*One rushed to Irua Specialist Hospital, in critical condition*Frontrunners in final push for votes
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
With exactly seven days to the Edo governorship election, all the political parties in the polls have begun final preparations for the encounter that will take place on Saturday, September 21.
The three major political contenders have fixed the grand finale of the rallies for today.
This comes as the convoy of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo crushed one Emmanuel Edionwe and four of his friends to death on Warrake Road around Uzebba axis in Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State.
In the final push to woo voters, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slated its final rally holding today at the Garrick Memorial ground, located along Ekekhuan road and also intensified other forms of campaigns, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) rally is to take place at the University of Benin playground, Ugbowo campus today.
According to information from one of the leading political parties, the Labour Party (LP), the three senatorial districts of Benin, Ekpoma and Auchi would serve as venues for its grand finale.
Despite some concerns raised by the PDP, the political parties from all indications are good to go in the election.
Some of the concerns raised by the ruling party in the State include the call for the removal of the Commissioner of Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state because of their alleged strong affiliation to a former governor of Rivers State who according to the party, is an interested party in the Edo election.
The party also drew the attention of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to the recruitment of the Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs) for the forthcoming election with alleged intention to compromise the polls.
According to the PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, “We have it on good authority that in the recruitment process for the SPOs, non-commission staff members with fake Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs) identity cards were given special consideration above actual INEC and MDA staff members.
“The recruitment of these persons with fake ID cards is alleged to have been sponsored by a Governor from one of the States in South-East to disrupt the electoral process and swap election results, thereby undermining the credibility of the polls. The selected leaders of the sponsored impersonators with their cohorts are mainly in classes 1 to 4 and also infiltrated other classes of the INEC training sessions.”
Nevertheless, all the parties’ campaigns are in their last lap, trying to tell the electorate why they should favour their own party and not the other.
For instance, in carrying out his message of hope as encapsulated in his manifesto, “The Pathway to Prosperity For All”, the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, Governor Obaseki, including former governor Lucky Igbinedion and other stakeholders in the party have traversed the entire nook and cranny of the state beginning from ward units to local government areas and the three senatorial districts, asking the people to come out enmass to vote for the PDP.
In all the areas visited, the party promised to ensure adequate security of lives and properties to enable the people go about their normal daily business and once again, have access to their farms now ravaged by herders which ostensibly is one of the major factors causing hike in food stuffs in the market.
The candidate expressed hope that with the creation of platforms for active participation in the state development, recognising the valuable skills, perspectives and investments, and poised to engender an environment of collaboration and mutual respect that would take the state to higher heights.
Other driven areas in their messages include women and youth development, education using the EdoBest model developed by Governor Godwin Obaseki, to digitalise learning in the state to bring the state at par with other developed world.
Ighodalo’s message also promised to ensure rural development through the provision of motorable roads to ease evacuation of farm produce, provision of electricity both at the rural and urban areas leveraging on the 55MWT Ossiomo power plant built by Obaseki; expand the capacity to also drive industrialisation, harness the importance of the diaspora for a better working relationship, and respect for traditional and religious institutions.
In all the campaigns he has always left the following message with the people:
“Think about the prices of goods in the country today, rice, beans, yams, talk of petrol and transportation. Look at the exchange rate. So you see that there are challenges and we must find the right people to do the right things. Therefore, we need experienced men and women who have the competence and capacity, and know-how to tackle those problems and get a solution that will better the lives of all of us.
“The September 21 governorship election is, therefore, a thing that is between light and darkness, between good and evil and between going forward into the next century or going back to the 17th century.
“I therefore beg you to go out on September 21 and cast your vote, monitor it and ensure it is counted, and follow it up so that bad people won’t shortchange us.”
On his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Mr. Dennis Idahosa with former governor of the state and now senator, representing Edo North, Comrade Adams Oshiomohle, and others have also been carrying out their campaigns, visiting wards, local government areas and senatorial districts in the state with a promise to accord and uphold respect for the traditional institutions and bring massive development to every sector in the state.
They also said the only meaningful development recorded in the state was during the administration of Senator Adams Oshiomhole as governor and pledged to continue in that feat through massive renovation of schools and recruitment of teachers.
Other promises include: provision of primary healthcare, handling insecurity to ensure farmers access their farms for optimum food production. Also in their kitty is revival of the Ehor Fruit Juice Factory, built by former Governor Lucky Igbinedion and abandoned since 2008, provide manpower and equipment needed to make Ehor Technical College functional, tackle erosion, construction of Agbede-Warreke road within few months and to continue the development of the state where Oshiomohle stopped.
The LP candidate, Olumide Akpata, and his running mate, Yusuf Kadiri, including other party chieftains and faithful, have equally traveled to all the corners of the state to talk to Edo voters on the need to give their mandate to the party in place of PDP and APC, arguing that the two parties have governed the state in the past without any meaningful development.
The party therefore, told the electorate to see them as the ultimate hope for the progress of the state in the following area through it’s manifesto “My Pact With Edo People” with priority areas like: economic and job creation, erosion control, security, safety of lives and properties, electricity and energy access, roads and related infrastructure, agriculture and food security, healthcare, and education.
As part of final push in the campaign, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti have visited the state to canvas support for their party’s standard bearer, Akpata and his running mate.
Similarly, other 15 candidates among the 18 contesting for the state election have also promised to better the lot of Edo people if elected.
The People’s Redemption Party (PRP) candidate Ms Patience Ndidi, has told Edo residents that to bring about significant transformation in the state, they should prioritise visionary leadership over emotional considerations.
Ndidi, the sole female candidate in the September 21 governorship election, emphasised that visionary leadership transcends gender.
She urged the people to look beyond vote-buying incentives, gender, and party affiliations to ensure Edo is transformed for everyone’s benefit.
According to her, Edo needs visionary leaders to tackle issues like unemployment, poverty, hunger, and the state of critical infrastructure such as roads, schools, and health facilities.
She also said, that human capital development, tackling insecurity, unemployment, hunger by empowering citizens are her priorities. Other areas she mentioned are the creation of jobs, noting that by fostering a supportive investment climate, insecurity will be resolved.
Meanwhile, the campaign convoy of the candidate of the APC has crushed one Emmanuel Edionwe and four of his friends to death on Warrake Road around Uzebba axis in Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State.
The tragic accident which occurred on Thursday, was said to have left the families of the deceased traumatised and devastated with many of them shattered by the fact that the victims were returning from a burial ceremony when they met their untimely death.
The bodies of four of the deceased victims were said to have been deposited at the Edo State University, Uzaurie Mortuary in Etsako West Local Government Area.
It was gathered that Okpebholo’s convoy rammed into the victims’ silver Camry sedan car when they were attempting to negotiate a sharp bend on the road, with many eyewitnesses stating that the accident occurred as a result of rough driving.
A relative of Emmanuel Edionwe, one of the deceased, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We are devastated beyond words. Emmanuel was a good, easygoing boy who should not be dead today.
“He and his friends were driving in the Silver Camry car. After the accident, we just learnt that five of them have died after the collision with Okpebholo’s convoy. Emmanuel and four of his friends are dead. There is just one of them who is in critical condition and is now being nursed to life at the hospital.”
Noting that Edionwe died at the Irrua Specialist Hospital (ISH), where he was later transferred to for specialist care, he said: “It was officials of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) that evacuated the bodies from the scene of the accident. Four of them died yesterday. One died this morning. There is only one surviving person in critical condition.”
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The source noted that Okpebholo sneaked to check on the victims in the hospital they had been rushed to in Auchi after the accident but that it was disheartening that the APC campaign council has refused to acknowledge the incident or even commiserate with the affected families.
“We feel really bad that the APC has not said anything about the accident. It is insensitive. No one who suffers such a loss should be left without closure,” he said, crying profusely.
Efforts to reach the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), was not successful, but a journalist who was part of the APC convoy confirmed the story.
Accordingly to him, the victims are not part of the campaign train but persons travelling on their own.
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