• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Edo 2020: Obaseki inches closer to clinching PDP ticket as aspirant steps down

Godwin Obaseki-PDP

Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, is closer to emerging as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming governorship election in the state as Gideon Ikhine, one of the governorship aspirants on the PDP platform, stepped down for Obaseki.

Making his decision known at his campaign secretariat in Benin City, the state capital, on Monday in the midst of his teeming supporters, Ikhine described Obaseki as the new face of PDP in the state, urging all his delegates to cast their votes for the governor during the party’s governorship primary election fixed for June 25.

“We are going to queue behind you sir, in the next Thursday governorship primary election of our party. We have kept the faith in the last one decade but today we are happy to be part of history that PDP is back to Government House,” Ikhine said.

While announcing his decision, Ikhine said that there was no progress without a sacrifice, adding that the governor joining the party was God’s great answer to the party and his aspiration.

He noted that two persons could have the same vision but the means of approaching them will be different, stressing that he was not stepping down but stepping behind the man who would lead the party to glory come September 19.

“Though it is a painful decision to step down from the race, it is important that the vision for a better tomorrow had been achieved. There is no progress without a sacrifice. That the governor joined the party was God’s great answer to the party and his aspiration,” Ikhine said.

He promised to ensure that the party defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election with over a margin of 600,000 votes.

Governor Obaseki, while commending Ikhine and his supporters for stepping down for him, expressed joy that the people of integrity and intellect are now taking part in politics, especially in Edo State.

 

Obaseki said he left his former party, APC, because of impunity in the party.

While describing APC as a party whose DNA is impunity, noted that the PDP is a party of unity, and urged members to bring in umbrella big enough to accommodate more people in the party.

He promised to build the party on fairness, equity and solid foundation that will be embraced by all and sundry in the state.

Meanwhile, the APC in Edo State now has a candidate for the September 19 governorship election in the state. He is Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who ran for governorship in the state in 2016 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ize-Iyamu, who is widely believed to be the anointed candidate of the national leadership of the APC, on Monday polled a total of 27,838 votes in a direct primary election conducted across the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas of the state, defeating Pius Odubu, deputy to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Odubu polled 3,766 votes while Osaro Obaze, former chairman of Oredo local government council, scored 2,744 votes.

He will be facing whoever becomes the standard-bearer of the PDP and other parties in the governorship election. Announcing the result in Benin city on Monday, Hope Uzodinma, Imo State governor and chairman of the governorship primary election committee, said of the three persons cleared to contest the election, the committee received a notice of withdrawal from two aspirants.

“From the calculations, Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu who scored a total of 27,838 has the highest number of votes cast in the election and is hereby returned a candidate of APC for the forthcoming governorship election,” Uzodinma said.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank all members of the party, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for participating in this very transparent and one of the most clinically delivered exercise in the history of our democracy since 1999. I want to congratulate our candidate and the maturity displayed by the other two,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, Ize-Iyamu expressed gratitude to the contenders. While appealing to Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki to return to the party, he called for cohesive house.
“I am naturally happy and humbled by the overwhelming support from the 18 LGA. I am so elated that there was no incident of violence and we were able to do the primary without violating the government’s COVID-19 regulation,” he said.