The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr Isaiah Osifo said, if elected governor in the September 21 election, he would replicate the performances of Peter Obi and Charles Soludo as governors of Anambra State under APGA.
Osifo stated this in a press statement made available to journalists in Benin-City Edo State.
The APGA candidate described the party as a performing one.
He also called on the electorates not to vote for the candidates of the godfathers and that political leadership is clearly the problem of Nigeria adding that he is desperate for effective political leadership for Edo and Nigeria.
He said if he is elected governor of Edo State, he would bring academicians together to refine crude oil in his first one hundred days in office.
He said he shares the same political ideology with Obi and Soludo "our political ideology is similar and I will work to surpass the records of the APGA governors in Anambra State.
"Political leadership is clearly the problem of Nigeria/ Edo State. I'm desperate for effective political leadership for my country and for my State.
"By the grace of God, providing health, energy and the resources, I will continue to fight for good political leadership in my State and in my country. I was privileged to go to school in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom, and I know that the main factor that is responsible for development in the developed world and the backward trend in Nigeria/ Edo State is leadership.
"The British man or woman is not more intelligent than an Edo man or woman. If you make efforts to convince me that Edo men and women cannot refine petrol, you are only wasting your time because I will not believe you.
"If I am elected as governor of Edo State, the Dons in UNIBEN, AAU and Auchi Polytechnic will refine petrol in my 100 days in office. We cannot continue with a litre of petrol for almost 900 Naira."
Osifo, lambasted the 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives including the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, and his running , Senator Monday Okpebholo and Hon Dennis Idahosa who he said collected an alleged overpriced N160 million naira jeep, while people in their constituencies are dying of hunger.
"Not even one out of the 109 Senators in Nigeria rejected the 160 million Naira jeep for the interest of their Constituency. Not even one out of the 360 House of Rep members rejected the 160 million Naira jeep for the sake of the suffering people in their Constituency.
"The APC gubernatorial candidate is a Senator and his running mate is a member of the House of Representatives. They collected the overpriced jeep at the expense of Edo people. In a truly democratic nation, no political party will present such characters as candidates of the party. In any case , they were not elected by the delegates of the APC ,but were nominated by godfathers that are determined to loot the resources of Edo State. They should be rejected by Edo State voters.
"In 1999, Edo State ministry of local government and Chieftaincy affairs arranged for a higher purchase of 18 brand new Peugeot 504 Best Line official cars for the newly sworn - in local government chairmen in Edo State. I was the only Chairman out of the 18 local government Chairmen in the 1999-2002 set that rejected the official car. You can verify from my colleagues or any official of the ministry of local government and Chieftaincy affairs in 1999.
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"I politely rejected the new car for reasons that it was not the priority of the people of Uhunmwode Local Government Area that elected me into office and I didn't want to add my official car to the financial burden of the local government."
He further said, "My contest for the governorship of Edo State is based on my confidence that I have verifiable patriotic past records and previous achievements in public office that I am proud of and ready to improve upon.
"I have not said that APGA is the only good political party in Nigeria, but I have evidence to show to the good people of Edo State that APGA has records of producing good characters and performing governors. Peter Obi was governor of Anambra State for two terms on the platform of APGA. Nigerians appreciated his performance as governor of Anambra State and gave him the support for good governance in Nigeria."
