Three governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Gideon Ikhine, Kenneth Imasuangbon, and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama have obtained nomination forms.
The three aspirants picked their forms hours before the party formally closed the sale of its Nomination and Expression of Interest forms, on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja shortly after submitting his forms, Ikhine said that he is confident he will be the party’s flagbearer to contest in the September 19 governorship poll.
He also promised to win the state for the PDP, stating that with him as the opposition party candidate, the party will become the ruling party in Edo from November this year.
“In the wisdom of the party leadership under his leadership, Chief Lucky Igbinedon, the party leaders met at this time that we don’t need to zone it to any part of the state. So the governorship is open to every part of the state so that we can get the best candidate. Like you know I am from the central. Central has never fielded any candidate for governorship in Edo state and lost,” he said.
Also speaking, Imasuangbon has vowed to resist any attempt by anyone to impose a candidate on members of the party in the state.
He added that he has mapped out a strategy to slug it out with four other aspirants who have openly declared their interests for the race.
“I am contesting because I believe I have all it takes to win. I am a grassroot politician and my supporters have made me understand that PDP cannot reclaim power in Edo state without me. That is why they pulled their resources together and purchased a form for me,” he said.
Imasuangbon also advised the leadership of the party to organise a watertight electoral system that would not allow anyone to rig elections for any political party in order to win the governorship election.
