The Director General of the Governorship Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Edo State governorship election slated for September 21, 2024, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, has stated that any politician without grassroots orientation and support has no business contesting elections.
Urhoghide, who made this statement on Monday at the APC campaign rally in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, reaffirmed that among all the candidates seeking to occupy the Dennis Osadebey Avenue seat of power in Edo State, only the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, have been tested and proven through previous election victories.
The other candidates in the race, the APC chieftain noted, are merely “traders,” as they have neither contested nor won any elections in the past.
“The APC candidates, Senator Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa, are politicians who have previously won their elections. Others contesting are traders. If you don’t have grassroots support, you shouldn’t contest any election. Our candidates have won their respective elections before; they are tested and trusted,” affirmed the APC Campaign DG.
The former senator then appealed to the people of Oredo Local Government Area to ensure that their votes for the APC on September 21 are higher than those from other local governments in the state, saying: “We want massive support for them on September 21, as Edo North and Central have agreed to vote massively for them. We expect all of Edo South to follow suit.”
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Addressing the crowd of APC supporters at the rally, the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, reiterated his earlier call for security agencies to intensify their investigations and ensure that all illegal arms in circulation in Edo State are retrieved from unauthorized holders.
He also alleged that members of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN), who carry action rifles in the state, are not being paid by Governor Obaseki despite their claims of being government employees.
“For us to have a free and fair election, security agencies must do their work, retrieve these arms, and ensure that people can come out and vote—one man, one vote—on September 21 without harassment. We already have information that people going to collect their PVCs in Akoko-Edo, Orhionmwon, and other areas are being harassed by these armed individuals,” he further alleged.
The APC governorship candidate, Okpebholo, promised to create more jobs and declare a state of emergency on roads, education, health, and security if elected.
