TELL Magazine

…Say he’s best candidate to defeat incumbent governor.

With the major opposition party in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP scheduling its primary election for between June 23 and 24, 2020 to select a candidate for the September 19 governorship election in the state, some youths in the party are rooting for Kenneth Imasuangbon, a lawyer and educationist, whom they believe is the only person amongst other aspirants in the party, who can lead it to victory against the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, or whoever is flying the party’s flag.

Consequently, they said they would be mobilizing funds to purchase his nomination form. Aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket are to pay N21 million into its coffers – N20 million for the nomination form, and one million naira for expression of interest. Imasuangbon, who had on three previous occasions aspired to govern the state on the platforms of both the APC and PDP, returned to the PDP from the APC October 1, 2018.

The Edo PDP youths from the three senatorial districts who spoke at a press conference on Wednesday, said their resolve to purchase a nomination form for Imasuangbon popularly known as ‘Rice man’, was to appreciate and reciprocate his goodwill. The proprietor of the Pace Setters Group of Schools, Abuja, is famous for his several years of rice distribution gesture across the state during the yuletide season.

Spokesman for the youths, Idemudia Clifford, said some professional bodies, artisans, market women, and student groups that had benefitted from Imasuangbon’s goodwill have pledged their support for the fund-raising project. Clifford explained that their support for Imasuangbon was because they knew him to be the best candidate that can defeat the ruling APC and any person the party projected as its candidate.

According to him, “Time is now for the Edo PDP to take over government in Edo through the ballot and the only person we the youths believe that can lead the party to victory is Barr. Kenneth Imasuangbon. Imasuangbon is a household name in Edo State. He has been consistent in reaching out to the poor and needy in the society. Our desire to raise the money for the nomination form for Imasuangbon is to show our gratitude and tell him we are truly behind him.

“I want to inform you that many people across the state have called in to pledge their support. It melts our hearts to receive calls from all parts of the state. These are actual voters willing to put their money to support an aspirant”.