Oshiomhole urges Jonathan to allow the people’s will to prevail

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, said Tuesday that he pitied the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over their decision to relocate to Abuja with a view to compel the leader of their party, President Goodluck Jonathan to provide them with what he described as “unethical” assistance in the forthcoming July 14 Governorship election in the state.

And therefore urged President Jonathan to allow the will of the people prevail in the forthcoming elections rather than allowing the “personal ambition of a god father” ruin his electoral reform agenda which has been hailed by the International community and Nigerians.

He also reminded the President that the “entire people of Edo state and even the ACN controlled states voted massively for him and not PDP members and their god father”, adding, “ I was with the President when we visited Washington and the respect accorded to him that day was as a result of the positive impact he has made in our electoral reform process, therefore I don’t think that Jonathan that I know will succumb to such illicit pressure”.

The Governor stated this during a chat with journalists in Benin City shortly after he addressed over seven thousand women from Edo South senatorial district at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, who pledged their support for his second term ambition.

While reacting to the comments from some national leaders of the PDP, such as Ebenezer Babatope and Mrs Kema Chikwe, that the party was determined to oust Oshiomhole from office, Oshiomhole described Babatope as “a native doctor who is unable to cure himself but wants to cure others. He could not even win his ward in the last election and he thinks he can perform magic in Edo state. That is laughable.

“And for Kema Chikwe, she was defeated by APGA in Imo state and if she could not defeat APGA in Imo, is it in Edo that her party will defeat ACN? These people are funny.

I was happy when I was reading one of the leaders of PDP in Vanguard, Owere Dickson Imasogie, who reminded us how the god father said there was no vacancy at Osadebey Avenue in 2003, even when he knows that the government was not performing.

“I am glad he acknowledged that his party failed and the god father insisted that there was no vacancy. That is the same thing happening today, the god father is begging that the PDP leadership should not disgrace him, that they should help him win Edo. So you now want to rig so that you can win by all means.

But I want to state that Edo will not be a retirement benefit for any body. Edo people must be prepared for one man one vote and I thank God the President has made that clear” he declared.