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Edo 2024: Ighodalo emerges PDP candidate, promises to lead Edo on path of prosperity
…hails PDP, Edo people for support, assures inclusivity
Former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 2024 Edo State Governorship election.
Ighodalo polled 577 of the 585 accredited votes, defeating 10 other aspirants to clinch the party’s ticket at the keenly contested primary which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, the Edo State capital.
While the State’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu polled one vote, another top contender, Anselm Ojezua scored zero votes.
Meanwhile, the immediate past House of Representatives member, representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama stepped down from the race, while his other counterpart, a former House of Representative member representing Ovia Federal constituency, Omosede Igbinedion also stepped down from the race, declaring her support for Asue Ighodalo.
Other aspirants including Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru, Dr. Earl Onaiwu and Arthur Esene also polled zero votes. The election also recorded six void votes.
Ighodalo was declared winner of the primary election by the Chairman of the Edo PDP Primary Electoral Committee and Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, and the Co-Chairman and Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwhori.
According to Lawal, “By the powers vested in me by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, pursuant to the Constitution of our great party, the PDP, as the Chief Returning Officer of the 2024 Edo PDP Primary Election, I hereby declare Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the just concluded primary election with a total vote of 577.
“Therefore, I hereby return the elected as the PDP candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in the State.”
Ighodalo, while commending the delegates, leaders and members of the PDP for the confidence reposed in him, promised to, if elected the State’s next helmsman, work with all stakeholders to transform the fortunes of Edo people and lead the State on the path of prosperity and greatness.
He said, “I thank the good people of Edo State. Resilient people; brilliant, hard working, visionary, focused, and willing to move our state into prosperity.
“I am only a tool in this process and I promise you all that I will be a useful tool in this process. Edo State by God’s grace will move from where Governor Godwin Obaseki has carried us to, to the next level.”
He further noted, “I would like to thank Governor Obaseki for the wonderful work he has done in the last seven and a half years. I know that in a year or two people will keep talking about Obaseki. We all haven’t seen the value of the work he has done but he is like a builder who is building the foundation for a 100-storey building. I thank him and his wife for supporting him tremendously and giving him the strength to go through the vicissitudes of the last seven years. No man is perfect so we all will repair and work on each other’s mistakes.
“I promise all the good people of Edo State; those in Edo State, in Nigeria, and in the Diaspora that I will work tirelessly for our State. I will assemble our best hands to move our State to the next level and I promise you all that I will give you my all.”
Reiterating the need for a united party to win the forthcoming guber elections in the State, Ighodalo said it is only with a formidable and united front that the PDP can excel and succeed in the mission of retaining its seat at Osadebe Avenue and consolidating on the impactful work the party has started in the State.
Earlier, the host Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, while welcoming guests at the primary election, said, “Today, we are going through an exercise that has been stipulated by our party. Even though it’s statutory, the exercise will be life-changing because Nigeria is going through difficult times and we can only overcome the challenges we are facing as a Country with the right leadership.
“If we in Edo do not begin to show the right leadership that will begin to reset Nigeria, God forbid, we may all be in trouble. PDP is the only party that has what it takes to rule this Country. Again, we are showing the example in the way we are conducting our leadership selection process.”
He added, “We are following our rules very assiduously; my role as a host governor is to welcome all of you who are here, starting with our members who elected the delegates that are carrying out this exercise today. Thanks to members of the State and National Working Committee of our great party, the PDP for being steadfast in the rules. I also thank all the aspirants for exercising the spirits of sportsmanship.”
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Muslims in the country to use the Ramadan fasting season to pray for Nigeria’s growth and development.
In a statement on Friday, Tinubu said the Ramadan season “coincides with a period of renewed hope and progress for our nation”.
The president said his administration policies have started yielding “positive results,” noting that the country is witnessing “gradual stabilisation”.
Tinubu added that the foreign exchange rate has started “stabilising” and prices of food items are “now downward”.
“This year’s Ramadan holds special significance as it coincides with a period of renewed hope and progress for our nation,” the statement reads.
“Our administration’s bold and transformative policies are beginning to yield positive results, as evidenced by the gradual stabilisation of our economy.
“The Gross Domestic Product for the last quarter of 2024 showed a marked improvement over the same period in 2023.
“The once-soaring prices of essential food items are now downward, providing much-needed relief to our fasting population and all Nigerians. The exchange rate is stabilising, and fuel prices are declining, signalling a brighter future.
“As the wet season approaches, we remain steadfast in boosting agricultural productivity.
“We are determined to enhance food production and ensure self-sufficiency and food security for all Nigerians through targeted input support, mechanisation, and innovative farming initiatives.
“In this sacred month, I call on all Nigerians to join hands in prayer and action for our beloved country’s continued growth and development.
“Let us fervently seek Allah’s guidance and protection for our nation, and let our words and deeds reflect our shared commitment to peace, unity, and progress.”
Ramadan is a significant month in Islam, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
The Ramadan fasting period in Nigeria lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon, as per the Islamic lunar calendar.
Some minutes ago, Muhammad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, announced the sighting of the crescent moon for the commencement of Ramadan fasting on Saturday.
Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, has stated that she has no knowledge of the alleged sexual harassment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Kingibe dismissed claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been isolated by female senators, revealing that she had, in fact, received more privileges than her female colleagues.
“The three of us [female senators] have not been sexually harassed. That’s not to say if Senator Natasha can prove that she has been, we won’t support her. But she has never discussed it with us, and we don’t know about it,” Kingibe stated.
She added that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been given preferential treatment regarding seating arrangements, noting that other female senators, including herself, had been moved multiple times.
Kingibe further explained that she was hospitalized on the day of the alleged incident and only learned of the controversy afterward. She attempted to contact Akpoti-Uduaghan for clarification but received no response.
“I promptly called her and asked what was going on. She started explaining about seating arrangements but didn’t finish before saying she’d call me back. Till today, she has not called me back,” Kingibe revealed.
Her efforts to reach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband also proved unfruitful, as he informed her that his wife was in Singapore at the time.
While acknowledging that the Senate still has gender-related challenges, Kingibe noted that progress has been made in improving the treatment of female lawmakers.
“Yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has improved. When we raise concerns, the Senate President takes steps to address them,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that internal disputes, particularly those concerning seating arrangements, could harm public perception of the Senate, urging lawmakers to handle disagreements more constructively.
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“No Injustice Was Done Against Ex-Minister Turaki By the Police Regarding DNA Test Result, Woman Tells Court
A woman, Hadiza Baffa, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that tno Injustice was done against Kabiru Turaki, former minister, special duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, in obtaining a DNA Test result to determine the paternity of her child.
She said by her knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was with every sense of humility against the parties involved.
Hadiza told Justice Inyang Ekwo in her affidavit to show cause filed by her lawyer, Sani Idris, on why the reliefs sought in Turaki’s motion ex-parte should not be granted.
Turaki, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, dated Feb 11, but filed on Feb 13, had sued the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police for Gender and Hadiza Musa Baffa as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
He sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from presenting, using, or relying on the purported DNA paternity test result procured from the DNA Labs Limited or any other DNA laboratory on Nov. 5, 2024, or any other date thereafter.
Hadiza, in her counter-affidavit alleged that the ex-minister “maliciously filed the suit when it came to his knowledge that the DNA Test forms part of the evidence at the Magistrate Court and knowing the result shows that 99.9% the applicant is the biological father of the baby.”
“ That contrary to the denial of the Applicant having illicit sexual intercourse with me and also denying being a biological father of our daughter, the Applicant volunteered his swab in the daylight not night, and the Applicant the next day equally took the swab of our daughter by his medical doctor in the presence of his lawyers at Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and some days after reached out to me that he had confirmed the DNA and asked me for settlement;
“ That his lawyers on the 9th Day of January, 2025 asked me to come to Police Force Intelligence Department (FID) to collect their proposed terms of settlement;
“That after collecting the proposed terms of settlement it was stated therein that the Applicant will take custody of the daughter in order to grow up and bond with his children which he refers to as her siblings, and also offered to give me access to our daughter, and I refused the Applicant’s proposed terms,” Hadiza said.
She said the purported restraining order Turaki mentioned in his originating summon was obtained ex-parte by fraud and misrepresentation to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from accepting any complaint, and same was vacated by the presiding Upper Area Court Judge.
According to her, contrary to the allegation of the applicant the order was made after I had made my complaint and my statement was already obtained by the Nigerian Police.
“The applicant knows full well that it is only the DNA Test that will exonerate me or him if at all what I am saying about the pregnancy is not that of the applicant and the paternity issue.
“That by my knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was done with all sense of humility against the parties involved,” Hadiza said.
She said Turaki had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse at Zone 2 in Abuja.
“That it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the applicant’s application,” she prayed
Giving a 13-ground argument why his application should be granted, Turaki said he instituted an action against Hadiza (4th respondent) vide suit No CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024.
The ex-minister alleged that on Nov. 5, 2024, he was invited by DCP Oyintare and he honoured the invitation.
He further alleged that upon honouring the invitation, Oyintare insisted that she must take a swab from him to conduct a DNA to prove the paternity of Hadiza’s daughter.
He said though he protested, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s cell at Area 10, Garki, Abuja for about 6 hours from 12 noon till 6pm, and at about 9pm, his “swab sample was collected by a purported scientist at the behest of the 3rd respondent,” before he was allowed to go home at about 10pm on that day..
He further said unless the court promptly intervened, the respondents would rely on the said purported DNA test paternity result, the validity or otherwise being the subject matter of the instant suit.
Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 18, ordered the former minister to put all the respondents on notice when the motion was moved by his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN.
The judge directed the respondents to show cause in the next adjourned date why the prayers sought by the ex-minister should not be granted.
Meanwhile, Hadiza, in her affidavit to show cause, told the court that granting Turaki’s application would prejudice her and would cause her and her child an irreparable damages.
The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until March 24 for hearing.