By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – A former chieftain and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Gideon Ikhine has said that the division within the party in the state and the inability of Governor Godwin Obaseki to deliver on his campaign promises to the people of the state are enough reasons why the PDP must not be allowed to win the 2024 governorship election.
Ikhine who is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stated this to journalists in Benin City yesterday when he visited the leadership of the state chapter of the APC at the party’s secretariat to formally inform them of his intention to contest the forthcoming Edo governorship election.
He hails from Edo Central Senatorial district and was a governorship aspirant in 2020 on the platform of the PDP, but stepped down for Governor Godwin Obaseki ahead of the party’s primary three years ago.
Ikhine said the “APC in the state is getting bigger and stronger with the array of politicians defecting to the party from across other political parties, the chances of the APC winning the governorship election are brighter” he said noting that he can return the APC to government in the state.
He said the division among members of the Edo PDP has further boost the opposition party’s chances to achieve success in the forthcoming governorship election and that with the likes of Sen. Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North Senatorial district and himself , from the Central Senatorial district, the APC remains the party to beat.
Ikhine said he was instrumental in securing victory for candidates in the Edo Central Senatorial district particularly for the Senate, House of Representatives and Edo State House of Assembly during the recently concluded general election on the platform of the APC. “The peace we enjoy in APC, we are going to translate to victory in the forthcoming Governorship election.”