ihonvbere.

“It was not zoned. So, why are they now talking about zoning? Have we forgotten our history? Some people that are talking of zoning, did they participate in the electoral process in Edo State from 1999?.”