Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Henry Duke Tenebe, has called on the people of the state to cast their votes enmass for the governorship candidate of the PDP, Asue Ighodalo in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, saying that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo lacks the cognitive experience to govern the state.
Chief Tenebe further stated that Ighodalo is far more competent than the opposition APC candidate, Sen. Monday Okpekbolo, whom he dismissed as a non-starter.
He made this statement in Benin while interacting with journalists covering the campaign activities of the two dominant political parties in the state.
Chief Tenebe emphasized that it is unfair to compare Ighodalo with Okpekbolo, highlighting that the APC governorship candidate lacks the exposure and experience that Ighodalo has acquired in both his private and public sector careers. He noted that these experiences make Ighodalo the best-suited candidate for the job in Edo.
Tenebe expressed his dissatisfaction with how the APC has managed the national economy in the past year.
He insisted that the party lacked the moral right to even field a candidate for the Edo Guber election.
He stated, “If not for the law that allows parties to stand for election irrespective of performance, the APC is not supposed to field a candidate, let alone canvass for support. The party is synonymous with hunger, deprivation, kidnapping, terrorism, crude theft, energy blackout, and countless other vices.
” The indices are quite gloomy and they tell the story of a party in utter disarray. In a sane climate, voters would revolt and ensure they used their votes to send them packing.”
The PDP stalwart from Edo North district was full of praise for the state governor, whose tenure would soon end, for creating an enabling climate for his successor.
The PDP bigwig mentioned the establishment of the modular refinery and the Osiomo power plant, which provides round-the-clock power supply to the state, as part of the legacy projects the outgoing governor would be remembered for.
Also commended the Governor Obaseki reforms in the agricultural sector to boost oil palm production and economic growth making the state emerging as Nigeria’s number one oil palm producing State, contributing about 12 per cent to the aggregate palm oil production in Nigeria.
Chief Tenebe also gives kudos to the governor for extending his hand of fellowship to the workers in the state with the recent increase in minimum wage from 40,000 to 70,000, at a time the federal government is yet to take a stand on same issue.
He concluded by saying that the best way to appreciate Governor Obaseki for his wonderful performance and lasting legacies is to vote en masse for the PDP candidate, in this case, Asue Ighodalo, to sustain the Obaseki legacy.