The hunger protests which commenced last week Thursday has derailed the governorship campaign of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Mr Monday Okpebholo. The protests broke out against hunger in which Nigerian demanded an end to bad governance of the ruling All Progressives Congress or APC......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Across the country especially in the North, state offices of the APC were looted and burnt while flags and billboards of the party were also destroyed as Nigerians vented their anger against the APC-led federal government.
This has affected the APC in the state as the party office and structures also received relentless attacks from protesters.
Although Okpebholo’s candidacy is still subject of controversy following allegations of not being a registered voter in the state, the protests have pitted the people of the state against the APC.
Members of the campaign organisations have lamented that the campaign which the APC started before the protests no longer resonate with the people.
It’s gathered that campaign organisations have also experienced a reduced number of members who are supposed to hit the streets to canvas for votes for the September election.
Stakeholders who had been meeting before the outbreak of the nationwide protests fear that the candidate and the party must adopt a more aggressive campaign to try to retrieve the hope of winning the election.
In view of the development, the Peoples Democratic Party or PDP which controls the state has said apart from not being a candidate, the APC candidate’s campaign lacks steam.
The spokesman of the PDP, Dabo Ologunagba, who stated this on Thursday while mocking the APC candidate said only the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo “is the candidate campaigning and engaging the people of Edo State on issues ahead of the election.”
The PDP described the APC as “disoriented” which has failed “to articulate any purposeful campaign manifesto, ideas or plan that can benefit the people of Edo State” hence “the reason he remains alienated from the electorate.”
The party said while Ighodalo, continues to marshal out detailed people-based and development-oriented manifesto that embodies the yearning and aspiration of the people of Edo State in every sector of life, the APC candidate in contrast “only gropes with pitiable absence of ideas and lack of understanding of the intricate demands of governance.”
Ologunagba assailed the APC candidate for being “unable to connect with the people, having not demonstrated any capacity for governance” while the PDP candidate is galvanising the citizens on ways to sustain and further build on the current development in the State.”
He said it’s no wonder that the APC candidate has been avoiding the media and town hall engagements with the people of Edo State because of being rejected by the people.
He said “such pathetic deficiency of ideas by the APC candidate further confirms the stand of the majority of the people of Edo State, including prominent members of the APC who have publicly stated that the APC candidate is unelectable and does not possess the required competence, capacity, experience and proficiency to govern.
“This lack of capacity explains why the APC candidate has largely remained quiet and uninspiring on the floor of the Senate and cannot point to any tangible development project he attracted to Edo State in his capacity as senator.
“This pathetic situation is compounded by the issue of ineligibility and consequential disqualification of the APC candidate over alleged forgery of INEC voter card and birth documents.”
The PDP spokesman emphasised that “Nigerians now know the reason the APC governorship campaign in Edo State remains comatose, completely devoid of issues and unable to attract any serious attention from the voting population in the State.
“This is why the APC and its leaders are frustrated and now resort to smear campaigns, promoting and instigating violence, having realised that Monday Okpebholo is no match for PDPs’ Dr. Asue Ighodalo whose popularity, public acceptance, track record of impactful performance in the corporate world and vision for Edo State have completely dwarfed and dumbed the APC ahead of the election.”
He said the “PDP is therefore not surprised that many selfless and progressive-minded individuals in the APC are publicly expressing preference and support for our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
“Our Party salutes the people of Edo State for their unwavering support for Dr. Asue Ighodalo who personifies their general aspiration and Will on the platform of the PDP.”
The APC campaign in the state could not be reached for comments.