John Mayaki, media aide to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has said that the governor is determined to ensure that his successor comes from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mayaki also said that Oshiomhole will aggressively support the APC’s governorship candidate in the September 2016 elections, The Nation reports.
“The Comrade Governor has been very respectful of all the aspirants, while placing the interest of the party first. He is careful not to put his thumb on the scale, but at some point, the verdict is the verdict and that point is almost certainly here,” he said.
“I expect Mr. Governor to formally stump and aggressively campaign for the party’s nominee among the aspirants, starting with a formal endorsement of the nominee’s candidacy immediately after the primary but not after blackmailing him. Mr Governor is taking nothing for granted.
“I want us to run scared the whole time as a party because we have a general election ahead of us. It is novel that a second-term Governor enjoys the popularity to be a potent force on the campaign trail, and equally have an eye on who succeeds him.
“He (the Governor) has indicated he wants to spend a lot of time on the campaign trail, so when it’s time to do that, we’ll all go out guns ablazing. We should begin to actively think through how to bring everyone together in the party; what works for the would-be party nominee, what works for the Governor, and how to utilize his strengths and his appeal.
“A would-be nominee will earn Governor Oshiomhole’s endorsement and his active participation in the campaigns because he is particularly strong at making the economic argument for the party’s candidate. Besides, his position in the party and popularity made him ideally suited to counter any opposition,” he added.
The APC governorship primaries in Edo will hold on Saturday, June 18, 2016 in Benin City.
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