BENIN CITY—AS The battle for which of the three senatorial zones in Edo State will produce the governor in 2007 heats up , the Edo North zone under the aegis of the AFEMAI Movement , has set aside one million U.S Dollars, to be used in the first phase of the execution of their governorship ambition project .Co-ordinator of the movement in Europe and America,Mr Greg Ogiogwa said the money, which has been collected already would enable the AFEMAI people start early preparations for the achievement of a governor of AFEMAI extraction come 2007.
According to Mr Ogiogwa who revealed this exclusively to Vanguard weekend, in Benin City, the Edo North indigenes since the inception of the state has not produced a civilian governor but each time they support other senatorial zones , arguing that the Edo South zone where the present governor , chief Lucky Iginedion hails from should support them because they conceeded the position to them in 1999 based on "a gentleman agreement"
He explained that the one million dollars will be shared amongs the three major political parties in the state , saying that the "idea is to make sure that at the end of the day, a governor from Edo North will emerge. "We have really been marginalised,that is the truth.That is why we have resolved that we must produce the next governor of Edo State.We have started mobilising and that was why the one million naira was realised.We want to start early enough, we do not want to hear any stories.The money will be spread across the AD,ANPP and the PDP.We are doing this in order to make sure that we get what we want.We now have an AFEMAI agenda, it is dedicated to producing an AFEMAI governor.We are not doing this only out of geo-political emotions, but also as a result of the need for equity and justice in the political system of our state".
Mr Ogiogwa who was the chairmanship candidate for Etsako West Local Government in the last general elections under the All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP) ,asserted that "for the ANPP we are zoning the governorship position to Edo North, for which I am one of the candidates.For the PDP if they are gentlemen as they claim,they will field an AFEMAI candidate.Like a few days ago I heard governor Lucky Igbinedion of our state saying that the South South governors are backing the North for the next president because of the gentleman agreement. I wish to remind him also of the gentleman agreement that was in place,that Edo North will produce the next governor in 2007.
We of the AFEMAI agenda intends to make sure that it happens in the ANPP,if the PDP decides to braek its own agreement, then it will be obvious that it is not a gentleman".
Reminded that the PDP’S Board of Trustees' Chairman , Chief Tony Anenih who is from Edo Central has ceeded the position to his zone and that most of the Political leaders in the Edo North zone have accepted his position and have settled for the deputy governorship position,he said "we will use our resources to fight them.Those who are ready to sell our birthright for a pot of potrage will be dealt with.We are determined , we do not want deputy governor.We are only asking for our right and we are saying that it is our turn now. Do not worry, by the time the actions starts they will all run away.A lot of people are involved in this our movement even some of these people we are talking about".
