APC Will Continue To Rule In Edo State – Momoh

WITH the PDP scoring the highest votes in the March 28 presidential election in Edo State, it seemed the PDP was going to take over the state political apparatus from the ruling APC. But there was a twist of hope as the APC clinched 21 seats in the state House of Assembly April 11th Elections while PDP clinched 3.
With the APCs victory in the state House of Assembly elections, spectators wondered what happened at the presidential elections. Charting with the APC’s State treasurer, Alhaji Saliu Momoh, it was revealed that the PDP was very desperate to retain power at the central; they wanted to win 2 states in the south-south at all cost the states were Edo and Rivers.
Alhaji Saliu Momoh said the PDP pumped in a lot of money and was also engaged in a campaign of hate. Hear him:
“They were giving money at the polling units and they also bought the security personnel’s to their side. The PDP government deliberately impoverished the people so that the people will not resist the temptation of collecting money from them.”
Alhaji Saliu Momoh who was the National vice-Chairman of the ANPP also said that the PDP involved themselves with the politics of tribalism and religion, this of which, were used to turn the people against themselves the Christians against the Moslims and the Moslims against the Christians.
Saliu Momoh was quick to add that what happened was not the normal characteristics of the Edo people. He said the characteristic nature of the Edos prevailed in the State House of Assembly. He added that even in the presidential elections, Gen. Buhari scored 45 percent which is the highest in the country.
Despite the loss in the State House of Assembly elections, the PDP said they will win the 2016 governorship election in Edo State. They said they were putting the structures on ground to ensure that the PDP wins. To the APC, it is fallacious to say that the PDP will win 2016 governorship election in Edo State.
Responding for the Edo APC, Alhaji Saliu Momoh said the PDP was day dreaming. He said it has always being their style to day dream. He said PDP was virtually gone in the state. Hear him:
“Do you see PDP again in this state? PDP is virtually gone. This is the last. Who are those in the state PDP that can form a strong opposition. All you see here is PDP comprising fair weather politicians. Who do you see there that can be in opposition right now? Even before June, almost all of them will defect to the APC. I don’t see in the PDP both in the national and state levels those that are democrats or progressives that can stand as an opposition.”
A look at the APC, according to the Chieftain, will reveal large number of progressives. “These are people that have been in opposition since 1998. I have been in the ANPP since 1998 and a founding member of the party, not that I didn’t see PDP, I just decided to remain in opposition. All I am talking about is finding people that are committed to the cause of the party, you can’t find that in PDP. The founders of PDP are no more there. What you see in today’s PDP are opportunists and most of them are those that defected from the APC and are not committed democrats. 90 percent of those that defected to PDP from APC are now back to APC,” Alhaji Saliu said.

Alhaji Saliu Momoh said with this structure on ground, the APC will continue to rule in Edo State.
The prevailing problems in Nigeria include insecurity and corruption. These problems, Alhaji Saliu Momoh said will be brought to the barest minimum. With the eyes full of the power of optimism, the Edo State APC treasurer said:
“I assure you that insecurity, corruption will be solved by the leadership of Major General Mohammadu Buharu. These are the two problems of Nigeria. Once these problems are reduced, every other things will take shape. We cannot operate in an insecured and corrupt system and expect the economy to grow. I am very confident that within the first six months in office, these problems will be dealth with by Major General Mohammadu Buhari.
While some people are afraid that with the victory of the APC, Nigeria gradually evolving into a one-party system. But to the APC, reverse is the case. According to the APC chieftain, APC will not support one-party system. The party to him is a democratic and progressive party. He posited that the landslide victory of the APC in most of the states of the federation is as a result of the fact that the people believe on Buhari and on APC as a progressive party. To him, the people needed this change. He said APC either in the state or at national, cannot encourage one-party system.
“APC has never wanted one-party system. It has been in opposition for 16 years and has never advocated one-party system. PDP was the party that are collecting governance from APC governors,” Saliu Momoh said. He said a vibrant opposition was very important in a democracy.
On the nature of those persons defecting from the PDP to APC, Alhaji Saliu describe them as people who believed there was need for a change but still remain where they are because they also felt there was nothing they could benefit from the other end.
However, majority of respondents are of the opinion that those defecting presently from the PDP to the APC are fair weathered politicians who do not deserve a befitting position in the ruling APC. They opined that it was in this line of thinking that the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun asked defectors to remain and develop their party.
The respondents humaniously agreed that APC will continue to rule in Edo State if these defectors that have over the years been characterized by high level of sycophancy are not given important part in the fabric of Edo APC. The respondents added that these defectors were the same group of people that were saying they were disenchanted by the state governor – Comrade Adams Aliu Eric Oshiomhole.
The reason for cry of being disenchanted are far fetched. According to Alhaji Saliu Momoh, “when you hear somebody saying they are disenchanted, is because when they were in APC, they were not given the opportunity to fill their pockets. They are the persons who want the governor to fill their pockets. The role of the government is to give benefit to majority of people and not a few members of the society. Majority of the Edo people are still firmly with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.