TELL Magazine

With yesterday’s official kick-off of campaigns for the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has launched its Campaign Council with Governor Godwin Obaseki heading the seven-man advisory council, and the first lady, Betsy Obaseki and wife of the governorship candidate, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, heading the women’s wing.

In a statement on Thursday, the state organising secretary of the PDP, Tony Anenih Jnr. who expressed the hopes and expectations of the party that the members would hit the ground running, said they were versatile members of the PDP who had been carefully chosen to deliver the party’s candidate, Dr. Asuerinme Ighodalo. While the youth wing is to be led by the deputy national youth leader, Timothy Osadolor, the statement was however silent on who will serve as Director General of the 200-member Campaign Council neither was it specified in the full list released.

Anenih Jr. explained that the selection process was carried out under the direct supervision of the leaders of the party headed by the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and expressed confidence that “this group of very versatile members of the PDP that have been carefully chosen will deliver our erudite, intellectually sound and broad-minded candidate, Dr. Asuerinme Ighodalo.”

According to him, the Campaign Structure has the following unique features: “The advisory council has 7 eminent members of the state, with His Excellency, the Governor as Chairman; the Management Committee is made up of the Director General and 13 Deputy Director Generals for Finance, Contact and Mobilization, Media/ Publicity Field Operations, Security, among others; the State Campaign Council is made up of 200 eminent members of our Party; the women wing to be led by Her Excellency, the first lady of the Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki with the wife of the PDP candidate, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, and the youth wing to be led by the Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor.”

Tony Anenih Jr. noted that though the women and youth wings were very critical wings and would be working independently, their “relationship with the other Directorates will be symbiotic.”