The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the party’s chances of winning the Edo state governorship election as “very bright”.
The party’s optimism appears reinforced by the ongoing tussle between the incumbent Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his challenger, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (PDP).
The two frontline aspirants of the APC for the September 19, 2020 election had already obtained their expression of interest and nomination documents at the party’s Abuja national secretariat.
Ize-Iyamu was a formidable candidate of the PDP in two past governorship elections in the state before he defected to the APC a few weeks ago.
Stating that the APC will be defeated at the poll, a PDP governorship aspirant for the Edo election, Gideon Ikhine, said the days of PDP as an opposition party in Edo are over.
Ikhine, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday shortly after submitting his nomination documents, vowed that any candidate fielded by the PDP would defeat the candidate of the APC.
Ikhine said, “If you listen to what has been going on, they (APC) keep telling us how they rigged PDP out in the 2016 election. This time, the vote of everybody in Edo state will count”.
“I want to assure you by the special grace of God and by hard work and the strong will God has put in me, that the days of PDP being in opposition in Edo state will be over this year”.
According to the aspirants, Edo will stop will stop depending on monthly federal allocation the moment the PDP is voted into power.
The party, he said, had what it takes to turn the state around, adding that with his strong industrial background, he would make Edo a destination of choice if elected.
“Edo state presently, is a consumers state. We are not producing and we keep depending on Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
“I want to let you know that where we are going right now in the country, is not a good place. I can tell you FAAC is not going to help us because we need someone who is going to turn the state back to a government that is self sustainable.
“I want to assure you that under my watch, in three years, Edo will no longer depend on Abuja for survival.
“I am coming with strong industrial experience. I am coming with strong capacity to liberate my people in Edo state from darkness to light.
“Edo is going to be a destination of choice for anybody to Nigeria because we have things that we can develop that can make us to be self sufficient. I am going to focus more on agriculture and industrialisation of the state”.
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