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If there is one party that is struggling to survive, soaked in the liquor of intoxication and clutching at every flotsam to remain afloat, PDP is it. From one ridiculous self-destruct, to another theatre of the absurd, it is a house of commotion enabled by tactlessness, immaturity and political gangsterism. Its primary election that produced her beleaguered Adviser-cum-candidate, Asuen Ighodalo, was the most unconscionable manipulation, orchestration, and gerrymandering in party politics. From one denial after another, even her candidate, for fear of backlash, is not confident to associate with his godfather, Godwin Obaseki, knowing the depth of the people’s cognitive dissonance against him. An adviser-in-chief that watched his master’s conquistadorial demeanor, imposing debts on a state that needs redemption, planted hatred, and divide and rule mentality to stay afloat.
As we speak, the godfather Godwin Obaseki has just been defeated in his well orchestrated coup to disgrace the Benin Palace, and made to eat the humble pie in his last straw to rewrite the historical ingenuity of a Palace that remained unbowed for many centuries. The Edo PDP is not only factionalised, the ousted Deputy Governor, Phillip Shuaibu is still in court challenging their “Obubuyaya” primary election. Everyday comes with one defection after another, emptying into the APC to advance the cause of the APC’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, whose humility, candour, level headedness and cosmopolitan orientation has endeared him to Edo people. Governor Obaseki and his gang of economic predators and buccaneers have unleashed lies on Edo people, saying they have grown Edo economy to $26b portfolio. An economy that is replete with flooding and erosion, huge debts of N356b, misplaced priorities, uncompleted projects, abandoned health care services, joblessness and growing unemployment coupled with decaying education sector.
Edo 2024 is just months away, when our ever mobilised, sensitised and conscientised Edo people will punish Governor Obaseki and his annointed godson, edo-no-be-Lagos-candidate, Asuen Ighodalo. They speak from one corner of their mouth that Edo-no-be-Lagos, but from the other side of the mouth, they hurriedly packaged a “Lagos boy” to come and preside over our collective patrimony. We will not allow that. The PDP and their Governor must be prevented from producing a successor. We are going to go from house to house, market to market, community to community to preach the gospel of Senator Monday Okpebholo. Seeing the APC candidate’s growing popularity, they have become paranoid in their political contestation, raking up mud to tar a man who is generously unblemished. Never again will Edo people allow political strangers to dominate our political leadership. Enough is enough. September 21st will undoubtedly be a referendum by Edo people against lies, hatred, disharmony, divide and rule, economic predators, decaying infrastructure, joblessness, unemployment and dubiety, which Governor Obaseki has foisted on the people. Tufiakwa, never again!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kassim Afegbua former commissioner for information Edo State is an Abuja-based public affairs analyst and politician.
