As Edo State prepares for the local government election, the state’s Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, has urged peace within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the party to emerge victorious at the polls.

Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Friday Aghedo, in a statement, said the deputy governor made the call during the unveiling of the party’s candidate at Iguobazuwa, Ovia South-West Local Government Area.

Commending the party’s leadership for the zoning of the chairmanship candidate for the April primary election, Idahosa noted that the arrangement helped prevent what would have been a challenge to the APC.

He asserted that the move helped to promote equity, fairness, justice, peace and unity within the party.

The Deputy Governor, while commending the people of Ovia South-West for their belief in internal democracy, said Udo Ward has never produced a council chairman since the inception of politics in Ovia South-West.

“We, the leadership of Ovia South-West chapter of the APC, sat and considered it. We had a couple of meetings before now, and today, we presented our preferred candidate.”

Speaking on the party’s choice, he said, “Osarobo Anthony is an Ovia South-West person who was born and raised in Udo Community and understands what the average people in the rural areas are going through, which is a good point for us.

“Also, as a young person who is well read, the majority of the youths support him. He is a very competent person. Very reliable. He is loyal to the party and very committed to whatever he believes in.

“He is very reliable in the values and principles of our great party. We, the leadership of the party of Ovia South-West are very happy with him,” Idahosa said.

He noted that the selection of APC councillorship nominees across the 10 wards was seamless, just like the emergence of the party flagbearer.

He, therefore, appealed to those who felt otherwise about the party’s position to work with the choice of the majority.

Mr Emmanuel Ogbomo, the Local Government chairman of the party, appealed to all to work with unity of purpose ahead of the council poll.