25th December, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, southern Nigeria, has said that a further extension of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s rule beyond 2015 means that Nigeria will continue to remain in darkness.
Oshiomhole, who spoke on Wednesday when he received at least 2,000 defectors from the PDP to All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oredo and Egor Local Government areas of the state, said the choice before the people in the next election is a choice between darkness and change.
He added that Nigerians must reject the PDP at all levels in next year’s general elections.
“In 16 years, Edo has gained nothing from the PDP besides the resurfacing of the Ofosu-Benin road and the attempt at the dualisation of the Okene-Benin road, with all its imperfections, which they were forced to embark on after we cried out that how could they dualise the road from Abuja and stop abruptly in Okene without extending it to Edo.
“In 16 years, after spending over $25 billion, yet we have no light. Now they have shared the electricity company to their friends and associates. For as long as they remain in power, Nigerians will remain in darkness. Our companies will remain shut and the economy will be subjected to the vagaries instability of the international oil market.”
Oshiomhole who accused President Goodluck Jonathan of abandoning Edo, said Jonathan “got 95 per cent votes from Edo. What has he done in Edo? What has he done in Benin City? The Queen Ede erosion was caused by the federal government and I have written several letters to them to come and fix their mess, yet they ignored us and gave money to Delta, to Kogi.
“See the newly refurbished airport in Benin, I was there and the roof was leaking during the rain. Is that the kind of government we still want in Nigeria? No way.”
He alleged that the PDP has for too long across Nigeria, buffeted the people with untruth, lies, deceit, empty promises, both at the political level and economic front, adding that the ruling party has run short of lies and excuses.
“It is not possible for a he-goat to live long to become a sheep, it can’t become a ram. A he-goat will always be a he-goat. PDP can never change and I think you all will also agree that they themselves are aware that they need to change but the more they try to change, the more they remain the same.
“You know before my election in 2012, I remember they were shouting, ‘this is new PDP and I was saying what is new? The head is the same old PDP and it has become even older now, almost approaching a hundred. So the head has not changed and so the body couldn’t have changed but they know they have nothing to change.”
Addressing the defectors, Oshiomhole assured them that the APC will sweep PDP away from Abuja and repair the country “the way we are repairing Edo, the way APC is repairing Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Imo, Ogun, Rivers and other APC states.”
He added that the coming of the defectors to swell the rank of APC gives a renewed encouragement and a renewed determination to even do more for the people.
Earlier in his remark, leader of the decampees and two-time aspirant to the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Festus Oviawe said, “We are leaving PDP because of the injustice done to us and we have decided to join APC in the state.
Let me thank the governor on behalf of my supporters for creating the enabling political space in the state for participatory democracy to thrive. APC is not a party like our former party where if you don’t have someone behind you, you don’t have a businessman as a leader of the party to stand behind you to influence the election, even when you have your own personal money to do so, without having anybody behind you as your leader, you are not going to be nominated in any election at all.
“Unlike APC, we have seen you through the media where you went to Iyamoh and queued up to vote for the person of your choice whereas in PDP it was not so.”
Mr. Oviawe saluted the courage of the Comrade Governor in piloting the affairs of the state and the political maturity exhibited in spite of the provocation by opposition PDP leaders in the state and promised to work with the Governor and APC to deliver Edo State in the next general elections.