The director general of All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Organisation, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, has dismissed the claim that APC is relying on ‘federal might’ to win the September 21 governorship election in the state.

Urhoghide said the APC candidate and his running mate will win the election based on their track records of competence.

He said the APC candidate Sen. Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Hon Dennis Idahosa, have performed well enough at district and constituency levels, to ensure victory for the party.

He further said it was uncomplimentary for opponents to describe the APC candidate as incompetent, adding that Okpebholo’s ability to assemble competent hands for the party’s campaign shows administrative competence.
While the APC is the ruling party in Nigeria, it is the main opposition party in Edo State which is governed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reacting however to the notion that they are relying on federal might to win the forthcoming election, Urhoghide said, “It has always been a recurring thing people talk about. What is the ‘federal might’ going to do with the election?

“The former President of Muhammadu Buhari is an APC man. I went to the Senate as a PDP, the governor in my state was APC, but the federal might did not stop me from going to the Senate.

“When I finished my tenure in 2019, I was asking for renewal, the governor then was Adams Oshiomhole.

“APC put up a formidable candidate in the person of Hon Samson Osagie against me and they lost and I won. The eight years I was in the Senate, Buhari was there, we are going to do this election on the basis of merit and we are going to see that our candidates win based on what they have done,” he said.

On the competence of the APC candidate, the campaign director general said, it is uncomplimentary for anybody to make such a claim.

“I think it is too early in the day for anybody to say who is incompetent or not,” said tUrhoghide, who argued that the candidate’s ability to rally eggheads for the election speaks to his administrative competence.

He said, “It is a good thing that our candidate had contested election in Edo Central senatorial district and had secured the mandate of the people and won. So, as a candidate, I think it is a lot easier in addition to what he has done and it is quite auspicious the time he has indicated interest to contest for the governorship.

“For Edo North, the APC as a party has been able to secure the mandate of the people through senator Adams Oshiomhole, so in a way if you look at in Edo South complimenting Edo Central and North, the party enjoys popularity for the governorship.

“His running mate is the incumbent member of the House of Representatives from Ovia and he is doing his second term. Our candidates vis-a-vis the party, are enjoying popularity in their different constituencies so the party is prepared more than any other candidates in the contest.”