LIVE UPDATES
The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Campaign Organization for the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, has expressed confidence in the party's candidates, saying, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, can win the election.
Urhoghide, who spoke to journalists in Benin, noted that their performance at the senatorial district and constituency would propel the party to victory at the polls.
He said the track records of the duo would propel the APC to victory, dismissing claims from the opposition camps that the APC is relying on “federal might to win the election.”
Urhoghide said, “It is very uncomplimentary for anybody to say that our candidate is incompetent. I think it is too early in the day for anybody to say who is incompetent or not. Even anybody who is a dunce and can put eggheads together means that person has administrative competence.
“It is a good thing that our candidate had contested an election in Edo Central senatorial district and had secured the mandate of the people. So, as a candidate, I think it is a lot easier in addition to what he has done, and it is quite auspicious the time he has indicated interest to contest for the governorship.
“For Edo North, the APC as a party has been able to secure the mandate of the people through Senator Adams Oshiomhole. So in a way, if you look at Edo South complementing Edo Central and North, the party enjoys popularity to win.’’
“His running mate is the incumbent member of the House of Representatives from Ovia and he is doing his second term. Our candidates are enjoying popularity in their different constituencies, so the party is prepared more than any other in the contest.”
On the issue of federal might, he said, “It has always been a recurring thing people talk about. What is the ‘federal might’ going to do with the election? The former President Muhammadu Buhari is an APC man, I went to the Senate as a PDP man, and the governor in my state was APC, but the federal might did not stop me from going to the Senate.
“When I finished my tenure in 2019, I was asking for renewal, the APC put up a formidable candidate in the person of Hon Samson Osagie against me and they lost and I won.
“The eight years I was in the Senate, Buhari was there, we are going to do this election based on merit and we are going to see that our candidates win based on what they have done.”
