Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

Incumbent Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, picked the ticket of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was easy ride to victory for him as Kenneth Imasuagbon stepped down shortly before the commencement of balloting at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.

Obaseki will now slug it out with Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his PDP opponent in the 2016 election and over a dozen others.

Meanwhile, Imansuangbon has attributed the reason for his action to his desire to build a strong and united PDP in the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Benin, Imansuangbon said, though it was a painful decision for him and his supporters across the state and beyond, he refused to be “a spanner in the cog of the party.

“It is a defining moment for the party and the country. It is painful for me to submit my 16 years of trying to be governor.

“However, I needed to take it because of the unity of the party, because of the Nigeria nation as a country. The country and the party are far above me, the pressure was much. I cannot be spanner in the cog of the party.

“The struggle is not about me anymore but about the country, Edo and Obaseki himself is doing very well. So, I have decided to step down for him and support him.

“Obaseki has assured me he will work on my dream for the state; that he will tackle the issue of hunger, that he will identify with the weak, address the challenges on our roads, build more schools and make the people happier.

“Obaseki is a fine gentleman, there can only be one captain at a time. I have always known him from afar. Humanity demands that a man, who has done well, though he was distracted by All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s former chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, needs to be supported,” he said.

We’ve learnt from our past mistakes 

–Bala

Chairman, Primary Election Committee and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, yesterday, said the party has learnt in a hard way from its past mistakes and would not allow a repeat of history.

Speaking at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, venue of the party’s governorship primary, Bala said: “Today, the party wants to prove to the world that the PDP is the only party that they can trust.”

He said the primary would be conducted in a free, fair, credible and transparent way to prove a point that the party is the only one that can do that.

He described Governor Godwin Obaseki as a very resourceful person, saying what he has seen at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was a clear attestation to that.

In his comment, Gideon Ikhine, an aspirant, who stepped down his ambition, said the Osadebey Avenue has been given to the PDP without a single ballot paper cast.

He urged the party faithful to rally round Obaseki and ensure he wins in the forthcoming election.

Also, Omoregie Ihama, said the party has been in opposition for many years and thanked Obaseki for making them get back to power again.

Earlier, state Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, said he had promised he was going to return the party to Osadebey Avenue and that today, he has kept to his promise.

15 political parties to participate in poll –REC

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State, Johnson Samikiem, yesterday, disclosed that 15 political parties have registered with the commission to contest the forthcoming governorship election slated for September 19.

The commissioner, who disclosed this at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, said the commission is well-prepared to conduct a hitch-free governorship election.

“Out of the 15 political parties, about nine would have, at the end of today, concluded their primaries and set for the election.

“Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is empowered by the law to monitor any election in the state, hence my presence here today.

“So far, the process is very satisfactory in the sense that the conduct of the primary is in line with the electoral law and guidelines of the COVID-19 measures against the pandemic.

“The commission is ready and working hard to ensure the election is held in a peaceful environment,” he said.

On the plethora of cases in court, the INEC REC, said the cases would be decided by the courts, adding that INEC was committed to obeying court orders.

The REC said the commission has no challenges in preparation for the governorship election in the shortest time he was posted to the state.

Samikiem further explained that in order to ensure free and fair election, the commission had constituted an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the headquarters.