President Bola Tinubu on Friday received the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September Edo State governorship election, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This was as the Edo State APC Chapter affirmed confidence in its chances of clinching the governorship seat in the forthcoming election.
It premised its confidence on the disarray among the ranks of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party party in the state.
The APC also said asides from the crisis in the PDP, its candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, is detached from the people of the state.
It argued that this factor gives its candidate, Okpebholo, whom it described as a grassroots politician, the upper hand at the polls.
The delegation was led to the Villa by a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, and the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh.
The meeting came barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja faulted the primary election of the PDP, which produced Ighodalo as its candidate.
When approached by reporters for comments after the meeting, Okpebholo described it as private talks and declined to speak.
However, the leader of the APC in the state, Oshiomhole, expressed confidence that the APC will win by capitalising on the disarray in the PDP, in which it has no hand.
Reacting to allegations that the PDP primary election crisis was orchestrated by the APC, Oshiomhole said, “I think you should dismiss that because this is PDP versus PDP and you know that by the law, another party cannot go into intra-party conflicts in court.
“The fact that there had been division in Edo before their primaries and after their primaries is an open secret, and the issues in dispute are also very open. The PDP legacy group complained that the man they gave their master bedroom has completely chased them out of the building and now they’re under the rain and as we speak they are still trying to settle.
“I think the lesson is that parties must be encouraged to obey the laws that regulate the conduct of primaries, and that rules are meant to be obeyed if you formulate your constitution.”
On the reason for the visit, the former governor explained, “We went with the candidate and the running mate to give the president and update.
“He is the leader of the party. We gave him an update on the campaigns going on, what we are doing and the fact that we are harvesting more are more people every day.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Momoh, affirmed that the APC has the advantage in the coming election.
“Edo North is a no-go area because my leader, myself and a host of others including Dan Orbih today who’s coming from the legacy group, we are from Edo north.
“We can deliver Edo North maximally any day. Edo Central there is no doubt that our candidates Senator Monday Okpebholo, will sweep Edo Central because he’s a homeboy.
“Don’t make the mistake that we are not going to win. So as far as we are concerned, whether court judgment or no court judgment, we are very hopeful and optimistic that 21s September this year, Obaseki will be preparing to leave the Government House,” Momoh said.