An aspirant for the Edo State governorship election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gideon Ikhine, officially submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday.
This move marks a significant step in his bid to contest in the upcoming governorship election slated for September 21, 2024, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ikhine, who previously served as the Deputy Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council for Governor Godwin Obaseki’s re-election campaign in 2020, switched allegiance to the APC in July 2023.
His defection and subsequent gubernatorial aspiration have stirred discussions within political circles, especially considering his past alignment with the PDP. 
Addressing the press after the submission of his forms, Ikhine sought to dispel rumours of any discord between him and former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Despite the potential for political rivalry given their different political affiliations in the past, Ikhine emphasized the warm relationship he shares with Oshiomhole.
“He is like a father to me,” Ikhine stated, underlining the respect and admiration he holds for the former governor and APC national chairman.
He said, “Are we talking about the same Oshiomhole? God forbid. For any child that abuses his father, don’t you know he will not go too far in life? As an elder, he is our father in the state. I don’t have any frosty relationship with him.
“I also don’t think he (Oshiomhole) has any anointed candidate as being speculated. Everybody has what we call a will, even though God is for all. I am not sure people are quoting him rightly. He has never spoken on any occasion that he has an anointed candidate. Please don’t let us misrepresent my leader.”
On why he refused to adhere to the directive of a committee set up at the instance of Oshiomhole, which pruned the aspirants to six, Ikhine stressed that he had done nothing wrong.
According to him, the leadership of the APC has removed the barrier and encouraged interested aspirants to pick up the N50m forms.
He said, “Party leadership will be respected anytime and any day. You recall that after the screening, the National Publicity Secretary of APC (Felix Morka) came out and said anybody could pick the form and contest. In a football team, you have a goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and attackers. To score, everybody is important to play as a team.
“But in all, there is usually one striker and that is what I standing here before you today represent. So thank God for the wisdom of the party at the national level, which encouraged everybody to pick a form.”
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