The Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Tony Aziegbemi, has said that the party is ready for the state’s governorship election scheduled for September this year, in spite of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Aziegbemi, who spoke against the backdrop of the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission not to change the date of the election, despite the raging Coronavirus disease, said, “PDP is ready for the election and we are sure of winning.”
He said though there were minor crisis in the party, following the party’s congress in March this year, the aggrieved members had been spoken to and had been urged to look at the larger interest of the party at the poll.
“Our leaders have talked to the aggrieved members, who felt dissatisfied with the outcome of our congress, which we held in March and they are listening. We are going into the primary this month (June) as a united body. After the primary, we will face the election squarely,“ he said.
The Edo PDP chairman also said that the party was ready to abide by the guidelines for election in a pandemic period issued by INEC, saying the party would explore all avenues to reach out to the people without compromising their health.
On the crisis in the state’s chapter of the All Progressive Congress, Aziegbemi said the PDP was watching with interest, adding that should the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki seek to contest on the main opposition party’s platform, it would give him a waiver to do so.
He, however, warned that the party would not grant Obaseki or any other person an automatic ticket, saying whoever would emerge as the party’s candidate would go through primary election.
Regarding the effects the INEC Guidelines would have on the chances of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo, Aziegbemi said, “We will do better, we are in the same boat with other parties. We will fashion out ways and get the messages to the people. People are already dissatisfied with the APC and they are waiting for us to take over. I am assuring them we will not fail them.”
