Governor Rochas Okorocha
By Charles Okogene
Don’t Allow PDP To Win Edo, APC Governors Plead With Leaders
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, on Saturday called on the leadership of the party not to make the mistake of allowing the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) return to the state.
“Allowing PDP to win the state is returning the people back to poverty, rot and despondency of its over 12 years it once left the state and its people”, they said.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the party’s governors marathon meeting which ended in the early hours of Saturday in the ancient capital town of Benin City with a call on Nigerian citizens to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its drive to put the nation on the threshold of history for the overall welfare of the people.
They noted that the nation is presently passing through hard times and expressed the hope that things would definitely get better for its citizenry.
In addition, key members of the opposition PDP from Edo South Senatorial District were received into the APC before the mammoth crowd of the ruling party and support groups who thronged the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to witness the campaign flag off ceremony.
Chairman of the Governors Forum and Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who addressed newsmen at the end of the meeting urged all governors in the 36 states of the federation with cases of violent clashes between the people and suspected Fulani herdsmen to dialogue with suspected herdsmen with a view to ensuring peace and harmony amongst the people in those areas.
Okorocha said members of the forum discussed extensively on the forthcoming September 10 governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
According to him, “We are here to look into the coming gubernatorial election in Edo State and have resolved to support our candidate, Godwin Obaseki and we have also set up a Campaign Council which is comprising of former governors just to make sure that Edo people do not go back to the days of darkness.
We also deliberated on the issues of Fulani herdsmen and the crisis we have had as a result of some of their activities and we have requested that all governors should engage the Fulanis in their areas with a view to finding a lasting solution and then to avoid further clashes from now henceforth.”
The Imo state governor stated that, “We also looked at the issue of Ondo election and we have resolved to ensure that our party comes up with a credible candidate for the election that will give the party victory and a committee has been set up to look into Ondo and ensure victory for the party,” adding that they resolved to continue with forum’s lecture series which next segment would be held in Kaduna state.
“We have resolved to continue with our lecture series which the Progressives Governors have been known for and our next lecture will be held in Kaduna where we will be having our next Progressives Governors Forum meeting. We have also requested that the people of Nigeria should support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the face of difficulties that our nation is going through promising that things will get better as soon as possible.”
