Edo 2024: Wike can’t determine my victory, I don’t fear him – Ighodalo 

People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, on Monday, said that FCT Minister, Nysom Wike didn’t have the power to determine the next governor of Edo.

The contestant’s statement responded to Wike’s claim that he told Governor Godwin Obaseki he won’t back Ighodalo during the governorship poll.

Ighodalo expressed disappointment in the position of the FCT minister, saying that wasn’t exactly the outcome of the meeting he earlier had with him.

He said, “Sometimes when gentlemen talk in some kind of privacy or arrangements, we don’t voice out what has been said. But it is not correct that (former) Governor Wike said he wasn’t going to support us. That’s incorrect. But events may have overtaken his decision at that point and he is free to change his mind.

“I believe, as a gentleman, he would adhere to the word he gave me. But if he changed his mind, so be it. When he and I spoke, we deliberated on issues around fair governance, and how we can create a better country and Edo State. At the end of the day, we ended the conversation at a point where Wike said he would mind his business and Edo State is not part of his business.

“Again, if he has decided to change his mind, that’s fine. But the decision as to who becomes the next Governor of Edo State is the decision of the people. It is not his or anybody else’s to make.

“Whether you are a governor or a minister, it is only Edo citizens and residents who have their PVCs who can take that decision with the support of God Almighty. I fear no man, I only fear God.”

Continuing, the lawyer emphasised that he would concede defeat and congratulate the winner if his party lost the political contest but expressed strong conviction that he would defeat his political opponents.

“Honestly, if we lose this election and we know we’ve lost it fairly and squarely, I will be the first to concede. But I know we can’t lose this election if there is a level playing field for everybody.

“We have related with the people of Edo State and told them what we plan to do for them. They trust us and will vote for us. All the polls and indicators (seen so far) support us. So I have no fear,” he stated.

Peace Accord discord

On Monday night, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said the PDP will sign the Peace Accord if arrested members of the party were released.

Obaseki, who stated this after the party’s caucus meeting at the Government House in Benin City, said granting bail to the arrested members would allow them to come back home to their families and participate in the democratic process.

“We are hoping that when the courts resume tomorrow (today), all our people who have been detained in Abuja all these weeks will be released. If they are granted bail, allowed to come back home to their families and participate in the democratic process, we would consider signing the Peace Accord,” Obaseki said.

The Governor added that the PDP was pleased with the commitment of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetoku, and INEC boss Prof. Yakubu in ensuring a free, fair and credible election in the state.

He said, “As a caucus, we are pleased with the current utterances from the security agencies in Nigeria. We want to particularly appreciate the statement issued by the Inspector General of Police, making a commitment to support the peace process, ensuring that there is a level playing field for all the players and we endorse his efforts to draft a lot more men to Edo to support the elections on Saturday.

“We are also pleased with INEC so far and have every reason to trust the authorities of INEC and what they are committed to doing. So, our leaders are going to various local governments to continue mobilising for citizens to come out and support our candidate who clearly stands shoulder high above other candidates in the governorship race.”

With just four days to the Edo State governorship election, the leading political parties, the PDP, APC, and the Labour Party on Monday began massive wooing of voters across the state.

After the grand rally of the PDP and APC on Saturday in Benin City, and the road show of the LP last Friday, all the parties are back strategising for the big day.

The APC kicked off their ward-to-ward campaign, consolidating their support base and winning new voters to its fold.

Media Director of the APC Campaign Organisation, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said, “As I speak to you now, we are doing unit-to-unit and house-to-house campaign, soliciting for votes from the electorate for our candidate. This is what we will be doing in the next 48 hours.

“The moves have been very successful. It was easy to sell our ideas to them because where we went to, there was no government presence there. The only presence of governance in those places was the project done during Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure as governor of the state.

“The school built, road constructed, primary health centre and farm road graded under Oshiomhole were still the only signs of development in those areas.

“We had to apologise to the people of Ovia North East and other people who we sold Governor Godwin Obaseki to in 2020 because of the poor state those area are in.”