Edo Guber: Edo People, Not Wike, Will Choose Obaseki’s Successor — Ighodalo

Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, has emphasized that the people of Edo, not political figures like Nyesom Wike, will determine the next governor of the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Ighodalo stated that the decision of who will succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki is solely in the hands of Edo voters. He dismissed the notion that the influence of PDP heavyweight Wike or any other individual would dictate the outcome.

Responding to comments made by Wike last Friday—where the former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said he would not support Ighodalo—Ighodalo clarified his position.

“It’s not correct that Governor Wike said he wasn’t going to support us. Events may have overtaken his decision at that point, and he’s free to change his mind,” Ighodalo said. He acknowledged the cordial discussions he had with Wike, centered around governance and Nigeria’s broader issues, with Wike ultimately expressing a desire to stay out of Edo’s affairs.

“If he’s decided to change his mind, that’s fine, but the decision as to who becomes the next governor of Edo State is up to the Edo people, not former governors or ministers,” Ighodalo reiterated. He stressed that only those with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Edo would have the power to choose the next governor.

The political atmosphere in Edo has intensified over the past year, with 95 violent incidents, including 35 cases of electoral violence, reported since January. Tensions heightened last week when the PDP refused to sign a peace pact that 16 other parties contesting the election endorsed.

The upcoming governorship election is expected to be a fierce contest between Ighodalo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Monday Okpebholo, and Labour Party’s (LP) Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Ighodalo, a former chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), has received the backing of incumbent Governor Obaseki, who bypassed his deputy, Philip Shaibu. On the other hand, Shaibu and former governor Adams Oshiomhole have thrown their support behind Okpebholo.

With over 2.6 million registered voters across 18 local government areas, the people of Edo State will ultimately decide their next leader.

Edo is one of eight Nigerian states where governorship elections are held off-season, alongside Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo, due to legal disputes and court rulings.