Edo 2024: Dekeri slams Obaseki, launches governorship bid

The member representing Etsako Federal Constituency, Hon. Anamero Dekeri, has officially joined the Edo State governorship race. Dekeri, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, slammed Governor Godwin Obaseki, insisting that his administration had failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

The federal lawmaker, who seeks to emerge as the APC’s governorship candidate on February 17, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

“I stand before you with a sense of purpose and determination. My name is Honourable Anamero Dekeri, and I am honored to declare my sincere interest in seeking the APC ticket for the Edo 2024 governorship election,” he said.

Assessing Obaseki’s PDP-led administration, Dekeri stated, “Even the blind can see that the government of the state led by Godwin Obaseki is an abysmal failure. People are suffering, people are dying. Basic infrastructures have collapsed. The industries to employ our teeming population are no longer there, all sectors are in bad shape.”

Dekeri also faulted those demanding that the next governor of Edo State should be from Edo Central senatorial district.

He said zoning breeds incompetence, adding that the right competencies and skills should be considered.

“It is time Nigeria began to see beyond the leadership of turn by turn because, in my view, zoning breeds incompetence. And once an individual has a sense of entitlement, it could bring out the worst from that human. So we should be looking at a state where we choose leaders on the strength of their competence to lead. Let us dump the turn-by-turn politics, he said.

The lawmaker noted that in terms of population, the central senatorial district has the least number of voters among the three senatorial districts, because it’s about 12% of the voting population of the state. They have produced two consecutive governors.

“Edo North, where I come from, has the second largest population in the state, with about 36% of the state population. We have only been privileged to produce a governor in the person of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

“On the issue of zoning, the APC as a party in Edo State is not the ruling party. You can only give what you have, we are looking at how we will wrest power from this Obaseki-led leadership that is bereft of ideas that the state is subject to. We should have the power first before talking about zoning,” he maintained.

The lawyer, who describes himself as a philanthropist, said all through his career, he had championed education, economic empowerment, and social justice.

Dekeri added that his leadership style is dynamic, focusing on the needs of the people and ensuring that every policy decision aligns with the principles of fairness, justice, and equity.

“My vision for Edo State is one of progress, prosperity, and pride. I aspire to create an environment where every child has access to quality education, the youth are equipped with skills for the future, and our industries flourish, generating employment and driving economic growth” said the lawmaker.

Dekeri added that he seeks to build a state that exemplifies good governance, with the welfare of the people at the forefront of every decision

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the Edo governorship poll for September 21, 2024.