…insists he has no candidate, urges leaders to work towards overwhelming triumph at polls
By Isaac Aimurie and Henry Oqua
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Monday May 16, 2022, held meetings with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo North and South Senatorial Districts as a follow-up to the recent meeting of leaders and aspirants in Benin City, to consolidate on the preparations for the primary and subsequent elections in the State.
The Governor who was accompanied on the visit by the State Chairman of the PDP, Anthony Aziegbemi, were both received by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, in Jattu, and PDP leaders from the six local government areas in the area, namely; Etsako East, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Owan East, Owan West and Akoko Edo.
In Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, the Governor was received by party leaders in the five local government areas, led by Chief Tom Ikimi, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun and representatives of Esan South-East, Igueben, Esan North-East, Esan West and Esan Central.
Speaking to the party leaders, Obaseki urged them to see themselves as one big family and close ranks to produce formidable candidates that can win overwhelmingly in the 2023 general elections.
Setting the tone for the meeting, the State party chairman said: “We are here today in continuation of the meeting we held in Benin City sometime ago, where our leaders requested that you go back to your local government and try as much as possible to streamline the aspirants in the different constituencies in your senatorial districts.
“We are convinced that you have done that, where you had five aspirants, you now have two or three. So we are here today to ascertain what you have done and then go through the processes with you. We are doing this from one local government to the other.”
Obaseki described the process as a new one and assured that PDP will work as one united family.
He said: “We are here this morning as part of the continuation of a process, it is a new process in our politics and governance. As you are aware we had a meeting in Benin City recently with about 162 House of Assembly aspirants who picked up forms and at the meeting, like the State party Chairman said, the leaders asked you to go back to your various constituencies and see how we can streamline.”
The Governor advised: “Party primaries give us an opportunity to bring in the best candidates so that they can go and contest and win elections. The primaries must not be seen as an end in itself, so we should be careful how we manage that process, in order not to create problems for the aspirants who will emerge as candidates in the election.”
He assured: “PDP is a big family and can accommodate all kinds of interest and tendencies and my view is that party primaries should not be something that should divide the party, so we must manage it in such a way that we will not leave bitterness, anger and hate at the end of the exercise, because these candidates will still have to work with the aspirants and leaders.
“We need everybody, we will smoothen things out, nobody is leaving the party, whatever happens we will find a way to resolve it within the PDP, and for us we must overwhelmingly take over Edo north, particularly all the constituencies in Etsako land.
“For me that is the final fight and the only thing left for me in Edo politics. We must overwhelm every other person and so we want people who will effectively represent the people.”
He added: “We don’t need a situation where someone will go and borrow money for primaries and will not have the resources for the main election.
“1999 is different from 2022, we cannot continue to do things the way we used to, with the Amended Electoral Act, we are going to have a tedious election and it just makes sense to have common grounds.”
The well-attended meetings, were successful as leaders from the various local government areas in the two senatorial districts expressed delight at the steps being taken to ensure that the PDP is positioned for glory in the next general elections.
