I’ll reduce Edo people’s suffering, says PDP governorship candidate Ighodalo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has promised to resolve the people’s suffering if elected in the upcoming 21 September election.

“We are telling them that we are the party, and we will be the government that will resolve the problems and sufferings of the people,” Mr Ighodalo said when he appeared on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday.

With the governorship election 26 days away, the state has been agog with political activities as the serious contenders among the 17 political parties fielding candidates scramble to outdo one another in their campaigns.

Mr Ighodalo unveiled his manifesto in June 2024, promising security, increasing the state’s internally generated revenue, and turning the state into a major tourist destination in Africa.

Fielding questions on Arise TV on Monday, pledged to prioritise security.

He said he would find resources to create technologically empowered security in the state to aid law enforcement officers in serving effectively.

“If we don’t get security right in Edo State or any state in Nigeria or Nigeria as a country, many of our problems will not go away,” he said.

Mr Ighodalo, a lawyer, promised to create more jobs and an enabling environment for businesses while ensuring that people get livable wages.

According to him, the former chairman of Sterling Bank Plc and the Nigerian Breweries promised to fix the state’s water problem, which would require N60 to 70 billion.

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“I know where the money is,” he said, adding that he would engender trust and transparency in government to attract capital and donors.

He said he would turn Edo State into a tourism hub for tourists within and outside Nigeria by leveraging the state’s cultural heritage and hospitality and showcasing its unique heritage.

On Monday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the validity of the PDP’s primary election which produced Mr Ighodalo as the party’s Edo State primary election.

Mr Ighodalo also alleged on television on Monday that his supporters were harassed in the state and called for the intervention of security agencies.