Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has admitted that he labored in opposition to Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate within the 2024 Edo State governorship election, because he didn’t need former governor Godwin Obaseki to find out his successor.
Wike mentioned a political alliance involving members of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) contributed to the defeat of Ighodalo, who was backed by Obaseki, within the September 2024 governorship election.
The minister spoke at a stakeholders’ assembly of the rainbow coalition in Abuja, the place he argued that political coalitions had performed important roles in figuring out electoral outcomes in Nigeria.
According to him, the collaboration between parts of the 2 events was instrumental in guaranteeing that Obaseki didn’t retain political affect by way of a successor of his selection.
“In the last election that took place in Edo State, the victory was as a result of the coalition between the legacy of PDP and the APC,” Wike mentioned.
He added, “We had to work together to make sure that the former governor, Governor Obaseki, did not produce his successor. And that is the truth. I was behind it, and I don’t have any regrets about it. So when people say that nothing like coalition, they tell lies.”
APC candidate Monday Okpebholo defeated Ighodalo within the election, marking the tip of Obaseki’s administration and its bid to retain energy by way of the PDP candidate.
Wike, a PDP member serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, mentioned the end result of the election illustrated how political alliances might affect electoral contests, irrespective of get together affiliations.
The FCT minister maintained that Okpebholo and Adams Oshiomhole, a former Edo governor and senator representing Edo North, might attest to the position the alliance performed within the election.
“The truth of the matter is that it has been there, depending on how it is worked out. So the governor today, Senator Okpebholo, will know sincerely that it was that coalition,” he mentioned.
Wike added that Oshiomhole might additionally affirm the contribution of the alliance to the PDP’s defeat within the state.
“Senator Adams Oshiomhole will also attest to the fact that it was that coalition that made us to defeat the PDP, even though I’m a member of PDP,” he mentioned.
Explaining his determination to oppose Ighodalo regardless of being in the identical get together, Wike mentioned his disagreement was primarily with Obaseki’s try to provide a successor.
He described Ighodalo as an excellent candidate and disclosed that the previous managing director of a financial institution had visited his residence greater than 3 times to hunt his assist forward of the election.
However, Wike mentioned he declined to again the PDP candidate because he believed supporting him would permit Obaseki to take care of his political affect past his tenure as governor.
He recalled telling Ighodalo that his candidacy was acceptable to him, however that his affiliation with Obaseki made it unattainable for him to supply assist.
“He came to my house more than three times. I said, ‘listen, you’re a good candidate, but for this election, I’m sorry, because this election is between us and the man who is bringing you, called Obaseki, an ungrateful person, so returning you is like bringing him back, so I’m sorry. You have to fail,’ and he failed,” Wike mentioned.
The minister mentioned he had no regrets about his position within the election, insisting that the Edo contest supplied an instance of how political actors might cooperate throughout get together strains to attain a shared goal.
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