By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—THE Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadohme, yesterday, said that the battle to recapture Edo State Government House from Governor Adams Oshiomhole by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is a task that must be accomplished in 2012.

This is coming as the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, had threatened that the party would go to court to stop the state government from raising a N30billion bond from the capital market “so that the  government does not mortgage the future of Edo State.”

The duo spoke at a rally in Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state, where a former Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Major General Alfred Ilogho, Major Francis Asegwasi and over 1,000 supporters joined the PDP from the ACN and Alliance for Democracy.

Other leaders at the event were  former Special Adviser to the President and governorship candidate, Professor Julius Ihonbvere, Senators Odion Ugbesia,  Yisa Braimoh, former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen, Zakawanu Garuba, House Leader, Col Tunde Akogun, Paschal Ugbome among  others.

Chief Oghiadohme, who spoke at the rally, stressed the need for unity in the party so as to ensure victory for the party in the 2012 governorship election.

According to him, “I have told you earlier that to capture and recapture the government of Edo State by PDP is an operation totality. We are here to demonstrate to you that we are committed to that operation totality. Whatever sacrifice it requires, we shall make it to ensure that we check the insult. We are going to boost our membership, to boost our control and there will be no reason why we should not win all our elections.

“We all know that in 2007 we won our election, we did but you know we have an adage that when a river is not flowing, weed grows on top of it” he stated.

Oghiadohme further urged members of the party to participate effectively in up coming voters registration exercise in order to enable the party vote out the AC led government in the state.

Also addressing the crowd, Chief Orbih who reacted to the letter by Governor Oshiomhole to the state House of Assembly, seeking for the permission of the House to allow government source for N30billion bond from the capital market for development and infrastructural up grading in the state, argued that the move would further plunge the state into financial crisis.

“We are going to court to stop Oshiomhole from going to the capital market to raise N30billion. It is our collective responsibility to rise up to the challenge of good government and to join hands in the task of taking over government in Edo state.

We are prepared for one man one vote, we are appealing to the governor of Edo state not to destroy democracy by his utterances that PDP is planning to rig election come 2011 and 2012” he stated.