By Ken Afor
With barely five months until the much-anticipated governorship election in Edo state, scheduled for September 21, 2024, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently met with two former governors of the state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion and Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who also served as a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
TheNewDiplomat gathered that the meeting was held behind closed doors.
Other prominent political leaders in the state, particularly from the Edo South Senatorial District, include Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Harrison Omangbon, and Larry Ogieva.
While the outcome of the meeting was not disclosed, it suggests that nothing negative occurred during the meeting, indicating it was successful for the governorship candidate.
“The meeting was held behind closed doors. I must confess that I don’t really know the agenda or the outcome or resolutions reached at the meeting. But I can tell you that they were all happy. From the smiles on their faces, the banters and all, I don’t think anything negative or adverse happened. It must have been a good and successful outing for the governorship candidate.
“I think I saw Chief Oyegun, Chief Igbinedion, Senator Uzamere, Chief Omangbon, Chief Ogieva and the Deputy Governorship candidate, Osarodion Ogie. You know he is very strong politically in Edo South Senatorial District. These are the leaders I know. There are so many others anyway, who also attended the meeting,” a source familiar with the matter.
Earlier in the week, the PDP candidate, received a resounding endorsement from the influential Okpebholo family in Uromi, the administrative headquarters of Esan Northeast Local Government Area (LGA) in the state.
TheNewDiplomat gathered that the Okpebholo family had defected from their respective political parties to join ranks with those already in the PDP in solidifying their commitment to Ighodalo’s candidacy.
The PDP candidate during the event met with the head of the Okpebholo family, Hon. Engineer Felix Okpebholo, Barrister Patrick Okpebholo, a grassroots politician and mobilizer, who recently decamped to the PDP from the Labour Party.
