Edo: Amidst dispute over guber primary, PDP presents certificate of return to Ighodalo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday presented a certificate of return to the former chairman of Nigeria Breweries, Asue Ighodalo, as its candidate for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

The PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, presented the certificate to Ighodalo at a ceremony held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

The party has been rocked by an internal dispute in Edo State after Ighodalo and the state Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu, won separate governorship primaries in the state last Thursday.

Damagum said: “PDP is one and the party organised and recognised only the primary election which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin and produced Ighodalo as its candidate.

“Edo is an easy ride for us.

“We will emerge victorious. What we should be focused on now is uniting our party and bringing all stakeholders together to ensure we retain our seat at Osadebey Avenue.

“You have to put in your all going forward. I wish to use the opportunity to congratulate our party’s gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and wish you success as you go around the state during your campaign.

“The PDP is one and we organised and recognized only one primary in Edo which produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

“There are rules and guidelines in line with our party’s Constitution. We set up an electoral committee led by the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal as Chairman, and the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwhori as the committee’s Co-Chairman.

READ ALSO: EDO 2024: PDP will lose if I am not fielded, Shaibu warns

“They held the primary in a transparent, fair, and credible process which was live on several television stations. To the glory of God that primary election produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo as our party’s candidate.”

The party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, insisted that the party was fair to all aspirants in the conduct of the primary election.

“You can disagree with us but history will prove us right that we have done the right thing,” he said.

On his part, Ighodalo commended all stakeholders of the party for their support and promised to transform Edo if elected as governor.

He said: “I thank our party members and leaders as well as other stakeholders of the party, especially the youths, who took me through the length and breadth of Edo State during my consultation to become our party’s candidate.

“I am extremely proud to be a member of this party. I also appreciate our women for their love and support. They carried me on their back from day one.

“I am grateful for the fairness and transparency of the national leadership of the party. I salute the National Working Committee (NWC) for the transparent and fair manner in which it conducted the primary election in Edo.

“The MKO Abiola election of 1993 was the closest to what we recorded at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Thursday, February 22.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now