Yesterday, the All Progressives Congress in Edo conducted parallel primaries to elect the Party’s candidate(s) for the September governorship election in Edo; although our brother and friend, Dennis Idahosa, popularly called DENCO is said to have won the controversial primaries, another aspirant, Monday Okpebholo of Esan extraction was equally declared winner at an unknown location.
No doubt, the bad blood now drawn by the poorly-managed primaries of February 17 will further crumble an already fragile Edo APC; the Party has been on oxygen since 2020 when Obaseki ditched it for the PDP after being wickedly disqualified from running for second term.
Assuming DENCO is APC’s eventual candidate, a relatively young, inexperienced House of Reps Member on the second lap of his representation, does the lad has the political and administrative wherewithal to manage a complex Edo; aside politics, does DENCO possess the administrative competence, character and capacity to match Asue Ighodalo, in any case the latter emerges PDP candidate in our Party’s forthcoming primaries bid for February 22?
Asue Ighodalo has an overflowing records of achievements drawn from his engagements in the private sector; Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer, economic mogul and corporate finance expert; the Esan-born is a boardroom master strategist, a national asset with significant contributions to our nation’s economic development.
Unarguably, Ighodalo will be more useful to the Tinubu-led administration than Dennis Idahosa who has no viable contributions to nation building.
In terms of agenda setting for our nation’s economy, while DENCO may be a liability, considering the fact that he only draws from our nation’s financial resources, Asue Ighodalo is equipped with cutting-edge economic ideas that can enrich Nigeria and create wealth for Edo.
What has Dennis Idahosa done at his Constituency level (Ovia Federal) that qualifies him to be Governor?
What local and foreign investments has he attracted to Ovia with his position? What economic policies has Idahosa developed to increase Ovia’s financial base? What education, health, security and infrastructure policies has his representation brought about in Ovia? Has Idahosa been able to use his office to build an intergovernmental agency trust to engender sustainable developmental programmes in his Ovia?
I am aware he has graded and sand filled one or two earth roads in Ovia, he also built a town hall that has remained unused since completion, these are not what is required of whom wants to govern Edo.
To govern a modern Edo, you must be seen to have made significant mark in your calling; to govern today’s Edo, a huge chunk of local and international exposure is needed; today’s Edo transcends the “homeboy” governance approach, one who can stamp Edo on the world map for cross-cultural development and sustainable growth is greatly needed.
Dennis Idahosa has all the odds against him and his party in this election; with him, the Esan ethnic nationality now very close to actualizing their dream of having a Governor after Obaseki will have to wait for another sixteen years to be Governor; Idahosa is an albatross, a cankerworm, a caterpillar, a destructive barrier to Esan Governor, the good people of Edo Central must now unite more than ever to reject APC/DENCO.
Lovers of justice, equity and fairness within and outside Edo must now rally behind the PDP, in its determination to take power to Edo Central via Asue Ighodalo.
No doubt, DENCO is APC’s camouflage to reawaken agberoism in Edo; an archaic revenue generation system that brought sorrow, tears and pain to our mothers in Oba Market, our sisters in Uselu Market and our bus drivers who ferried commuters from Ring Road to Ugbowo in search of daily bread; these guys are a curse to our corporate existence, they must not be seen around the corridors of power in Osadebey Avenue in the 50 years.
The Edo2024 gubernatorial election must be seen to throw up personalities with the mindset to sustain ongoing reforms currently scattered across various sectors of our State’s economy; Idahosa and his cohorts are only interested in deploying Edo’s lean resources to fight a vendetta, and as well reinstitutionalize agberoism and thuggery across communities in Edo.
Their only strategy ahead September election is federal might; they believe that Tinubu will muscle INEC to upturn results in their favour, otherwise what has the Party done to merit governorship in Edo, nothing.
We will be waiting to see how Dennis Idahosa will match Ighodalo in a formal debate; what economic solutions will Idahosa be proferring, what will he highlight as achievements in his constituency, human capacity development programmes, security initiatives, his knowledge of the complexities of Edo and how he intends to unite a morally sound and intellectually strong Edo people towards a common cause.
The PDP must be commended for showing sincerity of purpose in its determination to produce Esan governor this year.
Today, Asue Ighodalo mounts the guard, having become the most popular and generally accepted aspirant, following his pro-social tendencies and sincerity of purpose, his clear-cut understanding of the issues, his contemporary approach to tackling the ever-increasing economic woes are some of the highpoints the APC will have to contend with, even though the Party may have lost the Edo2024 gubernatorial election long before September with Dennis Idahosa on the ballot.
*N’Edo Gha Ma.*