As the September 21 governorship election in Edo State approaches, Asue Ighodalo, the candidate representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has asserted that the decision regarding the next governor lies solely in the hands of the people of Edo State.
In a recent interview, Ighodalo emphasized that it is not the prerogative of prominent PDP figures like Nyesom Wike—or anyone else for that matter—to dictate who will succeed the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Wike had previously stated his refusal to back Ighodalo, who is considered the favored candidate of Obaseki. “I communicated to them (Obaseki and Ighodalo) that I will neither support you nor anyone else. My previous support didn’t yield any positive results; instead, I was met with disrespect. Supporting Obaseki last time made a fool out of me,” Wike expressed.
In response, Ighodalo countered Wike’s remarks by suggesting that it was misleading for the governor to claim he would withdraw his support. He indicated that circumstances may have shifted since their last conversation, leaving Wike open to reconsidering his stance.
“I trust that as a gentleman, he will honor the commitment he made to me; however, if his views have changed, that is his prerogative,” Ighodalo remarked. “When we last spoke, our discussion revolved around governance, national issues, and our vision for enhancing the state of Edo. Ultimately, we concluded our dialogue with him stating that he would focus on his own matters, implying that Edo State was not within his purview.”
