By DADA AYOKHAI
Asue Ighadalo, the much-touted favoured candidate of Gov.Godwin Obaseki, recently held his maiden interactive with journalists where he stated that his candidature will reignite the people’s passion for the PDP as well as unite the contending forces within the ranks and file of the party .
The rumour mill has been agog in the state about the picking of the erstwhile chairman of the Nigerian Brewery, the beer conglomerate company as the preferred successor to Gov Godwin Obaseki who is on the last lap of his second term as the governor of Edo State .
Dr (Barrister)Asue w Ighodalo is from the Edo Central senatorial district
Unaccompanied by aides, senior party leaders, and hangers-on, as it is customary with politicians, the simply unassuming boardroom guru casually strolled into the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to face a retinue of journalists.
Ighodalo, also an accomplished banker, told his stunned audience about some of his core competencies garnered over the years in such critical areas as corporate governance, financial re-engineering, capital market operations, mergers, and acquisitions, foreign investments, divestitures, etc .
He proceeded to liken himself to a “powerhouse” capable of leading Edo State at such a crucial time when policy continuity and competence ought to be the key factor in deciding who succeeds the outgoing governor of the state.
Talking like the expert he is, Ighodalo insisted he has what is required in terms of brains, exposure and also being tech-savvy to lead Edo State into the next phase, adding the state cannot afford to experiment with leadership at a time like this.
Alluding to the strategic location of the state as a potential food basket for the entire country, Ighodalo opined that what is needed is a man imbued with the vision, talents, tenacity, and the Midas touch to plow into what he termed the “huge agripreneurial” resources, stressing the state can leverage on this to grow both its local economy and GDP
While unveiling his vision which covered health, , education, arts and culture, security, an integrated transport model, and so on, he further explained that his vision is all-inclusive rather than being divisive and discriminatory, adding he intends to run an open and transparent system of governance where accountability and discipline are premium
As regards his choice of the tattered PDP platform to pursue his ambition to govern the state, the lanky ebony-skinned boardroom guru-turned-politician said he is not overly worried about the various factions existing in the ruling party.
Waxing philosophical, Ighodalo submitted that his candidacy would help bring to an end the internecine rancor and division that had beset the party.
He said he was not unmindful of that fact when he chose the PDP over and above any other political party, adding his candidature would make the contending forces sheath the sword and unite because the PDP family is a very big one which does not leave room for anyone to be aggrieved for a long time without succor and appeasement
Borderline News 24 learned that the majority of the journalists at the press briefing marveled at the sharp intellect, wisdom as well as well as the friendly mien displayed by Ighodalo
There are already talks that Gov Obaseki has finally found a worthy and trusted hand to hand over the affairs of the state
