Edo governor race hots up as APC takes campaign to north

• Obaseki assures continuity, jobs, youth development
• CPP candidate faults Oshiomhole’s stewardship

Ahead of the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken its campaign to the northern senatorial district of the state, where it promised to build on the legacies of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Speaking at a well-attended rally in Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako West Local Council of the state, the party’s candidate, Godwin Obaseki, flanked by his running mate, Philip Shaibu, said if they win, his administration would continue with the infrastructure development policy of the governor, harness the abundant mineral resources in the state, including the vast land for agriculture purpose, as well as generate employment for the teeming youths and shore up the revenue base of the state.

He noted that a chunk of the 200,000 jobs he promised the people of the state would be from private sector-driven investments, including Dangote Cement, whose construction had begun and would turn in million tonnes of cement yearly.

“We are God’s own and God has said that I will be next governor after our great leader, Adams Oshiomhole and because God has said it, then I will do it as expected of me,” he enthused.

The gubernatorial hopeful also promised to invest in Internet to enable young people do their businesses efficiently.

We know the problems in Edo North and myself and Shaibu who is already representing you well will continue to ensure that more development comes to Edo North,” he added.

Obaseki had on Tuesday reiterated his for focus on agriculture and youth empowerment through employment generation.

Addressing at a town hall meeting organised by the Godwin Obaseki Support Group (GOSG) in Benin City, he had equally promised to sustain the tempo of infrastructure development in the state just as he urged the citizenry to vote for people that could be trusted with public funds.

“The truth is that you cannot have anything to offer the people when you have not had the experience of managing people and resources as it is done in the private sector,” he had said.

Earlier in his remarks at the Auchi event, Oshiomhole urged the people to discountenance the opposition and vote for continuity of development in the state.

Meanwhile, the candidate of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), David Okoror, has faulted the development agenda of the governor, saying his eight-year scorecard was unimpressive.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Kaduna on his manifesto for the poll, Okoror said the forthcoming exercise offers a great opportunity for change.

“My assessment of Edo State in terms of development under the present government is not satisfactory and I will quickly tell you why.

“When the government came into office in 2008, the unemployment level was about 12 per cent but today it is 43 per cent,” he alleged.