EDO 2024: All Eyes On Mike Onolemenmen as PDP topnotch Resigns, joins APC
All eyes are now on Arch. Mike Oziegbe Onolememen, a former minister of works and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who announced his resignation from the party recently and joined the All Progressive Congress, APC for the Governorship race of Edo State.
The party chieftain sent his resignation letter to the PDP chairman in Edo State, Tony Aziegbemin.
Onolememen was a founding member of the main opposition party and has been in the party since 1998.
According to him, Godwin Obaseki has taken the party as his private property since becoming a member a couple of years ago.
“I write to formally inform you and the entire members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that I am resigning my membership from the party, effective immediately,” he said.
He said that the decision followed due consultation following the protracted conflict in the party.
“I want to use the opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of the journey since I joined the party in 1998.”
Since Onolemenmen joined APC, the political rhythm of Edo state changed and politicians of various divides are of the opinion that the suave politician is the one to beat in a free and fair contest.
In another but related development, the APC National Woman Leader, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele has reiterated why the ruling party at the center must capture Edo state in the forthcoming gubernatorial election slated for sometime in September, 2024.
This according to her is due to the bad governance visited on the state by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last eight years of being at the helm of affairs.
She stated this in Abuja at a meeting with political editors and correspondents from Edo state under the aegis of Edo Journalists in Abuja when the group paid her a courtesy visit in her office at the party secretariat.
According to her; “Edo state has suffered a high level of political and infrastructural setbacks which should be halted without delay. We don’t want another four years of disasters under PDP”
On her vision for the party, Dr Alile-Idele said,she had already floated some programmes including an empowerment initiative for women, taking the message of President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda across the country, attracting young women into politics and mobilizing for the APC across the country.
“In Edo state, if you have been there lately, it is a pathetic situation, there is no better words to describe it.
“The roads are bad, education terrible and other infrastructural decays. It is a terrible situation and some people are still out there shouting that Edo is the best. “I will say in 2024 we in APC, can do better”
Speaking on best ways the APC intend to go about correcting the anomalies, she said that she was set to invigorate her immediate constituency, women, because according to her ‘we all know when it comes to politics, women are in the fore front, in fact, research have shown that women are the highest number of voters in this country, but that they are however relegated to the background after electoral victory by the male-dominated parties. That, she said has to change.
“What I have done in Edo state in this regard in the last couple of weeks is by appointing Special Advisers in the 18 local government areas in the state to embark on serious sensitization and mobilization of women. These are people that know the corners of their local government areas.
