Politics

Edo Poll: PDP Aspirant Guber Chides Homegrown Mantra, Says It’s About Capacity

Published

5 months ago

December 28, 2023

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.

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.

“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.

“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.

“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?.”

Politics

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

Published

1 day 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

4 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

5 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.