Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has boasted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the forthcoming Edo governorship election Governor Godwin Obaseki has no opponent.
Speaking on a live programme on Wednesday, Wike said the people of Edo already knew the type of candidate the All Progressives Congress (APC) presented to them following what Adams Oshiomhole said about him four years ago.
Wike, in a statement by his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, said: “Such a character cannot be accepted by Edo people as Governor during the election.
“I respect the Benin tradition and I know that Edo people are educated to know that Oshiomhole cannot play on their intelligence.
“If he is now retracting what he said of Ize Iyamu, who is sure that he’s saying the correct thing now.
“Adams Oshiomole’s sudden u- turn is a great insult on Edo people. This is an opportunity for Edo people both at home and in the diaspora to use their votes to tell Oshiomole they cannot take his lies anymore.
“From all indications, it is obvious that there is no strong opposition against Obaseki and he will win convincingly”.
Wike, who is chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council, stated he and his team accepted the responsibility to lead the campaign because they are satisfied with results coming out already from Edo State.
Wike said the PDP had continued to take steps in strengthening the nation’s democracy with the promotion of internal politics and resolving conflict of interests of members to achieve common goals.
He said the success recorded by the PDP in conducting free and fair party primaries in Edo state was evidence of the internal democracy in the party.
The governor said all the aspirants decided to work together to support the candidature of Obaseki.
He said: “It was not easy to have a sole candidate for the party in Edo state. People thought there will be problems, given the fact that Obaseki was coming from another Party.
“But Party members who are grounded and believe in the Party didn’t see any sacrifice too much to make.
“Even in Ondo State, the former Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi who decamped to PDP contested keenly during the primaries and lost. If there are other pending issues in the South West, be sure that the Party will resolve them.
“That is exactly what Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the chairman of South-South States’ Governors had done.
“He is making sure that we are all on the same page to ensure that all states in the South-South are controlled by PDP”.