Edo Guber: LP, PDP Candidates Are Strangers To Edo People -Agbama.
By Innocent Okoh
Ahead of the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo state, a former two time chairman of Uhunmwonde LGA council and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Hon. Napoleon Agbama, has lambasted governorship candidates of Labour Party LP Olumide Akpata and that of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo in the Edo election, describing them as strangers in the State.
Though he didn’t want to speak on the Abuja High Court Judgement that invalidated the process that gave birth to Asue, as PDP governorship candidate, because the case has shifted to appeal court but he said he believes that it’s going to go the way of the lower court because the proofs are obvious.
He stated this on Saturday during an interview with journalists in Benin, ahead of inauguration/flag off of the party’s campaign council in Uhunmwonde LGA, he said the people in Edo South would not risk their precious votes for both candidates.
Speaking further, Agbama described candidates of All Progressives Congress APC, Sen. Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, as home based politicians capable of beaten all other candidates in the September 21, election due to their proven and formidable track record that bothers on human feelings.
On Akpata, who he also described as stranger, the politician explained that when he was National Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, many people from Edo didn’t know he was from the state let alone Edo South, which is his constituency, adding that tribal or religious sentiment won’t count at all in this election because the people have long past that stage.
He said, “well, the era of tribal sentiment, religious sentiment is over, you can see that from the 2023 Presidential Election, Tinubu has been somebody who doesn’t struggle to win Lagos State, but in the past Presidential Election, you will observe how difficult it is for the man to win the state. So we are looking for somebody who is very grassrooted and that has been with the people.
“Yes, the candidate of the labour is from Edo South but he is somebody that is even a stranger like the PDP, but the one in APC that we are all supporting is home based, he is there in Esan, he has a building and he has a business that he is doing there, he has showcased that he has the interest of the people at heart, he was not a senator when he started buying vehicles for vigilante, sinking bore holes for more than four communities. So you see those are the kind of people we need this time around,, those who have the feeling of the people and not just because you are fed up with one thing or the other.
“You see, when Akpata was national chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, many people didn’t know he was even from Edo. So being Edo South will not make the people from the region to vote for him, life is dynamic, we have past that stage of tribal or religious sentiment and I believe the APC candidate is going to beat all of them in that election.”
He further emphasized that Senator Monday Okpebholo is over qualified and capable of governing Edo state, being the serving Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District. He said, in Uhunmwonde LGA the only party competing in the governorship election is the APC, because all the politicians are currently in the opposition party, and that translates to a massive win for the APC and for Okpebholo in the whole of the council area come September 21.
Speaking on what’s on ground to actualize the winning for his party, Hon. Agbama, explained, “APC, was on ground for eight years under comrade Adams Oshiomhole, before this present PDP administration came in and Oshiomhole performed Wonderfully well here in Edo state. So I believe this man (Okpebholo) is also going to perform wonderfully well. He is not a governor yet and you can see what he did recently at Jattu and Ekpoma, see the way he paid N7M instantly for the proposed bill meant for the kidney transplant of that AAU student. In Jattu, the deputy governor of Edo state went there only to speak grammar but Okpebholo went there, dropped N10M to take off the rebuilding of the damaged shops and also paid the hospital bill of those wounded. What else do you need to know that this person is very serious, he is at home with the people and he has human feeling.” He said.