Ahead of the Edo State governorship election which comes up on September 21, top contender for the National Rescue Movement (NRM) flag bearer, Dr Dennis Aikoriogie, has been elected the consensus candidate of the party.
Earlier, the national chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) Prince (Dr) Chinedu Obi speaking through the election committee chairman, Mr Muhammed Dirisu Isah, assured all stakeholders that the party under his leadership will give Edo people a candidate that will bring about their desired transformation.
The primaries which held in Benin with INEC monitoring team from Abuja led by Rakiya Abdullahi Dattijo and Jane Aigba Margret was peaceful and well coordinated.
During the primary, Dr Aikoriogie told the delegates that he would not only lead the NRM to victory come September if given the opportunity but that he would turn the state around by ensuring that there is 24 hours of power supply across the state and that he aims to achieve that feat exploring other creative and alternative means such as gas, coal and hydroelectric sources all of which are in abundance in the state.
“We shall ensure that the whole state enjoys uninterrupted power supply 24 hours a day and all year round as we have in America and other parts of the world.
“We intend to achieve this feat by tapping power from all regions in the area of strength, gas, coal and dam,” he added.
Giving further insight into how the economy of the state would be revamped under his leadership, the entrepreneur cum politician, said he would ensure that indigenous companies are empowered with enabling laws, incentives and grants in order for them to become more productive, enabling them to be mass employers of labour and for them to be in competition with their foreign counterparts and generate the much needed foreign revenue for the state.
The NRM Guber contender said, “We intend to change this ugly trend by making sure that our industry starts manufacturing, production of foods for exports with our young people as drivers.
“To achieve this, we will empower indigenous companies to set Edo into a productive economy like in the sixties.”
He also said he will create enabling business policies that allows private sectors to thrive so that unemployment will end permanently.
“Our young people are the most intelligent. I will empower them with free education, skill acquisition and entrepreneurship training so that they will land us to the moon and mass. They have the potential to do this only that they are not being encouraged and enabled,” he added.
The state chairman of the NRM Chief Sam Arase in his response congratulated Dr Aikoriogie describing his passion as exemplary. He added that although Dr Aikoriogie left Edo for the USA, Edo never left him.
Arase asked him to continue in his strategic moves to convince the good people of Edo when the campaign begins proper as only the people have the power to send him over to the Government House in September.
Handing the party flag to the consensus candidate, Mr Shedrach Oka, the national treasurer of the party and secretary of the election primaries committee assured the candidate and everyone that the party will mobilise massively for the emergence of the NRM candidate as eventual winner of the September 21 contest.
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