…says Obaseki made Ighodalo to have ‘collateral enemies’
Dr. Justin Esezobo Okonoboh, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo State, a former speaker Edo State State Home of Meeting. On this interview with OJIEVA EHIOSUN, he spoke on the victory of APC within the governorship election, the selection of Senator Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa, profitable inauguration ceremony, and whereas the brand new governor will surpass the data of all previous governors, Excerpts:
Sir, it’s like you’re a prophet since you as soon as predicted that APC was going to win the 2024 governorship election with an amazing victory and it got here to move. What additional efforts did APC put in that gave them the victory?
Nicely it wasn’t actually prophetic as such, it was what everyone was saying as a result of earlier than the election, PDP had already collapsed in Edo State. All people had moved over to APC. In the event you examine it, all these spearheaded Obaseki’s second coming had all deserted him. It was clear that there was nothing he might do about it, we have been going to win. So after I noticed all this stuff taking place, I instructed you that APC was going to take Edo State.
So many individuals hold saying that APC took the ability by drive, that they weren’t voted for. What’s your tackle this?
You recognize in Nigeria that’s the best way it’s. When the particular person they count on to win doesn’t win, it’s so on a regular basis. That’s the reason the courts are there. They really decide whether or not the election was rigged or not. There was no rigging anyplace, Senator Monday Okpebholo truly received 13 native governments out of 18. In Edo North, it was whole, Edo South was shared, in Edo Central he did very effectively too. So he received overwhelmingly.
There are various opinions in Edo State earlier than, throughout and after the election that Godwin Obaseki was an enemy to all, that Asuelimen Ighodalo got here at a unsuitable time, once more that Obaseki deviated from democratic norms.
Do you see Obaseki as a core politician?
Nicely, that’s the unfavourable facet of politics, he was turning into an skilled by rigging utilizing cash and all that. You’ll discover that three months to the election all that was reigning is Obaseki, he wasn’t the one contesting, however as a result of they consider he was the one bringing Ighodalo, he was the one folks have been speaking about and in that course of he created so many enemies, making Ighodalo to have what we name collateral harm.
At a stage, lots of people weren’t truly trying on the APC candidate, they only wished Obaseki to go away that seat, and that type of a factor affected Ighodalo. I actually felt sorry for him. He got here into the scene at a really unsuitable time.
Ighodalo, had a prime notch model, however he adopted the unsuitable particular person into politics. If he had come alone, he would have gone very far as a result of lots of people preferred him, however folks hated Obaseki and made positive PDP didn’t win.
Now, will you say it was a payback time for Obaseki for deviating from political tenets of carrying folks alongside?
Not solely from Adams Oshiomhole, however from all of the political huge weights that Obaseki had offended. It was truly a payback time for everyone who he had prompted political pains, they usually all labored assiduously to verify APC succeeded within the election.
Do you agree that Presidency performed a significant function within the success of APC?
As President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and primary chief of the social gathering Bola Tinubu should help his social gathering. Look he didn’t even come for the flag-off, it was the Vice President that got here. APC truly labored additional onerous to earn this victory. The truth is it was clear that APC was going to win. He who chases the proprietor of a home away, will do every little thing to make no person lives in that home. So when people who made the PDP nice have been chased away, it is best to count on the autumn of such a celebration. So, Obaseki killed PDP by himself.
So it was a transparent reduce factor. Sadly, folks don’t perceive what elections are; election is to not produce one of the best candidate, election is to supply those who have extra votes. So when any person loses, folks suppose is INEC; no, INEC is an umpire, lots of people are gathered, they solid their votes and INEC gathers them, counts and declares the votes scored by every particular person after which declares the winner. However most individuals, anytime they count on an individual to win and she or he doesn’t, the following factor is that the election is rigged. It doesn’t work like that. So, on this situation, folks voted for Senator Monday Okpebholo and he received. Individuals ought to be taught to just accept outcomes like good sports activities folks.
Observers say there was an excessive amount of vote shopping for or what can we name it?
I don’t name it vote shopping for, as a politician, you induce folks to vote for you. It’s performed all around the world.
We’re in robust instances, individuals are in search of meals to eat, the nation goes by onerous instances, lots of people are hungry and offended, so something you are able to do to affect them, do it. The APC governorship candidate earlier than the election was busy tarring roads, setting up boreholes, giving scholarship to college students, paying colleges charges for youngsters from much less privileged properties, and doing all types of humanitarian and social service actions. All this contributed to our success within the election. Okpebholo is an entire residence boy, he is aware of the folks and the folks know him. He received the election and received convincingly.
You witnessed the inauguration ceremony of the brand new governor on the November 12, 2024, on the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium; judging from what you noticed and his speech, do you see the governor as a pushover?
Efficiency has nothing to do with eloquence, Okpebholo that I do know is an motion man with excessive stage of political expertise. He has labored beneath nice politicians, he is aware of what democracy is all about. You may see he has swung into motion. Edo individuals are going to be shocked with the extent of infrastructural improvement they may see.
For the inauguration, it was a grand ceremony to usher in new period in Edo State. I used to be excited with the sorts of personalities and crowd that graced the event.
What do you say to Edo folks?
Edo folks should be affected person, give him most help, be part of palms with him to make sure we now have a affluent state, now that we now have a governor that’s targeted, resilient, clever, politically acutely aware and above all somebody that has the lots at coronary heart. Edo folks will expertise an enormous change in improvement.
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