Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former spokesman of ex-military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, at the weekend, said the hallmark of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration in Edo State over the the past seven years is his infighting, either with his benefactors or his political party leaders. Afegbua added that this is a sad situation, which has been responsible for the under development of the state.
Afegbua, who expressed disappointment that the state is lagging behind in terms of development, judging from where Obaseki’s predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, left off, said that infrastructural decay and leadership deficiency, amongst others, in the state, made him join the race to change things for the better.
The former Commissioner for Information in Oshiomhole’s administration declared his intention to run for governor during a chat with newsmen at the secretariat of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council.
He said the men of goodwill who include, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minster and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, Adams Oshiomhole, including Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who helped played vital roles in bringing the governor to power, are now his perceived enemies, due to Obaseki’s tendency to fight all and sundry in and outside the state.
According to him, due to the “needless squabbles and altercations among the leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, the people are disoriented by the politics of pretence and high-handedness,” which, he said, should not be.
Afegbua, who intends to run on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), assured that he would seamlessly reposition the state in sync with national reckoning.
He said: “We cannot afford to be in opposition when we have a Federal Government that is poised to renew our hope and take us to a place of prosperity, economic strength, stability and pride.” “
“I am determined to make a big difference with positive impacts. With your support, I will redefine the essence of governance for the benefit of our people.
“The era of lamentation will be gone when I take the lead. Edo must rise again; it must rise from the ashes of this current mis-governance to a state that will occupy its rightful place in the assembly of states in Nigeria. Edo state deserves more than just a passing interest.
“Edo is seriously begging for attention with the level of infrastructural decay and leadership deficiency. I can’t stand the kind of roads I saw, while traveling through the state.”
