By Kingsley Ohens
A socio-cultural group based in Benin City, the capital city of Edo State, has vowed not to support the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in the upcoming gubernatorial election slated for 21st September, 2024. Below is their press statement:
The group in a press statement signed by Stanley Edebiri, Ovia South West LGA;
Imafidon Uwagboe, Oredo LGA;
Osayande Lucky, Uhunmwode LGA;
Asemota Collins, Ovia North East LGA;
Olumese Izevbigie, Orhionmwon LGA;
Kingsley Idehen, Ikpoba Okha LGA; and
Izekor Omorodion, Egor LGA which was obtained by PERISCOPE NIGERIA noted that it would not support APC.
The statement partly read, “We, the umbrella body of youths in the 7 Local Government Areas of Oredo, Ovia South West, Egor, Ovia North East, Orhionmwon, Ikpoba Okha and Uhunmwode, have watched with keen interest, political developments in Edo State ahead of the Governorship Elections scheduled to hold on Saturday, the 21st of September 2024.
“We have also thoroughly scrutinised and examined all the Candidates and their Manifestos and we are appalled by the disdain with which the APC Governorship Candidate, Monday Okpebholo has gone about his campaign.
“As a sitting Senator, we feel strongly that he has not shown the level of distinction in the representation of the people of Edo Central in particular and Edo State at large that will warrant our support for the higher office of Edo State Governor.
“We also find it particularly repulsive that a Man who wants to govern a state that is as cosmopolitan and sophisticated as Edo has continued to shun every invitation to honour interviews by respected media outlets including Channels TV and Arise TV.
“It is utterly despicable and unacceptable that a Candidate will be running away from people whom he seeks to govern. Leadership on this scale is tasking and rigorous and if you cannot subject yourself to interviews in the media, how can you be accountable to the people?
“It will be recalled that in the build up to last year’s General Elections, the same APC played the same game of avoiding interviews and intellectual conversations with their Candidate, now President Bola Tinubu and today we are facing the worst economic turmoil in our entire history with massive unemployment, rising cost of living, inflation, poor value of the Naira and increase in suffering and hardship on every front. This underscores the importance of proper scrutiny and interrogation of Candidates.
“The woeful and abysmal performance of the APC led Federal Government is a clear indication that we cannot reward failure by letting APC win Edo State.
“We are therefore led to unanimously endorse and adopt Dr. Asue Ighodalo (Esq) as our consensus Candidate for Edo State Governorship.
Our decision to adopt him is based on his character, competence and proven capacity.
“The mandate also answers to the zoning formula which is a prerequisite for the enthronement for Justice, Equity and Fairness.
“We, Benin Youths, are solidly behind Dr. Asue Ighodalo and have firmly resolved to come out massively to vote and resist any attempt to rig or manipulate the outcome of the election.”
While urging other youths from across the state to come out en masse, the group added “to vote as that is the only way we can peacefully resist APC and their legacy of incompetence from capturing Edo State.”
