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Tag: Lawrence Okah

  • We’ll win all 24 seats in Edo Assembly – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State said it hoped to won all the 24 available seats in the Edo State House of Assembly.

    It said it was well prepared for the House of Assembly elections.

    State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, who spoke with our reporter, said the party was satisfied with the preparation of INEC.

    In Edo Central which is the bastion of the PDP, a chieftain of the APC from the zone, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, told the Nation that the APC would crush the PDP in today’s polls.

    Eboigbe said the APC has campaigned and sensitised the people of Edo Central on the need to have 24 APC lawmakers in the assembly.

    In the 2015 election, the APC won three out of the five six Assembly seats in Edo Central.

    Read Also: ‘APC has sacrificed enough for Lagos’

    According to Eboigbe, “We will do very well in Edo Central. We will win all the six seats this time around.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, decried the PDP for expressing fears over voters’ apathy.

    Osagie said the PDP was fond of making excuses and spreading lies when electoral defeat awaits it.

    According to him, “The state is prepared. Edo people are well energised to perform their civic duties.

    “Edo people will come out in their large numbers to vote. Security agencies are there to protect lives and the ballot boxes.”

     

  • Edo APC members defy rain to vote Buhari

    Members of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State on Friday defied the heavy downpour of rain to participate in the direct primaries to elect the party’s presidential candidate.

    At the various wards visited across the state, party members came out in their large numbers.

    In Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West local government area, APC members came out as early as 8:30am to wait in queue.

    Chairman of the local government area, Mr. Patrick Aguinede, said he has moved round the 10 wards in the locality and was impressed with the turnout of APC members.

    Aguinede said they will returned President Buhari as the party’s candidate.

    In Ward five, Esan North East local government, elderly women and disabled persons were on the queue waiting to vote.

    Voting materials had arrived the polling Ward as at press time.

    Read Also: 2019: Group seek support for Buhari

    Leader of the APC in the area, Mr. Joe Okojie, told newsmen that the people were prepared for the primaries.

    Okojie said APC members in the locality believed in President Buhari ability to develop the country.

    In Usen Ward, Ovia South West local government, APC members came out in large numbers.

    Chairman of the APC, Mr. Peter Ajayi, said they have endorsed Dennis Idahosa for the House of Representatives just as they want President Buhari to return in 2019.

    The lawmaker representing Oredo East Constituency, Hon Osaigbovo Iyoha, voted at Ward 2 and hailed Edo APC supporters for defying the rain to participate in the primaries.

    In many of the wards, voting started between 11:30am and 12:30pm

    State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah said Edo APC have demonstrated their love for the person of President Buhari and his leadership style.

    “You can see for yourself that the crowd was tremendous. We could not even finish counting. As I  speak in this ward 7, we have more than 1,147 persons voting for just one candidate, Buhari.

    “In spite of the rain, people came out. That is to show the support our president has. If this can happen in one ward, and we have 192 wards in Edo State.

    “You  better imagine at the end of today, you will see a lot of people coming out to vote for Buhari. This is just a party matter.

    “It is raining yet people are coming out to vote. You can see for yourself. They have been here since 8:00am waiting for this day to come”, he said.

  • 2019: Why we place ban on campaigns, Edo APC

    Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has explained why it barred by aspirants seeking the party’s ticket for the 2019 general elections from any political campaigns.

    It said the purpose was to ensure that candidates that would emerge did not spend much money before and during the party primaries as was experienced in the 2016 governorship election.

    Read Also: How Edo is battling paedophiles

    The party had in a letter signed by the State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, and addressed to all its members said that it would not be in the interest of any party member to embark on any campaign for the purpose of 2019 general elections.

    Okah in the letter said activities of all campaigns remained banned until further notice.

    Explaining the rationale for the ban, Okah said the party does not want aspirants to be aggrieved because of spending so much money,

    According to Okah, “There is no need for aspirant to start campaign. They will say they have spent a lot of money.

    “The reason is that we do not want people to procure nomination. An aspirant can make his calculations based on the number of delegates and save money towards it.

    “The last governorship election was a bitter experience. We are trying to open up the space. When an aspirant knows that all the party members will participate, he will be cautioned on how to spend money.”

  • Fayose’s fall is a signal to Wike, says Edo APC

    The All Progressive Congress in Edo State has said that the failure of Ayodele Fayose in last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State was a signal to Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP governors in the South South region.

    It said it would take the lead in next year’s general elections for all the South South states come under the APC.

    State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, who stated this in a chat with newsmen urged Nigerians to stop believing what he termed rumors and lies the PDP posted on the social media during the conduct of Ekiti governorship polls.

    Okah stated that the victory of the APC in Ekiti was a signal that the party is ready to win other states in the South South region.

    According to him, “The APC is the party to beat in any election. We went to Ekiti to defect an incumbent. With Ekiti victory, we have taken over the South West. Our next journey is the South South.

    “All those things you hear from the social media will not stop the APC to ensuring that the right thing is done.

    Read Also: Fayose a street-type thug, says Presidency

    “Only a mental person could do what Fayose has done to announce election results. Any sane pêrson knows that only INEC has the powers to announce election result. The FG should send Fayose to a psychiatrist.”

    Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, said the people of Ekiti have demonstrated that they were deceived by Fayose’s stomach infrastructure.

    “You recall that four years ago, this same man was cheated by the ruling PDP out of power and he didn’t complain, he accepted and he moved on but today, the people of Ekiti state have realised that they were cheated and deceived by stomach infrastructure and they have come back and re-elected the man because they have confidence in him.”