Politics
Edo guber: Ighodalo wins PDP ticket with 577 votes

Foremost lawyer and investment banker, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.
He defeated eight other aspirants in a peaceful but security-tight primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
One of the aspirants, Omosede Igbinedion, stepped down for him on the election ground “for the interest of the party.”
Also, immediate past House of Representatives member, representing Oredo federal constituency, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, stepped down from the race.
Ighodalo, who is believed to be Governor Obaseki’s preferred aspirant, scored 577 votes to beat Mr Anselm Ojezua, Arthur Esele, Osaro Onaiwu, Martins Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru and Felix Akhabue, all scoring zero vote, while six votes were voided out of the 585 accredited delegates.
The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who had earlier emerged a factional candidate in a parallel governorship primary election, scored one vote.
Ighodalo was declared winner of the primary election by the Chairman of the Edo PDP Primary Electoral Committee and Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, and the Co-Chairman and Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwhori.
Lawal declared: “The committee having carefully sorted out and counted the votes found that Ighodalo scored 577 votes, Philip Shaibu scored one vote, while others got zero. By the powers vested in me by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP, pursuant to the Constitution of our great party, the PDP, as the Chief Returning Officer of the 2024 Edo PDP Primary Election, I hereby declare Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the just concluded primary election with a total vote of 577.
“Therefore, I hereby return the elected as the PDP candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.”
Ighodalo extends hand of fellowship, promises inclusiveness
In his acceptance speech, Ighodalo thanked Governor Obaseki and the people of Edo State for their love and support noting that the governor has laid the foundation for him to build upon, if elected. He promised to assemble young men and women for his government to turn the state around.
“I want to thank you for making me a tool, and I promise you that I will be a useful tool and by the grace of God, Edo State will move from where Godwin Obaseki has carried us, to the next level. I want to thank Godwin Obaseki for the wonderful work he has done in the last seven and half years. I know that in a year or two people will keep talking about Obaseki.
“We have not seen the value of the work he has done, but he is like a builder laying the foundation for a 100-storey building. No man is perfect,we will all continue to repair and work on each other’s mistakes. I thank him and his wife for supporting him tremendously and giving him the strength to go through the vicissitudes of the last seven years. I promise to assemble the best young men and women to turn the state around.”
Ighodalo, while commending the delegates, leaders and members of the PDP for the confidence reposed in him, promised to work with all stakeholders to transform the fortunes of Edo people and lead the state on the path of prosperity and greatness, if elected.
He said: “I promise all the good people of Edo State; those in Edo State, in Nigeria, and in the Diaspora that I will work tirelessly for our state. I will assemble our best hands to move our State to the next level and I promise you all that I will give you my all.”
Reiterating the need for a united party to win the September 21, 2024 election in the state, Ighodalo said it is only with a formidable and united front that the PDP can excel and succeed in the mission of retaining its seat at Osadebey Avenue and consolidating on the impactful work the party has started in the state.
We can’t afford to get it wrong in Edo — Obaseki
Earlier, while welcoming guests to the primary election, Godwin Obaseki,said: “Today, we are going through an exercise that has been stipulated by our party. Even though it’s statutory, the exercise will be life-changing because Nigeria is going through difficult times and we can only overcome the challenges we are facing as a country with the right leadership.
“If we in Edo do not begin to show the right leadership that will begin to reset Nigeria, God forbid, we may all be in trouble. PDP is the only party that has what it takes to rule this country. Again, we are showing the example in the way we are conducting our leadership selection process.
“We are following our rules very assiduously; my role as a host governor is to welcome all of you who are here, starting with our members who elected the delegates that are carrying out this exercise today. Thanks to members of the State and National Working Committee of our great party, the PDP for being steadfast in the rules. I also thank all the aspirants for exercising the spirits of sportsmanship.”
The election attracted the who is who in the PDP in the state including former governor Lucky Igbinedion; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Tom Ikimi; Speaker of Edo State House of assembly, Blessing Agbebaku; Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Osarodion Ogie, who is being touted to be the running mate to Ighodalo; former Chief Whip of the Senate, Roland Owie; Owere Dickson Imasogie; council chairmen from the 18 LGAs; and members of the state executive council, among others.
However, conspicuously missing were members of the Legacy Coalition group of the PDP led by the Vice Chairman, South-South of the party, Dan Orbih; a member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the party, Charles Idahosa; and many members of the State Working Committee, SWC.
Gunshots as Shaibu emerges as candidate in a PDP parallel primary
Meanwhile, some members of the PDP held a parallel primary that produced Philip Shaibu as the candidate.
While some delegates were being accredited to proceed to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the primaries, another set of delegates met in a facility in Commercial Avenue where they announced Shaibu as the PDP elected candidate.
They claimed that they went to the venue for accreditation but were chased away by security agencies. They also alleged that the list of delegates published by the national leadership of the party was not the authentic one alleging that they saw names of people from Bayelsa State and names of people who are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Declaring Shaibu winner of the election, Bartholomew Moses said: “During the counting of this primary election, Philip Shaibu has a score of 301 votes and therefore, we hereby declare Philip Shaibu as the authentic elected candidate for this election in the PDP.”
The people had barely finished their exercise when gunmen invaded the venue. They were dressed in vigilante outfits and came in several vehicles including two black unmarked Toyota Hiace Trucks, an unmarked white sienna, white Hilux and several other vehicles. They were shooting sporadically into the air and the people scampered into different directions for safety
Before the election, the delegates led by Festus Owu went to the deputy governor’s official lodge where they complained to him that they had been disenfranchised.
Speaking to the protesting delegates, Shaibu said: “I appeal to all of you to be peaceful, I don’t want anybody to be injured, I don’t want anybody molested and I am happy the way you have conducted yourselves peacefully and have come to report to me that you were not allowed to be accredited. I want to tell you that no one man can determine the destiny of a people and by the grace of God they cannot disenfranchise you people.
“The law is clear that you people are the authentic delegates. Now that they have pushed you away, they want to go and replace you but I assure you that your votes must count, they cannot change and replace your names. I assure you that I will take your protest to the committee that is coming but you must remain peaceful in everything you are doing.”
Speaking to journalists later, Shaibu said: “I saw the crowd outside and I asked who they were and they said they were delegates. I said they should be directed to the venue of the accreditation but they said they were protesting because they had been sent away from the venue of accreditation.
“They won their election as delegates and they have their results. The election will hold and if a winner emerges with fake delegates, the election will not see the light of the day but if a winner emerges with the authentic delegates, there will be no problem, I am sure.”
Politics
Oborevwori suggests Ibori may defect to APC

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State says the All Progressives Congress, APC, will welcome former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori, into the party’s fold.
Oborevwori who recently defected to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party, made the remarks during the vigil mass held in honour of the former deputy governor of the state, Prof Amos Utuama.
DAILY POST reports that the mass was held on Wednesday at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who stressed the need for unity among the Urhobo political class, highlighted the selfless contributions of the transited former deputy governor.
“I am very happy to be here today, seeing this large gathering for one man. The preaching today is not about the dead, it is about the living.
“There are many things our former deputy governor did while he was alive. I will mention just a few key ones.
“He donated the land allocated to him in Asaba while he was deputy governor to the Catholic Church.
“He also contributed to building of the church. To me, that is a kingdom investment,” he said.
Oborevwori prayed that the passing of the deceased would bring peace and unity to Ughelli South and the entire Urhobo ethnic group.
In his exhortation, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri, Most Rev. Anthony Ewherido, affirmed that the late Prof. Amos Utuama lived an impactful life in both the church and the society.
Ewherido condoled with the family, urging them to uphold the legacies of their father which were: godliness, humility, charity and selflessness.
The bishop described the death of a Christian as a transition to eternal glory and reminded everyone of the need to accept Christ while alive to enjoy eternity after the physical death.
He also called for continued unity among the political class for the peace and development of the state.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Ovie Utuama, son of the deceased, appreciated all for their support and requested prayers for the family during this difficult period.
Politics
PDP would have flushed out APC in 2023 if Okowa was not Atiku’s running mate-Moro confesses

Abba Moro, the senator representing Benue south, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have won the 2023 presidential election if it had not chosen Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Moro said the choice of Okowa, the former governor of Delta state, as the opposition party’s vice-presidential candidate was a “serious mistake“.
This is coming on the heels of a comment by Okowa, who said he regretted being Abubakar’s running mate during the 2023 elections.
Okowa, who spoke on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, said his being the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate was against his people’s will.
On April 23, Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former governor of Delta said his defection to the ruling party was in the “best interest of our people” and the need for the people of the state to “connect to Abuja”.
However, Moro said Okowa’s claim of regret after the PDP failed to win the presidential election in Delta state showed that his “soul” was not in the party.
“Given what we know now, with the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if other candidates, other than Okowa, had been picked as the vice-presidential candidate from the south,” the Benue senator said.
“I think there is an error of judgment on the part of everybody that was involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate.
“How else would you characterise this scenario that a sitting governor, a former senator, and a presidential candidate of a party couldn’t deliver his state even to the presidential candidate?”
“And to think that two out of the senators from that state were from the opposition parties other than the PDP.
“So, I think that picking Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate in 2023 was a very serious mistake.”
Moro added that Okowa’s action showed a lack of commitment to the party.
“As it is now, you can safely conclude that we lost the election because of lack of commitment,” he said.
“Otherwise, how can you explain that shortly after losing his state, that ordinarily should have been a very easy pick for the PDP, instead of rendering an apology to the party and Nigeria, he’s now talking about regretting being on the ticket?
“His soul was not in the PDP. His soul was not in that election, and that is why we performed very miserably in Delta state.”
Politics
APC leader Onokpasa blasts Tinubu’s performance

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jesutega Onokpasa says President Bola Tinubu has failed woefully based on the performance of his administration.
Onokpasa stated this in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday, warning that the president may end up being a one-term president if he did not improve in his performance.
Onokpasa also expressed school why Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, who he referred to as his cousin, defected to the APC.
According to him, the governor’s defection to the ruling party does not add any value to the APC or the state.
The APC chieftain reiterated that the ruling party should not focus on the defection of opposition politicians into its fold but on good governance.
Onokpasa added that the defections of opposition leaders to the APC negate the principles of democracy.
“It is not a question of people defecting to our party. It is a question of are we ruling well? In that sense, we failed woefully.
“President Bola Tinubu has failed woefully to rule well, provide food for Nigerians, and give succour in these hard times.
“Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who recently defected to our party, is actually my cousin. I don’t have the slightest idea why he defected to our party. He did not inform me. I wish him well,” he said.
-
News13 hours ago
Why ‘VeryDarkMan was arrested – EFCC
-
Economy24 hours ago
75.5% of rural Nigerians now live below poverty line — World Bank
-
Entertainment13 hours ago
How I narrowly escaped death in U.S hotel room – Seun Kuti
-
Education16 hours ago
Over 1.5m candidates score less than 200 in 2025 – UTME
-
News15 hours ago
‘S3x is good, I enjoy it,’ Bishop Adejumo tells wives
-
News23 hours ago
‘Cabals’ still fighting against our refinery — Dangote
-
News16 hours ago
Tinubu to meet Gencos over N4tn electricity debt
-
News10 hours ago
Reps Minority Caucus condemns unlawful detention of VDM, demands his immediate release