When he declared his decision to run for governor of Edo State on Monday, Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan, a fiery Catholic priest of St. Francis Catholic Church in Benin City, may have given in to protests and agitations.
He declared that he was prepared to participate in the election in response to numerous requests and pressures from well-meaning Nigerians and Edoans, even though he did not specify the party for which he would run.
He made this statement while visiting the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Benin City, namely the Edo State Council.
He claimed, “I got a lot of calls from Nigerians and well-meaning Edo people from both political parties urging me to run in our beloved state’s upcoming governorship election.”I am happy to tell you that, after giving it a great deal of thought and consultation, I am endorsing the Edo people and movement members.
And that indicates that I have given it some thought and am fully available and prepared to assist.
Fr. Obinyan went on, “As a priest, I am trained and equipped to serve and not to be served.”
Speaking next, Sir Jude Aigbona, the head of the Rev. Fr. Obinyan Movement, stated that the people of Edo should allow the priest to run the state instead of politicians and technocrats since the priest is a tried and trusted leader.
He urged the state’s youths to start a widespread campaign in support of Obinyan, saying that the state would undergo “a complete transformation akin to a new creature” with the arrival of the Catholic Priest.We want to lead a large-scale movement that will transform Edo State and instill fresh optimism in the people of Edo State.
Edo had seen everything. We’ve had politicians and technocrats in charge of us; let’s try a man of God. A man who is prepared to dedicate his life to serving us, making Edo a new state that other states would aspire to be like.
Basil Ogwu, another movement member, stated: “This movement cuts across all party lines.” Not only did we show up to cheer him on, but after much deliberation, we found that he is a credible candidate. We’ve tried a variety of people, but we want to give it to a religious leader this time.
