Idahosa: Why PDP has no chance in Edo governorship

Charles Idahosa is a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo Sate and Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He spoke with journalists last week on preparations for the forthcoming governorship election, and why his party is far ahead. GBENGA AKINFENWA reports.

How have the campaigns fared and from what you’ve seen so far, what are chances of your party?
Talking about victory, I’m 130 percent sure of victory. Our campaigns have been on course, we’ve been doing very well. Governor Adams Oshiomole is leading the campaign of Godwin Obaseki and I asked who is leading that of Ize Iyamu. It’s so clear now that the person he worked for, the person whom he told the world he gathered his experience from is nowhere to be found. So that speaks volumes, it speaks for itself.

For the opposition, I think their campaign is non-existent, but you know, there is a little difference between ambition and obsession. What is happening to my dear younger brother Ize-Iyamu is obsession for the office of governor. He knows he is not doing well on the field but if you see them, they will always boast. Ize-Iyamu’s campaign has been very pathetic because considering what the PDP did to this state, so they think that people can be stupid to allow PDP to return; that is not possible. So our campaign has been very wonderful and we are sure of victory.

Are there chances of some of your leaders backing out at the last minute?
I can tell you no. Let me tell you something, those of us who are known and partisan politicians, who attend meetings, we are not up to about five percent of the population. The remaining 90 who are the voters, they don’t know if we are quarrelling or if we are not. When it’s time for election they go on their own because they are seeing what the APC government led by Adams Oshiomhole has done.

Are you confident of the political credentials of your candidate, Obaseki; some say he is a technocrat?
He can deliver. He has gotten used to it because he is a very brilliant young man. Like I said I have known the young man right from school. I was a couple of years ahead of him, so I know him very well. We grew up in the same area and he has been very consistent. For his age he is very mature. So he is okay, he is firmly on ground. He has a full grasp of what is happening. He’s a complete technocrat; he knows what he wants to do.

The PDP is still talking tough, what do you think they are banking on?
They are not banking on anything; they have always been like that. I came from PDP, it is very difficult for you to forget your old habit and they would tell us ‘don’t come here complaining, go and win the election anyhow you like and leave the rest to us.’ I’m not impressed, they will talk big, but on election day you will see it, when we finish with them. You know what is confusing them? It is the last National Assembly election. I keep explaining that to different people. The last NASS election a lot of people are not able to look at it, break it down and analyze it.

There were a lot of sentiments. Religion was part of it and it helped in the voting pattern. In Edo central, which is predominantly Christian, Jonathan cleared it. Edo South, also predominantly Christian, PDP won too. But they didn’t win in Edo North. The House of Assembly election is local; they voted APC with 21 out of the 24 members.

The only House of Reps the PDP could not win in Edo South was Orhiomwon/Uhumwonde and that was because we were lucky, the election did not hold and by the time they did it again, Jonathan had lost. So this is the simple pattern. A lot of our people are being underrated. All you need to do is to go round town. When I was coming to the village, my driver told me let’s not take Ikpoba Hill and that we should take Upper Mission road. When I saw what Oshiomhole built in Upper Mission road, I was shocked because I have not been there for a long time. It was like airport road. So are you telling me the person in Upper Mission will vote PDP? They have no chance in this election, if they are boasting let them boast.

Obaseki is the next governor for Edo Sate, God has said it, He cannot allow evil people come back to steal again. They will lose more votes now than in 2012; just go and mark it.

But why have you gone separate ways, considering that the PDP candidate, Ize-Iyamu was with you in the APC, don’t you think that could affect your party’s chances?
Ize-Iyamu being in APC before cannot give him victory. We have heard all of this before. Pastor was in APC; there is nothing new about it. Yes he was one of us but now he is not. Some members, targeting others, plant those stories. But we’ve heard it and we are standing by. We will see how it is going to be, but I don’t believe in it. You need to see the speed with which people are decamping from PDP now. I don’t think PDP has a chance in Edo State. People say change the change, they didn’t do their research to explain why you should change a good thing. Do they mean change to the looting of those years? You want to change to what has happened to this state in the last eight years?

I told some of their leaders during the campaigns, I said don’t say Oshiomhole has not done anything. Just say what you can do. Nigerians based in Benin are seeing a walkway for the first time in their lives; they had not seen it before. You can only see it abroad but it is now in Benin.