Ganduje reveals Ondo, Anambra as next targets after Edo victory

Ganduje reveals Ondo, Anambra as next targets after Edo victory

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Following its victory at the just concluded governorship election in Edo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has revealed its unwavering determination to add Ondo, Anambra and other SouthEastern States to its political kitty.

This was disclosed in Abuja, on Monday by the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, while addressing members of the APC Edo election situation room at the national headquarters of the party as he celebrated Senator Monday Okpebholo’s victory.

The immediate former governor of Kano State said the party will maintain the winning formula used in Edo State governorship election in the Ondo and Anambra State polls coming up November 16, 2024 and later in 2025 respectively. 

Recall that the APC’s Okpebholo was declared winner of the Edo State governorship election by INEC on Sunday, having scored 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes in a keenly contested election.

Celebrating the victory, Ganduje charged party leaders on the need to work harder  to ensure that the APC take over the entire South East geopolitical zone.

“We have started working to develop strategies to win these states. Next year, Anambra state will follow. Let me remind you that we have a project which we named political demarginalization of South East geo-political zone.

“That project is also a task that must be done. We will face southeast zone with 5 states. We already have 2, but 2 is too small for a big party like ours. We will face that state and see how we can recover many states in our favour,” Ganduje said.

The chairman added that it was a tough exercise as APC was confronted with power of incumbency in the state but with determination and strategic approaches, the party emerged victorious.

“This exercise was a different exercise because we were competing with a sitting Governor and a Governor that was one of our own before. We are children of the same father but different mothers. When you have such a contest, it is always keen.

“We didn’t part well, we parted in pieces when he left. And the fight continued till yesterday when we were able to bring him down. You can see why we were exchanging blows, and wrestling in a civilized contest. Even before the election situation overheated.

“So defeating the governor was a task that must be done. He (Governor Obaseki) said it was a do-or-die affair. But we said no! Our own is to do and succeed because if you die what’s the essence of success? We did the fight, and we succeeded.”