₦airaland Forum

JUST DO IT. VOTE GODWIN OBASEKI!

Why Affliction (PDP) Will Not Arise Again in Edo State

JULY 07, 2016

There are indications that the PDP will not find it easy in the governorship election in Edo State due to a number of reasons.
As the September 10, 2016 gubernatorial elections continue to gather momentum , politicians and different political parties continue their campaigns to sell their candidates and manifestoes to woo voters across the state.
A lot of factors will certainly determine how people vote but by far the most important consideration will be how leaders of the different political parties showcase their administrative ingenuity and sagacity. This is particularly going to be the case in Edo State as the two leading political parties’ battle for the soul of the state.
Edo State is very important to the two political parties and the reason is not farfetched. The state is the only APC controlled state in the South South region of the country.
But the PDP already has a bad reputation and has carved a bad image for itself.
People will readily remember the eight years of locust of the PDP in the state. I mean the era of "share the money", of PDP leadership under Chief Lucky Igbinedion between the period 1999 to 2007.
It is believed to be one of the worst periods the people had experienced since the creation of the state when there was a complete  infrastructural breakdown as evident in the lack of good roads,  poor education, poor health facilities, poor workers moral and increase in crime.
The people often express their grouse with the dark days of the PDP by saying that, ‘affliction shall not arise again.’
A leader of the PDP in the state Chief Ogbebor Osagie, said the situation was so bad that by the 2012 governorship election it was almost a taboo to mention PDP in the state.
He said: ‘This was the situation and the PDP needed someone that will help turn their fortunes around and Major General Charles Airhiavbere came to the rescue.”
Many affirm that General Airhiavbere  a  Benin man from Edo South brought back life into the PDP and the party became acceptable once again as he was able to reconcile various factions and individuals in the party.
It was due to his efforts for instance that the two leaders of the party in the state, Chief Tony Anenih  who is chairman of the Board of Trustee of the PDP and former governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Sam Ogbemudia, were reconciled.
The reconciliation however failed to get the party back on the driver’s seat as PDP lost the 2012 guber election to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Oshiomhole.
A PDP leader in the state, Lucky Omoregie, said by 2012 the party knew it did not stand any chance of winning the election because the people of the state were yet to forget the eight years of misrule they suffered  under  Igbinedion.
He said the achievements of Governor Oshiomhole who is now in the All Progressives Congress [APC]  in road construction and rehabilitation as well as school renovation  only made matters worst for the PDP.
A political analyst, Comrade  Isidore  Thompson, said the  defeat of the  PDP in the 2012 governorship election in the state had nothing to do with its candidate but the poor leadership it provided in the state.
This was also corroborated with the statement from the former governor of Edo State, Professor Oserheimen  Osunbor.
He said the PDP will continue to lose election in the state until it liberates itself from a one-man stronghold and dictatorship.
The former president, Chief Olusegun  Obasanjo, once said that President Jonathan betrayed the party in the Anambra, Ondo and Edo elections making it possible for the opposition to win those states.
But the party seems to have learnt no lessons from all these. The leadership of the party in the state has since not changed. The matter has even been made so bad that some of those who played major roles in the Igbinedion administration are now back to the party’s mainstream and calling the shots.
This has not gone down well with the people of the state  who believe those who are supposed to be in jail for destroying the economy of the state are now back to take control and are vying for governorship position in the September 10, election.
Governor Oshiomhole has done so much especially in primary and secondary schools construction, though the PDP usually counters that, saying the fund was also contributed by it through the UBEC funding.
The state has prominent PDP members like Anenih,  former Chief of Staff to the President,  Mike Ogiadomhe, former works minister, Mike Onolememen, Chief Gabriel  Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, Ogbemudia, and recently Tom Ikimi.
With the calibre of people, one would have expected that the PDP will not have problems winning the state.
But The dilemma, therefore, is that virtually some of the people mentioned as PDP leaders in the state with deep pocket—wear loud beads of corruption around their necks and are not grassroots  politicians and they  are not popular in their constituencies and are not doing anything to win the hearts of the people. “They are too self centered and their people have rejected them. That is why more people continue to leave the PDP for the APC.
Professor Osunbor  in a recent interview  expressed worry at the dwindling fortunes of the party in the state which he attributed to one factor.
He said: “As to the leadership of my party, the PDP, as to what to be done  to ensure that PDP has a good standing  not just in Nigeria as a whole  but in Edo State. I have let them know what the  problem of the  PDP in Edo State is and now every Nigerian knows what the problem of PDP is in Edo State  so I do hope that the political leadership will have the courage  and the will to tackle the problem and by extension the problem of governance in Edo State. “As I said, there is a big impediment for the  progress of PDP in Edo State.  Until that impediment is removed  or something is done to overcome that impediment  am afraid the PDP in Edo State will continue to  suffer electoral misfortunes in the state.”
 Many of the party faithfuls are however hopeful that miracle may come their way, but they must know also that God will not take care of you, if you failed to take advantage of the opportunity He (God) made available for you.
Ambrose Kevin Akhigbe is the LA to Comrade Philip Shaibu, member representing Etsako Federal Constituency at NASS
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EDO in SAFE HANDS GROUP

EDO in SAFE HANDS GROUP : VOTE GODWIN Obaseki For Governor

Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki fruitful mission to Atlanta -USA

Edos in diaspora passes Vote of confidence on Oshiomhole to hand over to Godwin Obaseki

It is now on record that from among those glamouring to be governor of our dear State including those from the disintegrated Poverty Development Party (PDP ) Godwin Obaseki appeared to be the only candidate devoid of indictment of any finance related offenses, dubious and fraudulent attitude. It is on this note that Edos in diaspora have deemed it fit to invite him for an open endorsement having being conversant with his rich competence coupled with his technocratic capacity to taking Edo state beyond the level Oshiomhole shall stop.
It is imperative to note therefore that as the life of this administration comes to an end, particularly in a situation like this when we are faced with new challenges of drastic low in crude oil price occasioned by PDP bad and retrogressive policies which has reduced the amount of foreign exchange Nigeria earns and our economy in terrible shape and Edo State now getting a lot less from federation account, Nigeria needs to take severe measures in order to fix its economic and social challenges for which Edo state will be not be an exception . In view of this challenges, I think edo needs leadership with fresh and original ideas not just political ideas but developmental ideas suitable enough to take on these new challenges , in order that we can build on and deepen the successes of the current administration under Gov Adams Oshiomhole De great . This is why the leadership of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in collaboration with the party delegates voted en mass for him to fly its flag at the general polls. The only course of action to this is that, we now found a man who is courageous and determined enough to extend the successes of the current administration towards achieving the aspirations of Edo people

Forward Ever , Backward Never

VOTE GODWIN OBASEKI 4 GOVERNOR

PDP too corrupt and sick to govern Edo state again!!!

TeamGO2016

The current main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has turned out to be too corrupt and too sick to rule Edo state. So far, President Muhammadu Buhari is doing a commendable job grabbing the corrupt PDP henchmen one after the other. Yet, the attitude of the culprits once they are granted bail is not funny at all. Instead of standing firm to defend themselves, these PDP leaders are usually befallen with one form of acute sickness or another. To rub in the ploy, the sick looters typically opt for treatment abroad while the masses are saddled with poor medical facilities at home. The dilemma, therefore, is that virtually all its anointed leaders with deep pocket—from the north, east, south and west—wear loud beads of corruption around their necks. Take a look at the line-up below. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu , a former Secretary of the State Government who emerged the party’s flagbearer in the primaries conducted by another faction of the party led by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee put together by PDP governors at the convention held in Port Harcourt on May 21 and was declared by Ali Modu Sheriff, the disputed National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as illegal, dismissing it as the work of an illegal care-taker committee. The thieving pastor is presently facing trial over charges levelled at him by the EFCC on the N700 million illicit campaign funds collected by him to prosecute the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Tony Anenih Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Tony Anenih has a heart condition, reports say. The former PDP Board of Trustees Chairman is said to have undergone open-heart surgery in the United Kingdom in December 2015, according to The Cable. Anenih is said to have complained of an “irregular heartbeat” while in the UK and was speedily rushed to a hospital. Anenih has been accused of receiving N260 million from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, who is being tried for laundering $2 billion in public funds. The PDP chieftain however said that he didn’t personally benefit from the funds and only shared the money as instructed. Mr Dan Orbih, who was recently re-elected as Edo Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to explain how the N700 million presidential election fund was expended and extended invitation to 18 local government officials of the party. This is not unconnected with the ongoing search for N700m given to Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party out of the Diezani $115m alleged bribe money.

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EDO in SAFE HANDS GROUP: VOTE Godwin Obaseki For Governor

OBASEKI MEETS WITH EDO DIASPORA IN ATLANTA –GIVES HOPE FOR A BETTER EDO UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP

The APC gubernatorial candidate for the September 10 Edo elections addressed a mammoth crowd of Edo people in diaspora yesterday in Atlanta and gave them hope for a better future for Edo state in a well structured and coordinated economy under his leadership come November 2016.

Mr Obaseki spoke on wide variety of issues especially with particular repsect to land reforms, taxation, role of diaspora remittance in economic development, agricultural development, educational curriculum, relationship between skills, technology and education and poverty reduction.

He further promised to make security of lives and property as a major plank of his government when voted into power. He particularly spoke on the advantageous position of Edo state as an economic hub in Nigeria. He identified the fact that outside of oil, Edo state is one of the few states that can survive on its own and this feat was achieved under Governor Oshiomhole and reiterated his determination to build on such progress.

On the issue of land reforms, Mr Obaseki lauded Edo diaspora for contributing to the beautification of the state through modern housing development etc, he however said that government will continue to modernize land acquisition in the state to ensure that touts and communities do not take advantage of lack of government well planned layout to extort investors and genuine diaspora Edo people.

A date that coincided with his birthday, was marked with a surprise birthday cake, the mark had all Edo people in attendance irrespective of political affiliation. The APC chairman in America praised Edo APC for organizing very transparent primaries that produced Mr Obaseki.

The APC candidate promised to run an issued based campaign and will run away from personal insults on his opponents stating that there are so many issues confronting the people of Edo state to the extent that there will be no time for distraction.

He promised to work with stakeholders in Edo state to have a look at the educational curriculum to reflect more of technology, industrialization and demand side of the economy. According to Mr Obaseki, technical education will be given a serious priority to ensure that we take advantage of the industries that will be established by private sectors investors. Edo state has abundant human resources that require training and re-training to be employable under the expected industrial revolution and commercial upsurge in the next few years.