Vice President Kashim Shettima and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led the governors and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), respectively, to literarily shut down Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday to mobilise support for the governorship candidates of their respective political parties – Dr. Dr. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, and Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC.
While Shettima noted that with the improved revenue allocations to the states, Edo State under APC will benefit from the wind of positive change, Atiku has however reiterated that Edo is not Lagos, just as the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Iliya Umar Damagum has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against midnight declaration of the election result.
This is coming as the state chapter of the PDP has alleged plots by the Presidency to interfere with and manipulate the September 21 governorship election, using major security agencies to favour the APC.
In a statement, the state party chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, also alleged that over $2million has been released to the APC candidate to buy votes and bribe security agencies and officials of the INEC during the election.
While Shettima, APC governors and other leaders of the party held the grand finale of their gubernatorial campaign at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Ugbowo Campus, Atiku, PDP governors and supporters held theirs at the Garrick Memorial School, Benin City.
Shettima led other APC leaders, including the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; National Chairman of the APC. Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma; Cross River State, Prince Bassey Edet Otu; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Nasarawa State Governor, Mr Abdullahi Sule, among others, to the APC grand finale.
Speaking at the rally, Shettima called on the people of Edo State to vote for Okpebholo, pointing out that the state currently needs a strategic thinker, a builder, and a man of the people.
“Whether you are a civil servant or a trader, whether you are Esan or Afemai, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, whether you are young or old, male or female, our expectations are the same.
“We all seek the same thing – a functional Edo State; a state that can provide opportunities for all of you to thrive. What unites us most is not our differences but our collective desire for a nation that works, a state that meets our needs,” the Vice President told the mammoth crowd
Shettima, who highlighted the recent improvement in revenue allocation to all tiers of government, called on the people of Edo to vote massively for the APC to benefit from the wind of positive change.
“I assure you that this is the best time to be a governor in Nigeria. Though tough, the economic reforms of the past year have laid the groundwork for better opportunities ahead.
“With increased allocations to the states, your incoming government has more resources to bankroll programmes and projects that benefit you,” he added.
While describing Okpebholo as the most qualified to assume the leadership of the state, Shettima said: “Edo does not need a man who knows it all. Edo needs a man who feels the pulse of his people, knows where it hurts, and has a story to tell in terms of where he is coming from.
“Let me sum it up by quoting Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, who said ‘The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets people to do the greatest things,” Shettima explained.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Akpabio, urged the people of Edo to vote for the party at the helm of affairs at the centre, explaining that N212 billion had already been appropriated for the reconstruction of the Auchi-Benin road.
Also speaking, National Chairman of the APC, Ganduje, said the people of the state had suffered in the last eight years, adding that they needed to be liberated.
Ganduje later received a former Senator, Francis Alimikhena; and the former member representing Oredo federal constituency, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who defected to the APC.
Chairman of APC National Campaign Council for Edo 2024, Governor Otu told the people of the state that it was time to change direction and build on the legacies of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
On his part, Senator Oshiomhole, decried what he described as the poor performance of Governor Godwin Obaseki, saying the state had not witnessed development in the last eight years.
“Our future has been compromised by Obaseki. People of my age and the younger ones have not forgotten what is called ‘plan well’, a savings scheme championed by Asue, which defrauded the people.”
On his part, the APC governorship candidate, Senator Okpebholo appealed for support to change the tide in Edo State.
He promised to give loans to farmers, employ over 5,000 teachers within his first 100 days in office, and build health centres across the 192 wards in the state.
At the PDP’s grand finale were Atiku; the vice presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 elections and former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Damagum; Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed; Governors Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Umoh Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State; Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, and Dada Lawal of Zamfara State, among others.
Edo is Not Lagos, Atiku Reiterates
Speaking at the rally, Atiku urged the people of the state to defend and protect their votes, saying that “PDP is winning the election next week”.
“In 2020, they said they would not allow us to win but we showed them that Edo is not Lagos. This time again we are going to show them Edo is not Lagos.
“You can’t come and steal votes here in Edo; therefore, protect your vote, defend your votes; make sure your votes are entered; escort your votes and make sure they are announced and if you do that, nobody can change your votes and you are winning come September 21,” Atiku added.
Damagum Warns INEC against Midnight Result Declaration
On his part, Damagum warned INEC against midnight declaration of the election results, stressing that the governorship election will be a test for the country’s democracy.
“You have to kill or arrest all of us if you have to take this state.
“You may have gangs but we have God. To INEC, we don’t want that midnight result announcement. It is not a threat but we will defend our votes with our blood”, he added.
Damagum called on Nigerians and the international community to be at alert and watch the Edo election closely to ensure it was not manipulated.
He also called on the security agencies to ensure professionalism and justice during and after the election.
This Election is Do-or-die Affair, Says Obaseki
Addressing the PDP supporters, Governor Obaseki noted that the governorship election was an existential threat, saying that it would be “a do-or-die election.”
He urged the crowd of supporters to vote for the PDP to ensure that the state continues to move forward, adding, “Our state is the safest in the country. Our vigilantes are the best in the country. Now they want to spoil all our achievements.
“Will you vote for insecurity and people who did not go to school to lead us? The decision is clear and next Saturday is the election day and we need you all to come out en masse to vote for PDP and ensure Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie win the election and become the governor and deputy governor, respectively. “
Also speaking, the Chairman, National Campaign Council, Edo 2024 Governorship Election and Governor of Adamawa State, Fintiri, warned against compromising the electoral process scheduled for next Saturday.
He said Edo was known as the cradle of civilisation and intellectualism in Nigeria, noting that they must not settle for anything less.
In his speech, Ighodalo promised to take the state to the next level.
He pledged to govern the state with integrity, adding that he believed Obaseki and President Bola Tinubu’s assurances that the election would be free and fair.
Also speaking, the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Mohammed said contrary to speculations of division among PDP governors, the governors were united and solidly behind Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo.
On his part, the party’s Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, urged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to announce results of the election that are not genuine.
PDP Alleges Plans by Presidency to Manipulate Guber Poll
Meanwhile, the state chairman of the PDP, Aziegbemi, in a statement, said the party had uncovered plots by the presidency to manipulate the election in favour of the PDP.
“As part of the evil ploy, security chiefs have been ordered to make heavy deployment to the strongholds of the PDP, especially those of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and our party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo with the plan to destabilise the voting process in those areas.
“Some of the polling unit, registration area and ward electoral officials have been uncovered to be card-carrying members of the APC. Their task, we have learnt, is to delay the result of their respective units to incite violence and create an unfavourable atmosphere during the election to favour the APC candidate during the compilation of results.
“The same poll officials and APC card-carrying members, we have gathered, are to be deployed to APC strongholds where they will ensure that ballot papers do not get to the polling units, setting the stage to declare the results in favour of the APC,” the statement explained.
Deji Elumoye and Adibe Emenyonu
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