….Says governance in Edo truncated after Oshiomhole

Comrade Simon Ebegbulem, the immediate past Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Imo State, is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC Media committee for the September 21 Governorship election in Edo State.

In this interview, the journalist-turned politician gave reasons the APC is sure of victory, asserting that Edo people are yearning for change after alleged anti-people policies of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP administration.

On chances of the APC considering its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo alleged evasion of the media

If you have been monitoring events in Edo State, the APC is the only party that has been campaigning across the state. Former governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is leading the onslaught against the PDP. And of course, it has been like a carnival in all the local governments, you could see the total rejection of the PDP across the state. Few days ago at the Oredo rally, which was televised live, members of the Obaseki family led by Mr Osaro Obaseki dumped their brother to join APC. Honestly, the Okpebholo/Idahosa ticket has received traction across the state due to the failure of the Governor Obaseki led administration to provide the needed infrastructures or the so-called dividends of democracy to the people.

Come to Edo State today there are no roads, the state government will shout to high heavens about Edo Best in the Educational sector but go to schools in Edo there are no teachers, no desk. pupils sit on the floor during classes. In fact, there are no roofs in most schools in the rural areas. People are angry, what we have observed so far during our campaigns is that people will tell you that the roads that still exist in Edo were those built by the administration of Adams Oshiomhole. The only schools you see today still standing were the red roof schools constructed under Oshiomhole. The much-celebrated Azura power plant was a creation of Oshiomhole’s administration.

The Obaseki led administration boasted they will construct the Gelegele sea Port, but not even a block is at the place now. They collected lands belonging to over 10 communities that they were going to construct an industrial park, the former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo, was invited by Governor Obaseki to do a ground-breaking ceremony for the industrial park, in November 2017. Go there today, not even a block was moulded. For the people of Edo state, they have been scammed on several occasions by this PDP administration and they have said they are not going back. The Central hospital that was constructed by the Oshiomhole administration was given out to consultants making it difficult for the people to get affordable health care. Part of it was destroyed and turned into a museum. And the idea of that hospital which was well equipped by the Oshiomhole administration was to provide affordable health care for the people. Rather than maintaining this hospital, the state government went and constructed a private hospital which can only be afforded by the rich. He jettisoned the Benin water storm project which was constructed under Oshiomhole. That project helped in de-flooding Benin City and today flood has taken over Benin City once again.

Sadly, the man Governor Obaseki is bringing to succeed him, Mr Asue Ighodalo, both of them have been in cahoots in the under development of Edo State in the past seven and half years. Ighodalo was the Chairman of Obaseki’s Economic Team. The people cannot afford another leprous year under the same system. The good news is that Senator Okpebholo, also known as Akpakomiza is on the ballot. Like the former Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, explained at a rally recently, Akpakomiza means a redeemer. One who is coming to assuage the sufferings of the people. The truth is that governance in Edo was truncated after Oshiomhole’s administration and that is why Senator Okpebholo will win so he can continue from where Oshiomhole stopped. I served as a journalist in Edo State for years so I know what I am talking about. Speaking grammar cannot save Obaseki and his candidate Ighodalo from tasting defeat in this coming election.

Your candidate has been evading the media and only Oshiomhole has been talking…

How do you mean he has been evading the media? Our campaigns have been live on television, have you not been seeing Senator Okpebholo talking to the people? Let me tell, because the PDP has no message to deliver to the people, they have been involved in blackmailing the intellectual ability of our candidate. The APC candidate has been addressing the people both in English and his Esan language while his counterpart in PDP cannot even speak his Esan language rather he goes about with an interpreter. That is why the people see him as an outsider and saying that they want a home boy like Okpebholo and not a Lagos boy. The man is a serious-minded person and not a talkative like the Lagos guys that have pauperised the people of the state.

Let me also remind you, when Comrade Oshiomhole was campaigning for Obaseki in 2016, Obaseki was not talking during campaigns. It was Oshiomhole that was also talking. In fact people were writing then saying that Obaseki should come and speak to the people because he is the one running for governorship. But in this case, our candidate has been speaking to the people and addressing the issues.

I am happy that our candidate is enjoying the cooperation of other leaders of the APC but that cannot be said of Ighodalo of the PDP. There is no notable leader in the PDP that has joined his campaign including Governor Obaseki. That will tell you there is a big problem in that party.

Governor Obaseki defeated the APC to get his second term as governor, how are you sure he will not defeat your party again with his incumbency power. And they are saying that the APC is relying on Federal might to rig the election…

Are they not begging President Tinubu for help? So, nobody should blackmail anyone with Federal might. As we speak the PDP led government in Edo is trying to use State might to rig the election. They have a standing squad and you saw how our candidate and the Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu were attacked at the Airport. The orderly attached to Senator Okpebholo was shot dead. And that was why Comrade Oshiomhole has been raising the alarm appealing to the Inspector General of Police to mop up the arms in possession of these thugs. PDP has no message, so they are relying on thugs. You said Obaseki defeated us in 2020, he succeeded then because he was able to use these thugs to intimidate APC leaders out of the collation centres. That election was rigged heavily. But this time around we are going to stop him from rigging and we will win.

So, APC doesn’t need to rely on Federal might to win this election. Let me also remind you that APC has two senate seats, Edo North and Central while the Labour party controls that of Edo South where Obaseki hails from. The Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC, Dennis Idahosa, is a sitting House of Reps member, who controls the two LGAs in Ovia. APC controls the Orhionmwon/Uhumwonde Federal constituency while the Labour party controls Egor/Ikpoba Okhai Federal constituency. So, you will see that the real battle in Edo South is between Labour and APC, not even the PDP. So, I don’t know where PDP is going to get their votes from. As it stands today, APC is already winning. We are only waiting for September 21, to come so we can celebrate.