The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu, Asue Ighodalo, Felix Akhabue, and Anslem Ojezua, on Thursday picked the expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) in the forthcoming poll.
The daughter of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Blessing, was the first aspirant to collect the forms when the party opened the sale on Wednesday.
Those who came to the Wadata Plaza, Abuja national secretariat of the party on Thursday brought to five the number of aspirants so far in the race.
Speaking to correspondents after collecting the forms, Asue denied that he is an outsider in Edo politics who was only being imposed by Governor Godwin Obaseki on the party.
He said: “I was appointed a member of Oshimhole’s economic team, we did the work that produced the economic blueprint for Edo state and subsequently, when Obaseki became governor, he asked me to be the chairman of ‘Alagodaro’ his own economic advisory team.
“So, I don’t see how anybody will call me an outsider to Edo state. I have been involved in service to Edo state directly since 2008 and I have also been involved in service to my community in Edo state since I became an adult.”
He added: “I have also heard the rumour that people have put out there, stories or rumours that have no basis. I decided by myself, prompted by the people who know that I have the capacity to serve as the governor of Edo state to run and it took me a long time to agree to run because of many other things that I was doing.
“My experiences in the other spheres have indicated to me that in public offices, you have the opportunity to affect the lives of so many more people.
“At this point in my life, when I have been able by the grace of God to do things in other spheres, maybe it is time or the hand of destiny that pointed me in the direction of wanting to help my state.
“So, that is the way I see it. People can say what they like and when people want to propagate certain propaganda so as to discredit, they say different things. I am not in the business of discrediting and there are many good people that can be governor of Edo state.”
Also speaking, Akhabue expressed confidence that he would pick the ticket and win the election having put his best effort into the race.
He explained: “I am that kind of person that if I don’t have a conviction in anything I want to do, I don’t embark on it. There is nothing that I have done in the past that God has not blessed with success at the end of the day because I will pray about it and by the time I have a conviction, I put in all my efforts.
“So, the contest that you are talking about, I have put in all my efforts. I know the party people and they know me and know what I have done in the past. I am not the kind of politician that has not been tried. I have been given opportunity by my people and they know the stuff that I am made of. So, I want to assure you that my people know me and I know my people.
“I will be able to galvanise my people to be able to win the primaries. Yes, the big names are there, that is not a problem for me. For me to have embarked on the race, you can be sure that old politicians like myself certainly have consulted widely, across the states.
“I am not just planning to win the primary alone, am planning to win the election proper by God’s grace.”
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