Edo 2024: He’s competent, qualified to lead — Asekhame drums support for Ighodalo

….Says Edo will resist federal might

Hon Dan Asekhame is the Founder and Coordinator of the Asue Ighodalo Movement (AIM), one of the many support groups working for the realization of the election of Dr Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State.

In this interview with a select group of journalists, the two-time Chairman of Owan West Local Government Council, addressed vital questions relating to the coming election. Excerpts:

In setting up this support group, what exactly was your focus or goal?

To do a house to house campaign and to also focus seriously on new voters, that is those who have not been registered before. We want to try and focus on them and ensure they come out to register en-masse and also to try and see what we can do to increase the votes of Asue Ighodalo by organizing our people and talking to them in a door-to-door campaign and street-to-street campaign.

Our major focus is to ensure we sensitize people, make sure they come out to register now that the Continuous Voters Registration will start on the 27 and vote for Dr Asue Ighodalo come September 21.

Why are you supporting Asue Ighodalo. Why do you think Ighodalo is the man for the job?

Without being told, if you look at the political set up as it is now in the state in terms of those who are contesting, Asue Ighodalo stands out. I mean without mincing words or any iota of doubt, he is way taller than the others in all aspects. Just by listening to them, you cannot compare any of the other candidates with Asue Ighodalo.

He has the experience, he is well exposed. He is somebody who has the capacity to manage the economy of Edo State. We must not hand over our economy to people who are novice to handle. He is someone who has handled very big organisations, who has been able to direct big institutions successfully.

Just look at his antecedents and pedigree, everywhere he has been, it has been success stories. So, there is no doubt that he is better by far for the job at stake. I have been with him, he is a very cordial person, very friendly, very calculating and a visionary. If we give him the mantle, I know he will turn the state around.

He will be able to continue the good work of Governor Godwin Obaseki. He is somebody with the requisite capacity to lead our state, and that is without doubt. I repeat, without doubt. So, if I have the interest of the state at heart, I believe that I should throw my weight behind the person that will be able to handle the economy and make it work for all.

You said just now that Ighodalo will continue the good works of Governor Obaseki. The opposition is latching on that expression to say Edo people should not vote for Ighodalo. How would you react to that?

Those people who read and interpret our statements like that are deaf and dumb people. These are people who don’t know anything that is going on in the state. If they are not blind and they can see and use their eyes, they would be able to see what Governor Obaseki has done.

Look at the state now, look at the ministries, everywhere shining, people happy, everybody working, you don’t work for government now and stay at home, you must be at your work place to clock in and clock out, look at roads, look at the whole place, Upper Adesua, everywhere in the state is opened, all done by Governor Obaseki, look at loan schemes everywhere for traders assisting people to build their businesses and managing our economy and preventing people from dipping their hands into government coffers to grab our money.

Big projects and a planned 30 year development vision for the state. These are the pictures I see, Obaseki has done very well. Today, there is decorum and orderliness in the state and all that. If you want to know how Edo State is, drive out of your house in the morning between 8 and 9, you will see the calmness of the state. So, anybody who comes around to say that whoever is coming to build on what Obaseki has done is making a mistake, then that person is blind. Yes, I will use that word, it means that person is blind and doesn’t know what he is talking about.

That person is actually the enemy of the state. We want somebody who will build on what Governor Obaseki has done. I repeat it, we want somebody who will build on what Obaseki has done. That is continuity.

Aren’t you worried about the lies and negative propaganda of the opposition, especially by the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

No, they are making a joke of themselves. The last one they brought out where their candidate went to one waterlogged area and was saying that “no vehicle can pass here now”, meanwhile as he was talking, a vehicle, an Audi 80 was passing, right there in the video, and he is opening his mouth to say no vehicle can pass.

And he said he is an intelligent man? A low car is passing, and you are saying “we have to park our cars so we can use leg cross,” and you are driving a jeep and claiming no vehicle can pass here. You are not yet a governor and you are already lying to the people. A car is passing, and you are opening your mouth to say no car can pass.

That alone tells you the quality of the person APC has presented and wants to be the governor of Edo State. See, there is nothing to say about them. As far as we are concerned, he is not a contestant in this election. Like I said before, let me repeat, they will be the first people to vote for Asue Ighodalo. How do you expect that candidate to become the governor of Edo State?

Are we jesters? Are we blind people? Are we going back to where we are coming from? So, any negative campaign against Asue Ighodalo by APC is just a campaign of calumny orchestrated by comedians and jesters. They are comedians, beginning from the party chairman to the candidate of the party to the deputy candidate, they are all comedians. So, when we want to relax and laugh, we go to their platform and laugh.