ABUJA – Ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections scheduled for September 21 and November 16, 2024, respectively, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday warned that it is ready for anybody, who plans to snatch, grab, and run with its victory.
The party also said that it is battle ready for any thief that rears its head to steal its fortune.
Speaking at the inauguration of the National Campaign Councils for the two states, the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, cautioned President Bola Tinubu against his remarks that he will take Edo for his party.
While Asue Ighodalo is the governorship candidate for Edo State, the candidate for Ondo State is the former Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi.
Damagum said: “From the way these candidates emerge, it has shown that we are truly democratic. And also this should give you the faith that what you are going to embark on will yield the desired fruits.
“I watched the remark, especially where the president said he will take Edo for his party, APC. Like we have always said, he has tried it before, and we have a slogan that Edo no be Lagos. So I want to use this opportunity to stress that we are in a democratic dispensation and there are rules that have to be adhered to.
“We will not sit down and allow anybody to snatch, grab, and run with our victory. We are battle ready for any thief that rears its head to steal our fortune. We have done so well in Edo State. We thank the governor. We are very proud of him. And our records in that state speak volumes.
“So to those that think they will take Edo, I want to tell them that it is going to be very difficult for them because we are in a democratic dispensation. We will not make the mistakes we have made before. And this time around there is no announcement of results in the middle of the night.”
Speaking on the Ondo candidate and the task ahead, Damagum said, “You are now more committed, more resolved. You have a brand new candidate who is so much endowed with wisdom. And if I can say, his emergence has a hand of God in it. Because all of us, to tell you the fact, we never gave him any opportunity to emerge.
“But because we said, let it be free and fair, and he emerged without any blemish. And I believe most of those that contested with him are here today. Just to show you that we are truly a democratic party. We don’t grab. We don’t steal. We work with the people and we open our hands to them and we show them what we will do for them.
“We know their concoction. We know what they do. So for those going to Ondo, you have a very daunting task before you. You have to open your eyes, shine your eyes. They will come with all sorts of antics, but this time around we are ready for them.”
Damagum, however, told the candidates and the councils that “we will be here. We will give you all the support and we will be there for you. And I pray that these two campaign councils will give us the desired results come these two elections. And I am sure we will take Ondo as well. Edo is already ours. It will remain PDP. Ondo will be for us to take.”
The Chairman of PDP Edo State Governorship Campaign Council and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri and the Chairman of the Ondo State National Campaign Council and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, represented by his Deputy, Kola Adewusi, assured that PDP is winning the two states, adding that they are ready for APC.
Fintiri said: “We are ready for Edo and by extension Ondo. We will not leave anything to chance. We will leverage Obasaki’s performance. We have a low hanging political fruits in the two states.”
He said that PDP will go with all seriousness to match APC, adding that with technology, rigging will be very minimal.
He said: “PDP has bright chances in the two states. Edo has registered over 2000 since new registration has started. It shows that the people are with us, and all of these will count for our party’s candidate in the election.”