The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State will be a referendum in favour of the party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday.
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Mr Ologunagba described the fellowship and the level of acceptance enjoyed by the party and its candidate as “overwhelming”.
According to him, the party is bringing a candidate with capacity in both the private and public sectors for the state’s further development.
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“We are confident of victory in Edo.
“Ighodalo is coasting to victory as he is enjoying the support and solidarity of the overwhelming majority of the people of Edo across all party divides.
“Our party is running a very robust, issue-based campaign that has penetrated the nook and cranny of Edo with a detailed people-oriented manifesto resonating with the people of Edo as it embodies their aspiration in every sector of life.
“This is evident in the organic crowd and followership in our rallies across all the wards in the state, where the majority of Edo people, including prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have publicly expressed support for our candidate.
“You will observe that in Edo today, it is our candidate that is campaigning.
“Ighodalo’s popularity and acceptability by the majority of the people of Edo have incapacitated the APC and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo,” he said.
The PDP national publicity secretary expressed concern that the APC candidate was not addressing the public, urging him to come out for a debate.
“We understand the APC candidate has been invited to appear on a particular national TV on Monday, and it is incumbent on him to honour that invitation,” he said.
Mr Ologunagba decried the statement by a former Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole, that the Court of Appeal had disqualified Ighodalo.
“We state categorically that the Court of Appeal did not disqualify our candidate. Rather, it upheld the primary election that produced Ighodalo as our candidate and awarded cost against the appellants.
“The appeal court, by the judgment, affirmed the validity of Ighodalo’s Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as already confirmed by INEC.
“So, Ighodalo is in the race. He is leading the race and coasting to victory,” he said.
On the defection of Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu and others from the PDP to the APC, Mr Ologunagba said the party would naturally feel concerned whenever a member left it.
He, however, said it was wrong for people to be party men only when they win elections and stop being loyal after losing elections.
“That you don’t win now shouldn’t mean the party should die.
“When people don’t win a primary election or any election, and they say we are leaving the party, I don’t think a party should be blackmailed,” he said.
He appraised the reconciliation efforts of the PDP as yielding positive results, with more citizens joining the party in Edo.
