Atiku, Fubara and others storm Edo for PDP grand finale rally ahead of governorship election

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara and others have stormed Benin City, the state capital ahead of the Edo State Governorship election.

The politicians are in the state for the PDP Grand Finale Rally being held at the Oredo Local Government Area.

PDP revealed this in a short post with pictures and videos of their arrival on its official X handle on Saturday.

“Join us in Oredo, Benin City as we make history and march towards victory,” the post reads in part.

The governorship election is scheduled to be held on September 21st, 2024.

The party’s governorship candidate at the poll is Asue Ighadolo, who is hoping to take over from the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, also a chieftain of the PDP.

In a related development, the Minister in charge of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he has a family relationship with the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha.

There had been speculations that Mr Onuoha was Mr Wike’s associate.

But speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, on Friday night, Mr Wike said the Edo INEC REC is his cousin who, however, has the wherewithal to act independently, unencumbered by family relationships or political interests.

He described Mr Onuoha as a personality whose decisions on duty cannot be influenced by anyone. He said the REC would do what is right in his handling of the Edo governorship election no matter the preferences of anyone else.

Wike also said he told Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next Saturday’s election in the state.

“I told him (Governor Obaseki) I am not going to support Ighodalo,” Mr Wike stated on Friday in an interview on Channels television.

The minister said Governor Obaseki brought the PDP candidate to his house in Abuja two times and asked for his support, which he declined.

While serving as governor of Rivers State, Mr Wike was the chairperson of Mr Obaseki’s re-election campaign in Edo State in 2020.

The former Rivers governor recalled how a former inspector general of police ordered him to leave Edo State, where he was campaigning for Mr Obaseki’s second term, but he refused.

After winning the election, Mr Obaseki fell apart with Mr Wike. Mr Obaseki told Mr Wike then that the PDP was not his personal property and that “In Edo, we don’t accept political bullies and overlords.”

Asked why he turned down Mr Obaseki’s request to support the PDP candidate, Mr Wike said, “The one I supported never helped me; rather, I was insulted.” This suggests that he turned down Mr Obaseki’s request based on his 2020 experience.