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Tony Osauzo, Benin
The South-South National Vice. Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, has said that the people of Edo will give Governor Godwin Obaseki a very fair assessment on September 19 irrespective of the unnecessary distractions by the leaders of his former party, adding that he kept faith with the people.
Orbih, the former state chairman of the PDP in Edo State who has routinely criticised Obaseki for poor performance in office, praised him and explained why the PDP offered him the governorship ticket.
‘You could see the zeal and passion with which he was going about his programmes. That was why we didn’t have much problem in taking him in first as a member of our party and second giving the ticket of the party to run the election.
‘If you look at everything, you will agree with me that there is a need for him to be given an opportunity to consolidate on the job that he started.
‘I am aware very soon the power plant will soon be commissioned. That will be about the first state project of that nature in the entire country. You can see that he is an uncommon silent performer.
‘He looks beyond the immediate needs so that we can compete favourably with other states which are more endowed with more natural resources. I think it is this aspect of the governor’s focus that is making people determined to give him all the support,’ Orbih said in a statement issued by Edo State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare.
In a related development, the Commissioner for Education, Jimoh Ijegbai, has said that the PDP and Governor Obaseki would defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owan East Local Government Area in the September 19 governorship election.
He said the ‘lies’ being peddled by a former Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Pally Iriase, would not sway the people to vote for the opposition APC.
Ijegbai spoke in response to allegations by Iriase at a campaign that he (Ijegbai) performed below expectations when he served as chairman of Owan East local council.
But Ijegabi said Iriase has been rejected by the people owing to the defeat he suffered in the 2019 elections when the candidate he sponsored to the House of Assembly failed woefully.
He lambasted Iriase for organising a rally without observing COVID-19 protocols and called on the National Centre for Disease Control to immediately quarantine Iriase and other APC chieftains at the rally.
“‘He cannot say that I did badly as a council chairman. I built many schools and emerged the best council Chairman within that period.
‘The truth is that Iriase is now desperate. He knows the people have rejected him. We defeated him at the last election and all he does now is to lie to the people. Owan East is secured for Obaseki and the PDP. That is the truth,’ he said.
Iriase at the rally said the only achievements of Governor Godwin Obaseki were blocks of toilet and that Ijegbai performed poorly as a council chairman.
He told the people that Ijegbai planned to buy votes with N10,000 per voter.
‘I extended electricity to this area as a council Chairman. All the developments here were done by me. When I made Ijegabi chairman, I would ask him about things, he will say no money.’
