The battle for the political soul of Edo State got to fever pitch yesterday, when other South-South leaders joined the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to grace the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship campaign flag-off In solidarity with Pastor Ize-Iyamu, the standard bearer of the APC in the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo State. The well attended ceremony was held at the Sports Complex of University of Benin and had in attendance the Honourable Minister of Transportation and a high-powered contingent of APC leaders from the South-South and South-East zones, with notable personalities like the Minister of State for Power, Prince Jeddy Agba; Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah and the Zonal Secretary of APC South-South zone, David Okumgba, amongst others, being on the roll call.
Also in attendance to add glitz and glamour to the event, from other parts of the country, were the National APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, 10 elected governors and a deputy governor on the platform of the party, ministers, other top echelon officers, party bigwigs and numerous supporters of the party. Speaking on the success of the issue-based campaign held yesterday, David Okumgba stressed that with the frenzy witnessed in Edo State, the recovery of the state from the loosed grip of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is a sealed deal and sacrosanct.
According to a highly optimistic Okumgba, who spoke on the sidelines of the event, “there is no gainsaying that it is time for my friend on the other side, Godwin Obaseki, to start writing his handover notes. The crowd of supporters that flocked here today — including some members of the opposition PDP, who were obviously swayed by the laudable social Investments of President Buhari — is a death knell signalling an end to the deception of the PDP in Edo State”. The party chieftain, who is also the National Secretary of the APC NEC Integrity Group, expressed joy over the bold political statement made by the physical presence of the transportation minister, stressing that “holding onto the levers of power in the region is key for a ruling party like ours”.
He however cautioned some party faithfuls in the state to avoid overheating the polity, eschew violence and guard against political complacency in order for the APC to record a resounding landslide victory in all the eighteen (18) local councils in the state. With a successful governorship campaign flag-off done and dusted in Edo State, the dice is cast and a very favoured and advantaged Pastor Ize-Iyamu of All Progressives Congress (APC) will be slugging it out with incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the polls.
