Despite crisis, APC will win Edo governorship in 2020, Oshiomhole says

The crisis within the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress will not affect the party’s chances of victory in next year’s governorship election, Adams Oshiomhole, has said.

Mr Oshiomhole said this during a meeting APC state chairpersons had with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House, Abuja, on Friday.

“Let me reassure you, APC is not at risk of losing Edo State in the next election. Edo people have accepted APC as a preferred party since 2008 when I assumed office and if you look at the result of elections, it shows that the people have faith in our party, on the basis of the performance of the government that the party has produced, both when I was there and even when I had left,” he told the officials.

The power tussle between the former governor and his successor in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has encouraged factions within the party in the state.

While commenting on the discord within the party and the possibility of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leveraging on it, Mr Oshiomhole said the opposition party had no chance for victory.

“I believe that the issues in Edo and in every other state will be resolved peacefully, to the benefit, not just of the party, but of the people in those states. We are committed to retaining Edo, particularly now that we have Bayelsa added to Edo, the more reason we cannot do anything which in our opinion, can possibly lead to APC losing Edo State. If anything, if you have been monitoring what is going on, more and more people are coming to join the APC in Edo.

“If they have fears that we may lose, nobody will leave PDP to join APC. So if people are leaving PDP to come and join APC in Edo State, that is the most potent, bold statement, about the level of confidence that even the people in the opposition recognize that if they want to be a government, the party to join the APC.

“Be rest assured that as the National Chairman, even if I wasn’t National Chairman, the investment that I have put in, the much effort that we invested to be able to defeat PDP in 2008, against federal might, when President Obasanjo was the supervisor of that election and I got reelected and you know the PDP forces in Edo, if you have invested that kind of effort like I have invested like I have done and God bless it, you will do nothing that will undermine it.

“Nothing anybody will do that will make one forget that a lot was invested and therefore we must keep the house together, whatever it will take. I am sure we will keep Edo together for the good, not only of our party but more importantly, for the good of the people of Edo State,” he said.