Ahead of the September governorship election in Edo State, leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akoko-Edo have held a strategic meeting aimed at galvanising support for the party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Held last Friday, in Benin City, the state capital, and hosted by former Minister for Solid Minerals, Senator Odion Ugbesia, the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Olu Fashanu, deliberated extensively on how to ensure total victory for the party candidate and also mapped out other campaign plans in the area.
The convener, Fashanu thanked the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and expressed the gratitude and satisfaction of the Akoko-Edo PDP in the choice of Engr. Omobayo Marvelous Godwins as the new Deputy Governor.
Fashanu reportedly rendered unreserved apology on behalf of the Executive Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (LGA), Barrister Tajudeen Alade; former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto; Senatorial Leader, Hon. Segun Saiki; Pastor Bayo Ogedengbe and Barrister Emmanuel Agbaje who absent due to the new Deputy Governor’s official visit to Akoko-Edo.
Fashanu said that he gathered the leaders of thought to productively engage and interact with Ighodalo to ensure his total electoral victory through maximising the potentials of the party’s structure the governorship election.
Using the SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, Fashanu meticulously highlighted the party’s commanding political structure and willing electorate empathy. These goodwill and opportunities, he explained, necessitated the need to proactively build and develop strong campaign teams with experienced political leadership at Ward levels in Akoko-Edo and beyond. This, he pointed out, would neutralise voters intimidation being orchestrated by the so-called ‘Federal Might’.
Ighodalo thanked and commended the party leaders for the honest analytical report and suggestions on ways and means of moving the party forward and resolving other internal issues.
Urging the leaders not to rest on their oars, Ighodalo was quoted as saying: “PDP is the only party that can rescue this nation because, we have capable members with the right vision, focus and patriotic zeal to reposition Nigeria”.
He said that “PDP remains the only party since 1999 that is still standing, while other parties have since either collapsed, fragmented or became amalgamation of strange, odd and unhealthy bedfellows, a contraption of complicated forced union”.
Ighodalo advised on the need for the party to close ranks and strategise to permanently defeat Nigeria’s development nemesis, adding that verifiable available data showed that PDP is far ahead of other parties and assured that “the party’s campaign structure will soon be unveiled”.
He strongly advised that square pegs be put in square holes to guarantee total electoral victory and warned that sentiments should not be the basis for party appointments.
The PDP governorship candidate also emphasised the need to accommodate women and the youth in the campaign structure, including the OBIdient Movement (supporters of Labour Party’s candidate, Mr. Peter Obi in last year’s presidential election).
Those in attendance at the meeting included retired Director of Local Government Administration, Mr. Ademola Shaibu-Ekha; former Special Adviser to Obaseki, Hon. J.B Agbogun; LGA Chairman of PDP, Prince Kayode Ogunubi; National delegate, Elder Olu Dania; Ambassador Dele Idaomi; former PDP Senatorial Chairman, Chief Sunny Okomayin; former Liaison Officer of Akoko-Edo LGA, Hon. Jeffrey Obasanmi; Senior Special Assistant to the state governor, Hon. Solomon Taiwo; and former Security Adviser to Akoko-Edo Local Government Chairman, who was also LGA Youth Leader, Hon. Topa Okomayin,
