An aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming governorship primary, Mr Kenneth Imasuagbon, has vowed that he will not succumb to internal or external pressure to step down for Governor Godwin Obaseki to secure the party’s ticket.

Before Obaseki defected to the party, three aspirants - Messers Gideon Ikhine, Ogbeide Ihama and Kenneth Imansuangbon, had been screened by PDP screening committee.

Imasuagbon said it would be absurd for him to abandon his political struggle for the past 16 years to become a governor by stepping aside for Obaseki who joined the party a few days to the primary.

He said, “The contemplation of me stepping down is preposterous. You can’t ask me to step down after my (political) struggle for the past 16 years. Why? How do I explain that to the people who laboured for me in the past 16 years? Even in the dream, I can’t have such a thought.

“Nobody should reach out to me. That is of no value to me. There is no advantage to him (Obaseki). Let there not be intimidation or any form of manipulation of the process by the leadership of the party at the national level,” he said during an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday.

Imasuagbon, who lost to Obaseki in the 2016 governorship primary of the APC, said PDP would be making the biggest mistake by handing the governorship ticket to the governor because his administration left much to be desired.

He also described the crisis between Obaseki and Oshiomhole as the consequence for allegedly imposing the former on the APC in 2016.

He said, “It (Obaseki’s government) is a failed administration because he has not delivered on his promises. He promised 200,000 jobs but he has not been able to deliver them. Schools and hospitals are dilapidated. There are security concerns everywhere. The roads are still bad and some members of the House of Assembly have not been inaugurated.

“Nobody has the kind of appeal that I have. You can sample the opinions of Edo people about the ‘Rice Man.’ Ninety per cent of Edo people want me to become governor. But a few elite who are not up to 0.5 per cent are standing in my way. But God will remove them for me to pass. If they manipulate the results, they will face the consequence. I told Oshiomhole when he brought Obaseki in 2016 that God would fight for me.

Where are the godson and the godfather today? The crisis within APC between the governor and Oshiomhole is as a result of the injustice they did to me. Nemesis has caught up with them. If PDP does the same, there will be consequences.”

However, there were indications that one of PDP aspirants, Mr Gideon Ikhine, may step down for Obaseki.

Punch