By Jethro Ibileke
The Chairman (Publicity Committee) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, for Oredo Local Government area, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, has explained moral reasons why candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP), Senator Monday Okpebholo and Olumide Akpata respectively, should not contest the 21 September governorship election in Edo.
Osagie who disclosed this on Monday in Benin, while addressing journalists, noted that there is only one viable candidate and it is only one that will win the election.
He noted that people from Edo North and South have been governors and deputy governors respectively for 16 years and so the Edo Central deserves to be given a shot at it.
Although Osagie agreed that there are major three parties in the contest, he however alleged that the other parties are without structures and that they don’t have men on ground.
“That takes away the 14 others. It is clear, people don’t really know them, people don’t even know them in the state and other parts of the country. That leaves the race between the three parties.
“The reason why we said Asue Ighodalo is the only candidate is simple. The Labor Party candidate is an inexperienced private sector operator who has never done anything in government before.
“Yes, he is bouyed by youthful enthusiasm, but he lacks depth and experience.
Beyond that, if he was sensitive, he would have placed the interest of the Esan people above his aggrandizement.
“He should consider the fact that for the past 20 plus years, a certain segment of this state has been excluded in the political calculation of Edo State and they deserve to be given opportunity to be on the table. Otherwise, there is not going to be equity, there is not going to be justice and fairness.
“On the grounds of that, we believe that Olumide Akpata should have waited, he should have put the interest of a senatorial district above his own primordial interest. He must try to understand what the sentiments are.
“For there to be an Edo State, there must be some equity and for equity to prevail, the Esan people must be on the table. It is only fair to allow the Esan people have their place,” he said.
Commenting on the suitabibility of the candidates of the APC and the PDP who are bith from Edo Central, Osagie had this to say:
“If you look at the two candidates, you will find out that one of them does not have the requisite persona intelligence and experience to be governor.
“We always hope that our leaders are more intelligent than us and not the other way around because we are giving our lives for them to live.
“Yes, he can do very well in his private businesses and other endeavours,but not to take the destiny of over four million people into his custody.
“To that extent, we believe that Asue Iguodalo is the only qualified candidate to be governor.
“We only have one viable candidate contesting the governorship election, he is Barrister Asue Ighodalo.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Crusoe Osagie has called on all Edo people to join them in Oredo to give PDP and Asue Ighodalo a landslide victory at the poll.
He said: “We are certain that join and our calculations have been done. We are just waiting for the election day to come to deliver the votes to Asue Ighodalo.
“We are also calling on other people in the three senatorial district and in the 18 LGAs to join us to do the right thing at the election.
“We also calling on people across the political divides as well to think and chose wisely by joining the PDP candidate.
“This is the time for them to put aside their party’s affiliations and bury primordial sentiments and support the candidate of PDP.
“They should come out and support the only candidate with the pedigree, intelligent and the most qualified to be the Edo State governor at this critical period in our nation” socio-economic and political history.
“He is a candidate that can lead the state to eldorado we all crave for in the next four years.”
Photo:
Crusoe Osagie (middle) and others