The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Umar Ganduje, inaugurated the party’s national campaign council for the 2024 governorship election in Edo State on Saturday.
The council, headed by Governor Bassey Ottu of Cross River, has been tasked with ensuring the party reclaims the state from the People’s Democratic Party in the September 21 off-cycle election.
Ganduje expressed excitement over the defection of Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu to the APC, stating that the party had secured up to 50% of the state’s government.
He urged the campaign council to swing into action, saying, “A flag-off rally will soon be organised so that President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be in Benin-City.”
Ganduje emphasized the importance of connecting the state to the center, saying, “We are so happy because our incoming governor and his deputy have already produced a blueprint for the development of Edo state; they are not full with MoUs. They are coming with a blueprint and practical steps, so that Edo can fully develop and be connected to the centre.”
The APC candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, criticized Governor Godwin Obaseki for raising the state’s debt profile from ₦43 billion to over ₦500 billion. Okpebholo promised to restore infrastructure, education, and security in the state.
He said, “We are here to change it; we are coming to restore infrastructure, to restore education and to restore security to the state. We are bringing practical governance into the state.”
Former Governor of Edo State, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, urged the people to compare the years of APC and PDP rule in the state.
Oshiomhole said, “Edo people have the chance to sit back and ask themselves the differences between the years the APC ruled the state and the years the PDP ruled. Governance is about having human empathy. Those who do not know your house cannot fix the linkages; only those who know the linkages can help fix them.”
Oshiomhole also vowed to ensure a thorough investigation into the killing of Insp. Onu Akon, the police aide of Sen. Okpebholo, saying, “The days of oppression are over. They shall know no peace because they have murdered sleep.”
