NEWISSUES
* Party chair, candidate pledge unity government
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City
The race for the September 21 governorship in Edo State assumed a new dimension yesterday as the leadership and candidates of five political parties adopted the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and called on their supporters to vote for the APC on the day of the election.
The political parties included the National Rescue Movement (NRM), the Alliance Peoples Movement (APM), the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
They were received at the state Secretariat of the APC by Okpebholo; his running mate, Hon Dennis Idahosa; the Acting State Chairman of the party, Emperor Jarret Tenebe; the Secretary of the party, Lawrence Okah; the Director General of the Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Senator Matthew Uroghide and others.
Speaking on behalf of the other candidates who took turns to endorse the speech, Hon Sam Arase of the NRM said “Today is another beautiful day as Edo State marks 33 years of our existence, we have decided on serious decisions as we are approaching the 21st September being the date slated for our gubernatorial election in Edo State; we, the assemblies of registered political parties in Edo State, having seen and watched carefully the campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having listened to their manifesto, we carefully watched what the candidate has in stock for the people of Edo State; we especially took one thing into cognisance and that is when he talked about how he will take care of the bastardised educational system in the state.
“ Education is very paramount in whatever you are doing; today, we are talking because are educated; we can read and write because we are educated; he told the people of the state that all the underdeveloped schools will be developed if by His grace he becomes the governor of the state; we came back home and decided to come here today as members of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), including our candidate, Dr Dennis Osahon; the Alliance Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate and the Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate to work together with the APC. All our candidates, having discussed with them and the leadership of our parties, we have decided to vote en masse for the APC,” he explained.
“We are calling on all our supporters across the 19 local government areas to come out on the 21st of September to cast their votes for Senator Monday Okpbholoo and his running mate, Hon Dennis Idahosa,” he added.
While commending the gesture, Senator Okpebholo in his response, said he would run an all-inclusive government and ensure that he implements every item in his manifesto and promised to turn the state into a huge construction site.
He said: “I am not the only candidate that is contesting right now; there is something special about me that they have seen; they have seen the capacity in me; they have seen me as somebody who can actually move Edo State forward.”
