The All progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo on Wednesday said he was running for the office of Edo state governor to work for the people and for the progress of the Edo state.
Speaking during the inauguration of the local government and ward campaign councils of Oredo local government area, Okpebholo said if elected, his administration “would not listen to gossip, we will be there to work for Edo people so that there will be progress in the state”.
“We are ready to send them (PDP) packing because they have failed us. I was in the local government of the PDP candidate and by the time I counted thirty things I have done in his place, they could not point to one thing that he has done for them.”
Speaking at the same event the APC Governorship running mate Hon Dennis Idahosa dared Governor Godwin Obaseki to take the candidate of his party, Asue Akintunde Ighodalo on a road walk round the streets of Benin City and other parts of the state if he would not be ashamed.
He said, “Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has been out of government now for eight years now, the current governor is Obaseki and he has been there for almost eight years, we want Obaseki to take the hands of his candidate, Asue Ighodalo and walk round the streets of Benin City and other places in the state and Oshiomhole will take the hand of Okpebholo and do the same thing and see what will happen. If Obaseki does not wear a helmet, he will come back bleeding because he is completely disconnected from the people”.
Hon Dennis Idahosa said a new APC government would continue from where Comrade Adams Oshiomhole stopped in terms of flood control, rebuilding of public schools, check insecurity, cultism and respect for the traditional institution.
The Director General of the APC Campaign Council, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide said APC has done enough for Edo people to win the election including the party’s candidates who he said are sitting members of the National Assembly and have been working assiduously for their constituencies.
Besides, he said Oredo is the heartbeat of politics in Edo South and that most of the political bigwigs in the local government area including himself who had been in different political parties are now all one party so the victory of the party is sure.
The party also called on its members still angry with the outcome of the primary election that brought its current candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo to be true party members and work for the victory of the party which it said would only be achieved as a united family.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Director General of the Campaign Council in Oredo local government area, Hon Osaro Obazee called for unity of the APC members for victory in the September 21 2024 Edo State Governorship elections.
He said “Today, I am overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of people here today. Not too long ago, we were all involved in our primary election and I recall that in our last meeting, some people still had deep anger”.
He said, ” You have a choice when you are contesting a primary election but once a candidate has emerged, you can no longer have a personal interest except if you want to do anti-party activities which have consequences so we must work together”.
“We are not going to adopt the usual of campaigning, we have a new strategy and we will discuss that in our closed door meeting”.