2024 Guber: Disquiet As Oshiomhole Plans Edo Visit To Mobilise Youth For Idahosa

Barring last-minute change of plan, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, will storm Edo State on Monday to mobilise support for one of the APC governorship aspirants, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

However, a few days to the APC gubernatorial primary election in the State slated for February 17, 2024, there has been a cold war among the aspirants and party leaders over Senator Oshiomhole’s preference for Hon. Dennis Idahosa as the party’s standard bearer.

Idahosa incidentally is also a member of the National Assembly representing Ovia federal constituency of Edo State.

Sources said former Governor Adams Oshiomole is planning to storm Benin City on Monday to mobilise the youths to support Idahosa’s gubernatorial ambition.

The planned visit to Benin City on Monday is already causing disquiet among the APC politicians and youths in the State.

In a chat with a prominent APC youth leader, Mr. John Imade, who he offered his perspective on the development, he said: “Oshiomhole made a mistake by imposing Godwin Obaseki on us and was later betrayed by Obaseki. Edo State politics is not only for Oshiomhole to decide, we the party members don’t want Denis Idahosa. It’s the same Oshiomhole that once accused him of being fraudster, why is he now coming around to market the same man he once condemned to us. Just like in 2020, the PDP used Oshiomhole’s past utterances against our flag bearer to campaign against us and since then, we have been an opposition in the state.”

Meanwhile, all aspirants were clamouring for a level playing ground for each of them in the race.

Imade continued: “Let a free and fair election be conducted and also Imo State governor should not be appointed as the election committee chairperson. A neutral person should be sent to conduct the election, if the party is planning for a free and fair election.”

“Coming to Edo on Monday to come and gather youth to endorse Denis Idahosa will be strongly resisted,” he added.