By DADA AYOKHAI
A Frontline People’s Democratic party, PDP, Gubernatorial aspirant, Barrister Asue Ighadalo has finally stepped out of the closet into the open to proclaim his intention to contest the number one position in the state.
Beyond the symbolism of his declaration, the event Probably served as a fitting notice to the other aspirants about a potential battle royale to determine who picks the sole ticket to fly the party’s banner in the September Guber election
Besides the caliber of the PDP bigwigs as well as the thousands of the party supporters festooned in PDP branded vests and attires, it is now an open secret that Ighodalo is truly the “anointed one”
Going by the build-up and the razzmatazz of yesterday’s declaration in Benin, the Edo State capital, it is now clear that the battle line between Gov. Obaseki and the other political parties has been drawn in his bid to install his successor.
Before yesterday’s declaration, however, top-notch PDP leaders across the three senatorial districts of the state had separately endorsed Ighodalo at various times .
The Benin declaration, according to a reliable party source, therefore, served as a “coronation ceremony” and to “seal” the ticket.
The ceremony was graced by who is who in Edo PDP including some founding members of the party across the three senatorial districts which includes,Tom Ikimi, Mike oghiadomhe, senator odion Ugbesia.
Also, the state chairman of the party, Hon. Tony Aziegbemi, members of the State Working Committee (SWC), and other party chieftains were conspicuously present at the occasion.
Amazed at the large turnout of the party members and other supporters, Ighodalo, in his speech, debunked the
claims that he lacked the requisite experience in government to be put in charge of Edo affairs
To his critics, he said, “Unknown to them, I have been an active participant in the efforts to transform Edo via my membership of various economic think tanks set up to reposition the state and make it the economic hub of the South-South geo-political zone. In the last 16 years, I have served the state and its people. During Comrade Oshiomole’s (now a Senator of the Federal Republic) tenure, I served on the Economic Management Team. Nobody should try to shove aside my input in the EMT because many of the successes recorded by that administration were made possible by the clearcut policy directions we envisioned
“Similarly, under Gov. Obaseki, I became the chairman of the Alaghodaro Economic Summit Limited, a private-sector think-tank that organizes the annual Alaghodaro Summit. The recommendations by the Summit significantly shaped the economic blueprint of the Obaseki administration in the past seven years as well as attracting substantial foreign investments”.
Ighodalo rounded up his soul-lifting message by repeating for the umpteenth time his desire to run an open, accountable, and all-inclusive government wherein every Edo person would have a stake and also enjoy the bountiful rewards that would ultimately accrue
