28th December, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
An aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in next year’s gubernatorial election in Edo State, Osaro Onaiwu, has said that those canvassing for zoning are merely playing on emotion and sentiment.
This is even as he berated other aspirants for calling themselves home-grown to gain cheap popularity, adding that the contest is all about the capacity to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
Onaiwu stated this while addressing journalists on Thursday in Benin.
According to him, “People are just trying to bring sentiment and emotion. Emotion and sentiment don’t win elections. Election is about consensus, election is about talking to people.
“We have never zoned. If you check from 1999 till date, every other areas in the state has always participated in elections. Why the emotion, why the sentiment?
“When [Senator Oserhiemen] Osunbor was the governor, was it zoned? He contested against Julius Ihonvbere.
“Why are they now talking about zoning? Have we forgotten our history? Some people that are talking of zoning, did they participate in the electoral process in Edo State from 1999?
“If you have the capacity, if you know you have what it takes to govern the people, go round the local governments and sell yourself.
“You don’t sit down in one place and you expect them to come and give it to you. Go around, go to Akoko-Edo and other local governments; that is how to be a politician.
“We have never zoned in Edo. That emotion will not work and for your information, democracy is a game of numbers,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of being home-grown, Onaiwu said he is more home-grown than any other aspirant in the election.
“Who could be more home-grown than me? I served the two major people that built Edo. Samuel Ogbemudia was the maker of Edo, then the man who created the state, Aikhomu, I also served him.
“I married in Edo, I didn’t marry outside Edo. My mother is Ishan, my father is Benin. So who is more home-grown than me,” he said.