A former Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Roland Owi‎e, has called on the party and its aspirants to focus on selling their popularity to voters rather than engage in criticisms against the state government.
Owie, who represented Edo South senatorial district from 1999 to 2003, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.
He also took a swipe at his party, describing its eight years in government as unsatisfactory.
He explained that with the state of infrastructural development across the state, the opposition party would require a credible candidate in order to secure victory in the September 10 governorship election.
“Criticising another political party or candidates ‎has no place in this game, especially when you see that whoever you are criticising has done better than you. Let’s face it. The Oserheimen Osunbor administration of one year and eight months was better than our first eight years of governance in this state.
“We (PDP) were in government for eight years; we have nothing to write home about. Let’s not deceive ourselves. So, we in the PDP must agree that, whatever it is, comrade Adams Oshiomhole has done well in this state to some extent. You can’t ignore it; see the hospital that is on; see the roads that were done. It doesn’t matter, we should give credit.‎ But what we are saying is that when we come, with a good candidate as governor, we will do better‎.”
The former senator also described the establishment of a new university by the state government in Iyamho, the country home of the governor as an opportunity to expose the rural communities in the area to socio-economic development.
He said, “I hear people castigating Oshiomhole for building a university in his village. Is that not madness? Why? (Ambrose) Alli came; he built a university in Ekpoma. Has that place today not been developed?
“If others who were governors decided to fill their pockets without doing things for their communities, then it is their fault and they can’t complain. So, what Oshiomhole has done for his village, I expected governors in the past to have done it for their place.‎”