The Good Governance Advocacy Group recently held a symposium to show their support for Edo State governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo in the upcoming election.
The event, themed “Obidients for an Edo that works for all: The Asue Ighodalo Phenomenon,” took place in Benin, the Edo State capital, and was well-attended.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was praised as highly suitable for the governorship role to manage Edo state.
In his welcome address, the co-convener Obidients AI, Austin Isikhuemen highlighted the group’s vision and mission as the primary reasons for endorsing Ighodalo, citing his commitment to justice, fairness, and equity, as well as his impressive track record and integrity.
Isikhuemen emphasised that Ighodalo stands out significantly among the other candidates in the race.
Also speaking, Prof. Chris Nwaokobia Mustapha, gave enough explanation as to why Edo people cannot afford to toy with their future by electing the wrong candidate.
Prof Chris called on Asue to take Edo state to the exemplary height that will create peer pressure among other state governments which can raise the standard of governance nationally.
Prof Chris, also said that the Obidient Symposium was necessary as he explained that Obidients preached justice, equity and fairness and supported Peter Obi from the southeast in 2023.
He said they cannot now turn around to support a candidate of Labour Party who is from the same local government and senatorial district to take over from Governor Obaseki.
“Edo North was in the saddle for eight years before Edo South whose tenure of eight years is coming to a close. He jocularly asked, “Edo Central come wash plate?”
Responding, Ighodalo, spoke about great leaders like Lin Quan Yu and his Cambridge University days with Femi Fani-Kayode who became his ‘tutor’ because of the latter’s exceptional brilliance.
He said that the Singaporean leader was shocked when he later visited Nigeria and found it in a state of arrested development.
Asue said that Singapore has moved to the first world while Nigeria is apparently on a backslide.
“We have had oil revenues enough to build seven Dubai’s but where did all the money go? Choice of wrong leaders has been the cause of Nigeria’s development crisis,” he said.
Goodwill messages were received from the Deputy Governor, DG PDP Campaign Council, and Commissioner for Arts and Culture.
Professor Izibili’s guest lecture on ‘leadership and its role in attaining the Edo of our dreams’, was well received.
He defined leadership and showed the relationship between purposive leadership and governance outcomes.
He successfully linked leadership perception and the quest for the Edo State of our dream.
He highlighted the critical impact of character on the performance of a leader and concluded that leadership must not be left to chance but deliberately chosen with expected outcomes in mind.
