Kogi State Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate Chief Philips Salawu has said that the party will spring a surprise during the governorship election.
The former deputy governor described himself as a candidate to beat, adding that he represents the vision of the people for a better state.
Reiterating his commitment to power shift, he said: “I am an advocate of power shift and that is why despite the odds I have decided to contest and even if I do not emerge as the candidate of the party I will continue to fight on until I realise it”.
With the clear inability of the two frontline political parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), to throw up a candidate from outside the majority Igala-speaking Kogi East Senatorial District, Salawu has become the symbol of the agitation for power shift.
Salawu added: “I believe in equity, justice and fairness. I am not coming on the basis of ethnicity but coming to the government house to unite the different ethnic groups of kogi State through my actions, inactions and utterances. I have worked closely with the Igalas, both in public and private services. They know my temperament and my integrity. I worked with Emmanuel Ocholi, who was my Managing Director at RIMS Merchant Ban), Michael Achimugu, my director and my records are with these people for confirmation. My record is also with Ibro (former governor Ibrahim Idris) for confirmation.
Among the groups that have endorsed Salawu is the Ebira Youth Congress (EYC), which hinged its support for his candidacy on the need to actualise power shift.
The EYC said its support for Salawu followed the inability of the Central and West senatorial districts to come up with a consensus candidate for the election in their quest for power shift.
The group said its choice of Salawu is without prejudice to political, religious or personal consideration. It called on all well-meaning people of the state to support the consensus candidate to achieve power shift in the interest of equity and fairness.
