Di Edo State govnorship election na one of di off cycle elections wey go happun for 2024 wit about 18 political parties wey don ready to replace di outgoing administration.
Godwin Obaseki of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) go comot for office afta spending eight years of two different four years tenure as govnor of Edo state.
Na Saturday 21 2024 di election go happun across all di local govment for Edo state.
Obaseki bin dump di All Progressives Congress (APC) to join and contest under PDP for di 2020 election.
For di last govnorship election for Edo state, Obaseki bin win wit 307,955 votes while im opponent Osagie Ize-Iyamu wey be candidate of di APC come second with 223,619 votes.
Na di Nigeria election joinbodi, di Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declare Govnor Godswin Obaseki, di candidate of PDP as winner of di 2020 govnorship election for Edo State.
But dis 2024 election na new govnorship race wey go end di administration of Obaseki for Edo state as im tenure go end for 11 November 2024.
Wit 2,629,025 registered voters wey dey spread across 4,519 polling units from di 18 local govment areas wey dey Edo state, di big kwesion na who go replace Obaseki?
Make we gada look di top candidates wey dey dis race and wetin dem don promise.
- ‘Except crase enta na di kain tin I don do before, I go do if I become govnor of Edo State’ – Asue Ighodalo
- ‘We go hold anybody wey tiff Edo money before or during my watch’ – Olumide Akpata
- ‘My silence na very strong weapon for me’ – Senator Monday Okpebholo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Asue Ighodalo
- Candidate: Asuerinme Ighodalo
Asuerinme Ighodalo na di candidate of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for dis govnorship election.
Ighodalo na Economist, Lawyer and politician wey dem born for July 1959 from Okaigben, Ewohimi, for Esan South East local govment of Edo State.
Di 64-year-old don engage for many capital markets and don also practice for areas wey dey related to Corporate and Commercial law
Asue, as dem dey fondly call am na previous chairman of Sterling Bank and e also fserve on di economic team of former govnor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as well as for di current Govnor Godwin Obaseki.
Inside exclusive interview with BBC Pidgin bifor di election, Ighodalo tok about im plan, dream and reason for deciding to leave di corporate world to try for di race of who go be Edo state next govnor.
Ighodalo get di blessing of di current state Govnor, Godwin Obaseki to contest over di Deputy Govnor Philip Shaibu wey even cause kasala for di state, but e tell BBC Pidgin say im no get any political godfather.
“E clear for my mind say I fit work for di pipo of Edo state, to comot our state from poverty, to move us to state wia pipo get, wia everybody get,” Asue tok.
Some key promises wey e make:
For Asue, di better wellbeing of di pipo na wetin e wan really invest in if dem elect am as govnor of Edo.
E say im go target conditional grants of N20,000 for 50,000 pipo for three months and na for dose wey dey most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens.
Anoda promise wey di PDP candidate don make na road infrastructure to develop 2,000 Km of roads across Edo state within 4 years if e enta office
For im first year for office, Asue dey promise environmental sustainability by planting 500.000 trees and scale up to 1,000,000 trees by di second year.
Anoda promise wey fit interest di pipo of Edo na provision of potable water for ova 500 communities across di state.
- Running mate: Osarodion Ogie
All Progressives Congress (APC) – Monday Okpebholo
- Candidate: Monday Okpebholo
Monday Okpebholo beat 11 oda aspirants wit 12,433 votes to emerge as candidate of di APC for di 21 September election.
Okpebolo na politician wey dem born for Udomi area of Esan Central in 1970 and e grow to become a business man bifor im join politics.
Di 53-year-old Okpebolo serve as a senator under di APC for 2023 afta e win as senator representing Edo central senatorial district.
For im interview wit BBC Pidgin, Okpebolo say e go tackle insecurity both manually and wit technology if e win.
“I wan become govnor of Edo state becos Edo never dey marginalised as im dey like dis bifor.” E tok.
For dis election, one pesin wey don make headline well-well say e dey defend Okpebolo na di former govnor of di state and APC leader Adams Oshiomhole.
Some key promises wey e make:
Di APC candidate promise to expand healthcare for women, children, retirees, and di elderly pipo.
E also promise to begin bursaries and set up scholarships to support indigent students for di state.
As plenti Edo pipo dey complain of no job, Okpebolo say e go focus on creating wealth and job opportunities for citizens and residents.
For mata wey concern security, di APC candidate say im go use Edo State Security Fund to equip security network to ensure safety for farmers, traders, investors, and residents.
- Running mate: Idahosa Dennis
Labour Party (LP) – Olumide Akpata
For Friday 23 February, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata bin score 316 votes to win di Labour Party (LP) govnorship ticket for Edo State.
From law to politics, na so di tori of Akpata take waka.
Dem born am for 1972 and e grow for hood wia e begin im journey for law profession.
Dem call Akpata to di Nigerian Bar for December, 1993 from wia e later setup and grow Templars to become full-service law company.
Di 51-year-old na former President of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as e don practice law for over three decades and e tok say e dey motivated to be govnor becos of im desire to impact more pipo
Akpata follow BBC Pidgin tok on ontop issue of corruption wia e stand say e no go tolerate any form of mago-mago
“Di first tin na leadership by example. Oyinbo say na wetin be di tone at di top? I be Benin man, I no be thief, di tin I value di most na my name. Wen di pipo wey dey di system know say oga no be thief, I get zero tolerance for corruption,” E say dem go adjust.
Some of di promises wey e make:
Di LP candidate promise say im go reform and modernize legal system to ensure equal access to justice wey no go stop any background or social status.
Ontop di issue of health wey some communities for Edo dey lack, Akpata say im go upgrade di existing hospitals and put better state-of-di-art medical equipment.
Anoda mata wey Akpata promise di pipo of Edo na funding for schools and vocational training programs to ensure say dem go fit compete for global market.
Howeva, di issue of god-father na anoda issue wey Edo dey always get, but Akpata say if e become govnor, im governance go dey transparent.
- Running mate: Kadiri Yusuf Asamah
Any female dey contest for Edo govnorship?
Surprisingly, na only one female dey contest for di govnorship position for di Edo state election. Her name na Key Patience Ndidi wey be candidate for di Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
About four oda females wey dey na deputy running mates dem be.
Dis election go be a tight race and many tins dey expected to decide wetin go happun for election day as Edo pipo dey gear up to change dia govnor.
But who go replace Godwin Obaseki? Di waiting game don almost end.
- Coronation of Sultan of Shuwa Arab for Edo state na sacrilegious act – Goment
- Obaseki cut fresh warning for Oshiomhole, collect INEC Certificate of Return as court set up Edo Election Tribunal
- Final Results of Edo state Governorship Election
