Edo 2024: Ikpea Flags Off Campaign With Pageantry...says he wants to improve living standards of Edo people

From Chris Tony Akhabue 

A frontline Edo 2024 Governorship Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC), one time chairman of Esan South-East local government council, and former Commissioner in the state, Hon. Joseph Ikpea has said that he is coming into the Edo State Governorship race to raise the standard of living of Edo people.

Hon. Ikpea made the declaration at the APC secretariat on

Airport Road, Benin City today during his official declaration and campaign flag off.

According to him, "I am coming into the Edo Governorship race to add value and raise the standard of living of Edo people irrespective of tribe or party affiliation.

“As you can see, my supporters are very happy for my campaign flag off because they know that by the Grace of God the people rejoice when good people are in position of leadership, they are happy because of the good things my emergence as the governor could bring to the people, they know my capabilities and my antecedents.

Going further, the former Esan South-East Local Government Chairman said, “Yes majority of the aspirants for the governorship position are qualified but I can conveniently tell you that I’m most qualified not necessarily because I am one of the founding members of the party but mainly because I have worked and laboured for the party. The God that I serve knows that I have worked for this party because when there was nobody, I was the first person that left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN).

“I was one time board chairman under Lucky Igbinedion administration, I was a member of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration, one time local government chairman of Esan South-East, I was a commissioner under the Godwin Obaseki administration, So, you can see from my track record that I am the most qualified and none of the APC aspirants is as qualified as I am and I believe that my party will not want to make the same mistake they made by bringing Godwin Obaseki. We were told Obaseki was a technocrat and we were all expecting lot of good things to happen but today reverse is the case.

“Today there is no road anywhere across the state but if I am given the opportunity to serve I will turn things around. I will create jobs for the people and that will reduce the criminality and kidnapping that is currently the order of the day in the state.”

Reacting the rumour that Senator Monday Okpebholo aka ‘Akpakomiza’ has been given the go ahead by the leadership of the party to contest, Hon. Joseph Ikpea debunked the insinuations describing it as mere rumour adding that the party can never make such mistake.

"Our party, the APC can never make such a mistake. Senator Akpakomiza is a brother and a friend but he is just a new comer. In politics and what he is doing so far, he has done well but in this case I don't see the party making such a mistake.

"You will recall when Oshiomhole came in 2007, he came as brand name, I have a name and a brand name that has touched lives across the state and with that love I think the people will prefer my emergence.”

On the allegations that the former Minister of Works, Arch. Mike Onolenmemen has been tipped to contest the senatorial bye election of Senator Monday Okpebholo if all their plans go well, Hon. Joseph Ikpea said it is not true but mere rumour.

"All these are mere fabrication lacking truth, merit or objectivity. I am not sure anybody will make such mistake because Arch. Onolenmemen just came to join us in the party and we are very happy to receive him because he has a very big name as one time Minister but the party cannot make that mistake considering the fact that the PDP and Labour Party are strongly contesting for the control of power in Edo State and it has become highly competitive and, so, I don't see the APC making such pranks that would be detrimental to the party chances for electoral victory and I don't see the party making that mistake. In politics you must hear rumour and these are part of the rumour.

“My objective of coming into the Edo state 2024 Governorship election is to raise the standard of living of Edo people through people oriented governance, to provide infrastructural upgrade, provide adequate security, provide quality Education, create job opportunities for the people because when you create jobs for the people, you would have succeeded in minimizing crime and criminality in the society because as they say ‘the idle mind is the devil's workshop’.

"I have that capacity to create jobs because I have been in the oil and gas industry now for over 32 years now and I know what it takes to create jobs when given the opportunity.

“You can see our Education is in shambles but when I am given the opportunity, I will re-engineer our Education to make our graduates self-reliant rather than looking for white collar jobs.”