EDO 2020: Why Oshiomhole, APC, must get it right this time – Igbadumhe

MR. Roland Igbadumhe, a former aide to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, national chairman to settle for a candidate capable of winning the September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election in continuation of his legacy projects.

Igbadumhe who recently returned to the APC fold after a few years with the Social Democratic Party, SDP, said a credible candidate is all the APC needs to keep hold of the only state it currently controls in the South-South geo-political zone.

In a chat on Monday, Igbadumhe who was Oshiomhole’s senior special adviser on Entertainment urged the erstwhile labour leader, in sync with the party, to consider former Works Minister, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi or incumbent chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Pius Odubu, for the plum office because the two “illustrious” Edo sons have what it takes to make a great showing at the election.

He said: “It is time for us to put the interest of Edo State first before our individual yearnings and aspirations. Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi, a former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and Minister of Works has the required pedigree, exposure, education and experience to take Edo to the next level. What happened in the past should be dumped in the trash can but what is important for our party today is that we must not repeat the mistakes of the past.

“In Engineer Ogiemwonyi, APC can go to sleep, with confidence of victory. As for Mr. Odubu, we are talking about a distinguished administrator, party leader and twice elected deputy governor of Edo state. Let us take a good look at these two and build our quest to retain Edo state around them because they are good to run for us.”

Asked what these “past mistakes,” were, the former governorship aide added that men of integrity within the fold of the party were not difficult to identify even as he noted that failure to pick one of them four years ago “is the reason the party is in crisis today.”

He continued: “From day one, APC Edo state chapter had men who have paid their dues, men who are always ready to work in the interest of the party.

“I don’t want to lament what happened in the past but Oshiomhole knows that the projects he built in Edo State should be sustained. For this reason, the party must think deep and pick a man the state can trust in rain and shine.”

Igbadumhe, who urged Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki to reconcile in the interest of the APC, urged all stakeholders to rally behind Oshiomhole in his bid to entrench party supremacy ahead of the 2023 general elections.