…It’s a sign of victory for Ighodalo – Governor’s aide
Asue Ighodalo, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate for the next month’s governorship election in Edo State on Saturday got a major boost as over 100 members of the All Progressives Congress joined the party in Benin City.
The APC defectors which are from Ward One, in Oredo Local Government Area were led by Sidney Egede a chieftain of the party in the locality.
The defectors were received into PDP by Oluwole Uzzi, the Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
Uzzi, while commending the defectors for the bold step and courage to leave their party to join PDP noted that Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie are the most qualified and competent people to succeed the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He urged the people of the ward to appreciate and reward Governor Obaseki for his magnanimity of appointing two persons from the ward which are himself and Crusoe Osagie in his executive.
The Commissioner, who described those tagging Governor Obaseki as ignorant and bereft of ideas, noted that they both grew together at ward one.
On his part, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media Project, said the political dominance of APC in the ward has been defeated.
He said, the defection of Sidney Egede, a chieftain of APC and his supporters to PDP was a major boost to the party in the locality.
According to him, in every election one of those that give our party, PDP, a sleepless night and chances of winning the ward is Pastor Sidney Egede.
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“But today, we are very happy to have him and his foot soldiers in the fold of PDP. With him, the forthcoming election will be an easy one for us.
“I want to appeal to those that are still undecided or on the fence to join the party because, PDP is a party that have the welfare of Edo citizens at heart.
“With Barrister Asue Ighodalo and Barrister Osarodion Ogie as the governor and deputy governor, as successors to Governor Obaseki, the state is again poised for more development,” he said.
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In his remarks, the leader of the defectors, Sidney Egede, said they decided to join the party because most competent and popular candidates were not given the APC ticket.
“We are also worried by the person that won the APC ticket where we have qualified and more competent aspirants like Osagie Ize-Iyamu, David Imuse, the former State chairman of APC, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, the former permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” he added.
He, however, assured that more of the APC members in the ward would defect to PDP before the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
