The support base of the Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Candidate for the September 21, 2024 Election in Edo State, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, was further boosted on Saturday as 111 former members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oredo Ward 1 In Benin City defected to the PDP.
This is even as over 200 members of the APC in the Oredo Ward 1 have concluded plans to also dump the APC for the PDP-Asue Ighodalo’s governorship quest
Speaking at the ceremony, Pastor Sidney Egede, who led the former APC members to the PDP said that they decided to abandon the APC following the untold hunger and hardship brought by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu APC-led federal government administration.
He asserted that APC as the party is not an option in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State, and advised the person to vote massively for the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who according to him will bring all round development to the people as governor.
According to Egede, “APC not an option in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State “because since May last year, when the President came into power, he has brought extreme poverty to the people that we have never experienced in Nigeria before.
“I have told many people in Oredo Ward 1 that they should join the PDP. This is because PDP has never inflicted this kind of suffering on our people.
“We cannot continue to play politics with our lives. We need to come together and stand for the candidature of Dr. Asue Ighodalo and Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this coming election in Edo”.
He further stated that his decision to dump the APC was informed by the choice of the party’s gubernatorial candidate and opined that more qualified aspirants with electable qualities were jettisoned for what he described as the ‘most mediocre’.
“I am even angry that the party brought out somebody like that in the midst of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Dr. David Imuse and Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe. They could have brought out one of these persons for the election.
“But for them to have gone so low to bring the most mediocre of them all, it is sad. APC has lost the election already and their choice of candidate will make them lose the election”, Egede said
Receiving the decamping into the party on behalf of the state PDP Chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, SAN, thanked the people for joining the party.
Earlier, Special Adviser on Media and Projects to the Edo State governor, Hon. Osagie Crusoe, while commending the former APC leader for leading the people into the PDP, said that with Egede, PDP will record resounding victory in the Ward in the election.
Osagie who is one of the leaders of PDP in Oredo Ward 1 and who is the sponsor of Garrison Political Force and Overflow Movement and Good Force Organisation for Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie, described Egede as a formidable asset to the PDP.
“In this coming election, we are not going to have any formidable opposition because the only person who we used to contend against in elections is Sidney Egede who is now coming to join forces with us.
“So, it is going to be a one-way election for the PDP in this coming September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State”, Crusoe assured.
