Guber Race Shake-Up: Five Political Parties Unite Behind Okpebholo, Endorse Him as the Best Choice for Edo

The political fortunes of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State was boosted on Saturday with the adoption of the senator representing his Edo Central senatorial district by five political parties and their candidates.

The political parties, namely the National Rescue Movement (NRM), the Alliance Peoples Movement (APM) , Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP) the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP) have therefore directed their party faithful and supporters to vote for Senator Okpebholo and the APC at the polls.

The parties and their candidates were received at the state secretariat of the APC by the Okpebholo, his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, the acting state chairman of the party, Jarret Tenebe, the secretary of the party, Lawrence Okah, the Director General of the Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Sen Matthew Uroghide, among other party leaders.

Speaking on behalf of the other candidates who took turns to endorse the speech, Sam Arase of the NRM said “Today is another beautiful day as Edo State marks 33 years of our existence. We have decided on serious decisions as we are approaching the 21st of September being the date slated for our gubernatorial election in Edo State. We the assemblies of registered political parties in Edo State haven seen and watched carefully the campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), haven listened to their manifesto, we carefully watched what the candidate has in stock for the people of Edo State, we specially took one thing into cognizance, and that is when he talked about how he will take care of the bastardised educational system in the state.

“Education is very paramount in whatever you are doing. Today, we are talking because we are educated; we can read and write because we are educated. He told the people of the state that all the schools that are underdeveloped will be developed if by His grace he becomes the governor of the state. We came back home and decided to come here today as members of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), including our candidate, Dr. Dennis Osahon, the Alliance Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, and the Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate to work together with the APC.

“All our candidates, having discussed with them and the leadership of our parties, we have decided to vote en masse for the APC. What we want is the growth and development of this state. We want Edo to come back to its feet again; we want Edo people to know that they will elect a man who means well for them because of his antecedents which we are happy about.

“If you go to where he comes from, he has successfully developed that area which is what we want, a man of his calibre. If he is given the opportunity to govern this state, we are going to witness massive development. He is a man that has respect for tradition, and he respects both the old and young,

“We are calling on all our supporters across the 18 local government areas to come out on the 21st of September to cast their votes for Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Honourable Dennis Idahosa.”

Responding, the elated APC candidate commended them for their decision and promised to run an all-inclusive government. While assuring that he would implement every item in his manifesto, Okpebholo promised to turn the state into a huge construction site.

According to him, “I am not the only candidate that is contesting right now. There is something special about me that they have seen; they have seen the capacity in me, they have seen me as somebody who can actually move Edo State forward.

“For me, I have all that it takes because when you look at my manifesto that I will develop education, provide good healthcare for our people, turn Edo State into a construction site, I mean every word because this government of Obaseki has actually failed Edo people.

“There is nothing you can say about Edo State today that is working. No industry: the ones that were working before are all gone. So, I feel pain in my heart that there is nothing in Edo State. And the level of impunity and disrespect for our leaders, especially the traditional institution, is alarming and it bothers me. I am happy that you have come to support me in this because it is a big task. And without being told, I believe that this state needs a unity government because we must all work together to make Edo State strong and viable.”

Also speaking, Tenebe said the party would not take the generous support of the parties for granted, and that is an indication that they share in the vision of the APC that the state needed to move forward. Uroghide, on his part, assured them that their generous support for the party would be rewarded.