Lawmaker slams Obaseki as he joins Edo governorship race

Dekeri, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, slammed Governor Godwin Obaseki, saying his administration had failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

The federal lawmaker, who seeks to emerge as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

“I stand before you with a sense of purpose and determination. My name is Honourable Anamero Dekeri, and I am honoured to declare my sincere interest in seeking the APC ticket for the Edo 2024 governorship election,” he declared.

Assessing Obaseki’s PDP-led administration, Dekeri said, “Even the blind can see that the government of the state led by Godwin Obaseki is an abysmal failure. People are suffering, people are dying. Basic infrastructures have collapsed. The industries to employ our teeming population are no longer there, all sectors are in bad shape.”

Dekeri also faulted those demanding that the next governor of Edo State should be from Edo Central senatorial district.

He said zoning breeds incompetence, adding that the right competencies and skills should be considered.

“It is time Nigeria began to see beyond the leadership of turn by turn because, in my view, zoning breeds incompetence. And once an individual has a sense of entitlement, it could bring out the worst from that human. So we should be looking at a state where we choose leaders on the strength of their competence to lead. Let us dump the turn-by-turn politics,” he said.

The lawmaker also noted that in terms of population, the central senatorial district, which he said has produced two consecutive governors, has the least number of voters among the three senatorial districts, because it’s about 12% of the voting population of the state.

“Edo North, where I come from, has the second largest population in the state, with about 36% of the state population. We have only been privileged to produce a governor in the person of Comrade Adams Oshiohomole

“On the issue of zoning, the APC as a party in Edo State is not the ruling party. You can only give what you have, we are looking at how we will wrest power from this Obaseki-led leadership that is bereft of ideas that the state is subject to. We should have the power first before talking about zoning,” he maintained.

The lawyer, who describes himself as a philanthropist, said all through his career, he had championed education, economic empowerment, and social justice.

Dekeri added that his leadership style is dynamic, focusing on the needs of the people and ensuring that every policy decision aligns with the principles of fairness, justice, and equity.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the Edo governorship poll for September 21, 2024.