The campaign for the governorship of Edo state heightened this weekend .The leadership of the labour movement was in Benin city the Edo state capital on Friday for a rally in support of the reelection bid of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.Leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress,TUC were in the city,but heavy rains delayed the kickoff of the rally.Despite the downpour ,workers and people of the state defied all the odds and waited for Abdulwaheed Omar .NLC president and Peter Esele ,TUC president to address them.
Oshiomhole , a former NLC president of NLC and ACN candidate “From the ashes of the old, a new world ACN be born..From the ashes of the old Edo state, today, a new Edo state is born..Those who took so much and who behaved like sole proprietors who feasted shamelessly on our common (wealth) who became so arrogant that they determined who became councilors anywhere ,those lions of yesterday have been reduced to political mosquitoes”
He continued ,“And in the beginning comrade presidents ,they underestimated us.They asked me,you labour man what do you know? And I said I know how to labour and even the Bible said those who labour shall have the right to food.Those who do not labour have no right to food….They have perfected the art of eating without ever working.And I have put them on notice that there days were over because the light is on ,the darkness must necessarily disappear(crow
d roars).
The battle has become so fierce Oshiomhole said even the PDP is living in denial : “Now they are battling, we have so battered them that they are denying themselves.They did an advert saying PDP is no longer the old PDP..to renounce their past.When a man says he is not proud of his father,he has confessed to being a bastard.And if he is a bastard , how can he be entrusted with leadership?”
These and many more achievements were the issues he outlined along with the provision of brand new school buildings,water for Esan land and roads as well as the fact that a new hope has been infused into the Edo person.Oshiomhole emphasized these issues also as he spoke with socio- cultural groups at yet another gathering in Benin city on Friday.
Saturday witnessed the upping of the campaign ante. President Goodluck Jonathan and the entire machinery of the PDP were mobilized to the Edo state capital to rejig the campaign of Peoples Democratic Party PDP whose candididate , General Charles Airhiavbere is the main challenger to Oshiomhole.Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that the PDP campaign had been battling to catch up as the incumbent’s performance in office has won over many new supporters.There were areas in Esanland that did not vote for ACN in 2007, but people in such areas have resolved to pitch their tents with Oshiomhole now.It has become so bad ,it was learnt that PDP is playing the ethnic card .But sources said the palace of the Oba of Benin has loudly endorsed Oshiomhole.That is why efforts are now being made to dispel the rumour being spread by PDP as a a big lie.
(Left :Oba of Benin’s empty seat as Jonathan and Sambo waits.The Oba is believed to have snubbed the PDP delegation because he has endorsed Oshiomhole as the Bini candidate)
Meanwhile ,even as Jonathan led the PDP rally in the capital, the ACN candidate was touring the grassroots in Esanland.At Opoji his first port of call in the day’s whistlestop campaigns, Oshiomhole was even conferred with the traditional title as the Adolo of Esanland.He was at Amahor,Ebelle and Ekpon.The central theme at all these venues was the call on the governor to ensure that the roads projects already going on were extended to every community.Also, requests were made for brand new classrooms and boreholes in the areas that the projects have not reached yet.The governor assured them all that their requests would be granted.
Also on the campaign trail with Oshiomhole were Nollywoods actors like Aki(of the Aki and Pawpaw fame) and Zack Orji among others.
