Edo Election Is Referendum On APC Failure – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the 2024 Edo governorship election is a referendum on the All Progressives Congress (APC) failure at the federal level.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said Edo citizens have been hit by the APC-led federal government policies and would make their choice in favour of Asue Ighodalo.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Ologunagba accused the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, of insulting the citizens of Edo and the integrity of politics by refusing to speak on a television interview.

He noted that the PDP candidate has shown more respect to the citizens of Edo by engaging with them through every channel.

“The indices are there already. There have been polls carried out by people and reputable institutions and they’ve indicated and suggested that Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is well ahead of the other parties.

“When you present yourself for public office, and I think this will begin to define how politics should be played in this country. When you offer yourself to a public office, at what level, you must be able and you must be willing and ready to engage with the people.

“I will give this example and your network has been calling for this opportunity. Asue Ighodalo is savvy, is competent, is intelligent, is a lawyer, is a consultant, well-known and is doing exceedingly well in engaging with the people. One, through the media, town hall meetings, through the campaigns, both in Nigeria and in diaspora,” he said.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary added that the APC candidate should not be the one to determine the medium to speak with voters, but should embrace every medium if he has anything to offer to Edo citizens.

Ologunagba continued, “Contrast that to the candidate of the APC. He has refused to even engage the media. I think that’s an insult to the politics. These are all of the issues. The more important thing and Nigeria knows that it is a referendum on the APC failure, both at the level of the federal government and at the various states where the APC is in power, and that is the challenge. That’s what is on the ballot in the Edo State and people are waiting and willing. You see the campaigns.

“That shows the character of the people. This is a reminder about the value that political leaders place on Nigerian citizens, particularly women. In Edo State, PDP is confident. We have a good candidate who is available, who is connecting to the people, and I think that should be the subject matter of the conversation.

“I don’t know what he means by not going to the TV, but I’m asking, is the TV a medium of communication or not? So why are you choosing and picking what medium? Asue Ighodalo has gone to all the mediums that you’re talking about. So why is he choosing and picking? Until we begin to hold people accountable in this kind of conversation.

“It is not for the candidate to set the rules of engagement in terms of who he consults or who he communicates with. It is for the independent networks. We know the fellowship on TV. You know the rich you have, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world.

“We know, and it’s a pitiful sight when you see somebody say it’s campaigning, and you’re telling us you will bring insecurity to Edo State. And that sounds like a campaign, or you go on TV and you’re embarrassing. It’s actually an embarrassment to the political class that we have someone like that to be the candidate.”