72-year-old, former Edo State Governor, Oserheimen Osunbor, has challenged his critics and political opponents to a racing contest, stating that age is not a barrier.
Naija News reports that Osunbor gave the challenge on Thursday when he turned up at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Abuja to procure the N50 million Expression of Interest and Nomination form to officially join the governorship race.
Addressing a press conference after picking his form, the two-term senator said age won’t be a stumbling block to his ambition to return to the State House 16 years after his exit.
Osunbor stressed that good governance should not be sacrificed for age.
He said, “If you see any of them (critics), tell them to come out and challenge me to a race and see if I don’t meet up. It is about how healthy you are. There should also be an emphasis on good governance.
“These parameters keep adjusting from time to time. There was a time when we used to hear that eggs are bad for the aged. But recently, we were told eggs are good. At one time, they said 70 (years) is the beginning of old age. Now, they said it is 80.”
On whether he is seeking to return to Edo Government House for any ‘unfinished business’ 16 years after being kicked out, Osunbor said, “I didn’t forget anything there, and I have no such thing as unfinished business. I’m going back there for me to affect the lives of Edo people positively.”
It would be recalled that Osunbor’s removal as Edo State governor was affirmed by an Appeal Court in 2008.
The Court of Appeal said Oserheimen Osunbor of the then Peoples Democratic Party was elected unlawfully and did not get most votes in the April 2007 election, allegedly marred by vote-rigging, ballot-stuffing and intimidation of the opposition.
The court upheld the judgment of an election petition tribunal that annulled the governor’s victory.
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After his ouster, the court sitting in Benin immediately declared Osunbor’s rival, Adams Oshiomhole, of the Action Congress, as the rightful winner and duly elected governor of the state.
