A frontline PDP Guber aspirant steps down for Obaseki ahead of party primary

By Ovasa Ogaga,

A frontline Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State governorship aspirant, Mr Gideon Ikhine has stepped down from the race for Governor Godwin Obaseki ahead of Friday’s governorship primaries of the party.

Ikhine announced his decision to step down for the governor on Monday at a ceremony in Benin, said there cannot be progress without sacrifice, adding that the governor’s defection to the party was God’s great answer to the party and his aspiration.

He noted that two persons could have the same vision but the means of approaching them differently stressed that he was not actually stepping down, but ” stepping behind the man who would lead the party to glory come Sept. 19″.

He said he and his supporters had resolved to work with the governor to ensure that a better tomorrow is achieved in the state.

The state governor, Godwin Obaseki, the state party chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, and other party leaders across the state were in attendance.

Responding, Obaseki said with the political situation in the state, history was being made in the country.

He noted that 21 years later in the present republic, democracy was taking a new turn as intellects are coming into the political process to redirect political processes and situations in the state.

The governor said he joined the PDP because he realised that PDP was Edo and Edo was PDP.

He commended the aspirant for reconciling with the party by identifying the lapses in Edo PDP and ensuring that the lapses were addressed.

Obaseki noted that governance ought to be about the people and not about a few individuals, stressing that deceit could not be part of political structure, but about leadership.