The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has vowed that he will remain in the All Progressive Congress (APC) as he battles for the governorship ticket of the party in seeking re-election.
The Governor said this during his address to members of the Obaseki Mandate Group FCT, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He added that his supporters paid for his expression of interest and nomination forms “on any platform he chooses” but his choice remains the party that brought him to political limelight, which is the APC.
The Governor said, “I have chosen the party that brought me in the first place–the APC. No matter the challenges, I will run on the platform of my party. And I’m sure by the grace of God, I will overcome.”
About the APC primary, Obaseki said, “I’m not saying I won’t have contestants, of course, democracy is about contestations. Tell me what you want to do for the people, and I will tell you what I can do.
“Tell me what you have done for the people and I will also tell the people what I have done for them and the people will make a choice, that is what democracy is about, that is what our democracy should be.”
He added that his desire for seeking re-election was built on the determination to restore Edo State to its place of pride.
Noting that there were very few political structures and kingdoms in the African continent that have survived more than six hundred years like the Benin Kingdom.
He said that when he assumed office, the youths in Edo were particularly interested in leaving the state at all cost even if it is for them to take hazardous trip across the Sahara to get to somewhere else.
The Governor said, “Edo became the human trafficking capital of the continent because we had lost hope, our leadership had failed us. They’ve not only failed us, they have also started to fail subsequent generations and that is our mandate to stop this trend, that is what we promised, because we are all products of a great system, so we have no reason, no right not to give back what we got. It took a while; it has taken two generations of decay but we knew that it will not take a decade to fix.
“And you can see our early steps – the first three years what we have done. We have given our people hope and I’m happy that that hope is being reflected in your passion today. When on your own, you have decided to organise yourself to mobilise your resources to support a cause you believe in.”
“Today we have almost 300,000 children in Edo state in our public-school system who are now learning. Even with Covid-19, even being at home, we have been able to get learning to them in their homes.
“Go and see what we are doing with the Benin Technical College, go and see what we are doing with our Colleges of Agriculture.”
