By Ozioruva Aliu

Former Chief Whip of the Senate and National Leader of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Sir Roland Owie, has said the people of Edo State are integral to the Nigerian Project, which is why everyone needs to get behind Governor Godwin Obaseki to get a second term in office.

Owie said this, on Saturday, when he declared for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urging his supporters to work for the second term bid of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

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Owie made the declaration in his home town of Ilobi-Isi in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State where he said he was a founding member of PDP, but that he and others like former Senate President, late Chuba Okadigbo, were forced out of the party.

In his words: “We cannot be a nation where people are hated, branded and then hounded and ostracised. We stand here to declare that the Edo people remain an integral part of the Nigerian Project.

“PDP is the hope of the masses and we will ensure that its mandate of ensuring that all citizens have equal access to opportunity and resources is fully achieved. This mandate will be achieved in Edo State and it will be achieved in Nigeria.

“I call on all our supporters to rise up today and lift with me the symbol of our pride— the Umbrella.

“It is an exemplar of royalty in the Benin Empire. We will march shoulder to shoulder in our typical heroic step from the land of our ancient past to a glorious future for our state and country.”

On his return to PDP, Owie explained that “Over the past 15 months, I have been consulting with political associates, former colleagues and elder statesmen on the need to get our nation back on track.

“A recurring issue that emanated from that consultative process was the need for all founding members of PDP to return to the party, so that it can achieve its strategic goal of emancipating Nigerians.”

VANGUARD