By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY –  AN Edo state socio-economic and political group, Edo Forum of Patriots (EFP) on Monday tasked candidates of the two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their leadership to put the development of the state as their agenda ahead of the 2023 general elections.

   The group specifically tasked would be senators and members of the House of Representatives to close ranks irrespective of their political parties for the development of the state as it lamented that the individualistic and selfish posture of the political class has cost the state huge development deficits like the non-composition of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which was to be chaired by an indigene of the state.

   A statement by the group’s Chairman, Interim Management Committee, Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo said “Edo Forum of Patriots task APC and PDP candidates for National Assembly elections to work towards the rescue of Edo State from its descending relevance in the comity of States, to one of prominence.

   “In the last five years, Edo State has been in the news for one nasty political crisis or the other, and less or zero attention has been paid to existential threats of herdsmen menace, disproportionate corporate social responsibility by oil and gas multinationals, cultism and youth gangsterism.

   “The circle of crisis cost our State the exalted office of the APC national chairman, as well as the chairman of the almost inaugurated NDDC board.  It has been five years of God’s grace, and it was high time senatorial synergy was built among the three senators, and nine House of Representative members for rapid socioeconomic transformation of our State.

   “As you move into campaigns, it should be intellectually based; it should be oiled by patriotic will as opposed to chauvinistic tendencies and personal aggrandisement.
  “We urge parties to imbibe the spirit of town hall engagement with the electorate with a view to making far reaching inputs into the legislative schemes of their candidates. Let us make clear that Edo people will hold candidates and parties accountable for any unpalatable electioneering conducted in the build up to the general elections.”