The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Friday said it would deploy over 80 percent of its resources to return Senator Francis Alimikhena to the National Assembly in the 2023 general election.
Alimikhena, the incumbent senator representing Edo North senatorial district, in his bid to return to the National Assembly lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election to the former national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.
He, however, defected to the People’s Democratic Party where he secured the party’s ticket under the Governor Godwin Obaseki’s-led faction of the party in the state while Pascal Ugbome emerged candidate in the faction led by Dan Orbih, the South-South national Vice Chairman of the party.
The matter is currently under litigation between the two factions to determine the faction that produced the authentic candidates at the primary elections conducted by the party in the state.
Edo North senatorial district comprises six local governments namely, Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Etsako West, Owan East and Owan West.
Tony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of the party, speaking on defections from the APC in Edo North senatorial district to PDP in Benin City, said the resources would not only be limited to return the embattled senator but all other candidates of the party vying for various elective positions.
Aziegbemi, who said the senatorial district has 64 wards and 1,173 polling units, also promised to give all party leaders in the senatorial district and the defectors the necessary resources and support to win their various wards.
He also urged them to capture the data of voters in their respective various units, and assured that with the accurate data, the party is sure of overwhelming victory.
While pointing out that the treatment meted out to the state governor, Godwin Obaseki during the APC governorship’s primary election in 2020 when he was disqualified to contest the primaries was the same treatment meted out to the embattled senator, he opined that the defection was the beginning of the crumbling and failure of APC in the senatorial district and in the state.
Read also: Edo PDP primaries appeal panels urge aggrieved aspirants to submit petitions
“The next general election will be different from the previous elections in the 1,173 polling units across the Edo North senatorial district. I urge you all to woe people in your unit to the party. “What it will take to get the people to the party we will provide it for you. We will work to ensure that you win your various unit,” he said.
Earlier, Lucky James, director-general of Senator Francis Alimikhena campaign organisation and the leader of the defectors, said they defected to the People’s Democratic Party because of the dictatorial style of leadership of APC in the senatorial district. James opined that the sitting senator of the senatorial district was pushed out of the party not for lack of performance but for individual interest. He urged the electorate in the senatorial district to reward the senator with their votes for spreading the dividends of democracy across the wards of the district.
Francis Alimikhena, the embattled senator who commended the party members for believing in him, said that he would never disappoint them when re-elected to the National Assembly.
Philip Shaibu, the state deputy governor, said the senator should be rewarded for his achievements and not for political sentiments. Shaibu added that the defection was among the many events that would shape the next general election in the state and in the senatorial district. He said the God that delivered victory for the party during the 2020 governorship election will not forsake them in the next general elections especially that of the Edo North senatorial district.
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