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The governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has stated that Godwin Obaseki did not invite him to run for the governorship election.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday, Ighodalo said if he is elected as the Edo governor, he will only be loyal to the people of the state.
The lawyer-turned politician also refuted the allegations that Obaseki is his political godfather and pushed him to run for the Edo governorship seat.
Ighdalo stated that he decided to contest for the governor’s seat because of the work he did on the board of the Sovereign Investment Authority
He said, “I wasn’t invited by Governor Obaseki for what I am doing now, and I have explained how I got in here. You know, the final push for me was the work that we did on the board of the sovereign investment authority. We did a lot of work that was social investment, and I saw the benefits of being able to impact the lives of people.
“My time on the board of the sovereign investment authority clearly showed me that there is a path to help people out of poverty, out of want, out of neglect. Previous governments have done modestly well, relatively well, but I think that I can also bring to bear a lot of the experiences that I have gathered over the years from my international, local and other connections, and this is what I want to bring to Edo State.”
“I think it’s the hand of destiny, I think it’s a calling, I think I can truly contribute my own quota to helping to lift the economy out of where it is, lift our people from poverty, provide the necessary infrastructure, and I think we can start this journey of moving Nigeria from the third world to the first world.
“I will be elected by the good people of Edo State to serve the people of Edo State. So, my loyalty points to the people of Edo State. I will work flat out for the people of Edo State, for the benefit of Edo State and to raise our people out of poverty and to build a first world economy.”
Speaking on those who are against his running for the state because he is an ‘outsider’, Ighodalo said he is focused on resolving the issues in the state and turning it into a first-world country.
He added, “I think it’s a distraction, I think it’s people that want to distract from what the real issues are that start talking about outsiders, homeboy, and things like that.
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“I’m not new to life in Edo State, and in the last 16 years, I have been in and out of Benin due to my working with the economic teams of governors Adams Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki.”