Our reporter
In preparation for the Edo State Governorship Election set for September 21st, 2024, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has officially inaugurated its national Campaign Council.
During the event, the party pledged to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Edo state government house through the upcoming election.
The ceremony was marked by a significant political shift as the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, formally defected from the PDP and rejoined the APC.
Shaibu was accompanied by key members of the Dan Orbih-led Legacy Group from the PDP. In a symbolic gesture, Shaibu approached former Governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and knelt before him, receiving applause from the gathered APC supporters.
Speaking on behalf of the Legacy Group, Shaibu expressed their commitment to the APC, stating:
“On behalf of the Legacy Group, I wish to announce our movement to the APC. We have come to add value to the party. It is time to take back our State. We will not talk too much because action will speak for us. We are not afraid. We are ready to move forward. We, the homeboys, are ready to take our state back through the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa.”
Shaibu emphasized their readiness to face any challenges, saying, “We are not troublemakers, but if it comes, we will use it to rub our body, and move on.”
Among those who joined Shaibu in defecting to the APC were Hon. Omosede Igbinedion, daughter of the PDP leader in Edo South Senatorial District and Esama of Benin Kingdom, Sir Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion; Hon. Charles Idahosa; and Hon. Adjoto, former speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, among others.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, in his address, reaffirmed the APC’s goal to reclaim Edo State from the PDP and retain Ondo State, emphasizing that the party’s objectives were clear and resolute.
National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, while inaugurating the campaign, urged party leaders in Edo State to work diligently in mobilizing voters to secure victory for Senator Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa.
He cautioned them to remain focused and avoid distractions, stressing the importance of achieving the party’s objective of installing Okpebholo and Idahosa in the Edo government house.
The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ganduje, charged the members to ensure the party reclaimed the State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the September 21 off-cycle election.
The national chairman, who was excited about the official defection of the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, to the APC, said the party had secured up to 50 per cent of the people in the state’s government.
He urged the campaign council to swing into action to ensure that all members at the local government areas and unit levels come out to campaign and vote.
“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,” he said.
The former governor of Kano State said that if the state were not connected to the centre, it would not experience full political participation and dividends of democracy.
He said the only way to achieve this is by voting for Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, who are flying the party’s flag in the election.
The APC candidate castigated Governor Godwin Obaseki for raising the State debt profile from about ₦43 billion when he took over in 2016 to over ₦500 billion.
“We are bringing practical governance into the state,” he said.
The State chairman of APC, Jarret Tenebe, urged the party’s national chairman to join them to rescue the State from the grip of the PDP.
The event concluded with the formal reception of the PDP legacy coalition members into the APC, marking a significant boost to the party’s campaign efforts ahead of the September election.
