A former representative of Ondo State in the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olugbenga Edema has declared that he is most qualified to succeed late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu based on his experience in governance and political positions.
Edema who narrated how he and other political leaders in Ilaje met with the late governor, said “I am the only one among those running for the governorship who was in that meeting.”
Speaking during a television programme monitored by LEADERSHIP on Saturday, Edema said, “I met with the governor when Ilaje political leaders met with him and he said one of us from Ilaje would succeed him. I am the only one among those running for the governorship who was in that meeting.”
Edema further stated, “I stand on the pedestal of a former parliamentarian that we want one of us to succeed him. I am the only parliamentarian who understands the plight of lawmakers.
“Many think we must pass a budget and go to sleep or need us when they want to impeach one person in government.”
His words: “Many of them don’t know we are part and parcel of government. Lawmakers are not allowed to have input into the budget or perform oversight functions.
“I left Assembly in 2015, and since then our severance allowances have not been paid, whereas other government functionaries have been paid. The Assembly resolves that one of us should succeed Akeredolu and I represent that face.
“I started politics during the Babangida era. I was relatively young then. But I was at the Jos Convention when the late MKO Abiola was the candidate for SDP. As of then, I was already a university graduate, I was not idle.
“If you want to hire someone as the head of your organisation, you will look at his pedigree, his relevant experience in similar association. In the length of service, if I were to be in civil service, I would have been a permanent secretary while some of them who joined in 2012 would still be in the lower rung of the ladder.
“Aiyedatiwa has not told me about his ambition. I only heard about it in the media. Like I said, if you want to hire somebody you will consider his certificate, you will look at the level of education.
“It is not just having a school certificate, but the capacity to deliver on good governance. Many people are following me because they have ancillary ambitions.
“Mr. President has not endorsed anybody. If he wants to select any one of us, he will call us to a meeting like he did when Ondo State was in crisis over the deputy governor and acting governor. The president would call the leadership of the party and hear them out,” Edema said.
The APC governorship aspirant also noted that OSOPADEC was not a conduit pipe of the wife of the governor.
“The Bemoore programme was part of the scholarship schemes of the board. The beneficiaries are girl-child from Ilaje and Ese-Odo and they are verifiable. I paid bursary to students of mandate areas and set up a microfinance bank,” the APC aspirant said.
He expressed the confidence that he would emerge as the candidate of the APC in Ondo State and assured that there would be no post-primary rancor in the party as the leadership of the APC will activate a reconciliation process to bring aggrieved aspirants together.
“I would emerge as a candidate and the leadership of the party will set up a reconciliatory process in motion,” Edema stated.
