APC To Jonathan: PDP Can’t Win Edo

From left: Aremo Osoba, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) Chief Akande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Malla Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Lawal Shuaibu and others ACN, members at the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Convention held at Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island. on 18/04/2013. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, yesterday, reacted to the boast by President Goodluck Jonathan that his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will recapture Edo State come 2015 and 2016, saying that it was a tall dream to think that “Chief Tom Ikimi, who recently joined the PDP will win Edo State for him.”

The President had at weekend’s unity rally of the PDP in Benin City, said that the party would win Rivers and Edo states back in 2015 and 2016, adding that in Rivers State, “We know that the party in charge is PDP, the APC only exists on bill boards.”

Reacting, the APC, through the Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Political Matters and a member of the state APC caucus, Mr. Charles Idahosa, reminded the President that the Binis who constitute over 50 per cent of the population of Edo State have been marginalised in his government, adding that it will, therefore, be a “tall dream” to think that the Esan god- fathers will win Edo for him.

“It is unfortunate that the President is being deceived by the PDP leaders here and people like Ikimi who recently defected to the PDP because he lost out in the chairmanship contest of the APC.

It is just a dream they can never achieve. As for Tom Ikimi who spoke during the rally, how many people decamped to PDP with him? None of the defectors can match Oshiomhole’s foot soldiers and they know it.

“Ikimi said he left APC because after cooking the food people came and stole both the pot and the food. But in this case, he forgot that it was Ize-Iyamu who cooked those that left the APC for PDP but he went to the stadium to hijack the show by introducing Ize-Iyamu instead of Ize-Iyamu introducing Ikimi to the President.

“Ize-Iyamu who did all the cooking is now a spectator. The only people who spoke at that rally, in Benin soil were two Esan people, Anenin and Ikimi and that is the continuation of the subjugation of the Binis by the minorities.

Dr Samuel Ogbemudia was never mentioned there, former Governor Lucky Igbinedion was seated there, his father Esama was seated and none of them spoke, yet President Jonathan is boasting that PDP will win Edo. That is laughable.”