By Usman Aliyu
A former presidential aide, Dr Ughogho Garrick, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has formally declared to contest the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency seat at the 2027 general elections.
Garrick anchored his campaign on decentralised power, youth empowerment, and aggressive attraction of federal projects.
Declaring on Tuesday in Ward II, Egor Local Government Area of Edo, the APC chieftain told party members and supporters that his background in public administration and policy gave him an edge to deliver effective representation.
“I deliberately chose public administration and went on to earn a Ph.D because I knew I must have the capacity as a legislator to understand policy.
“I have the experience of how to attract projects into a constituency and how to work with ministries and the National Assembly,” he said.
As a former Special Assistant in the Presidency, between 2003 and 2007, Garrick said he understood the mechanisms required to influence federal interventions in areas such as roads, agriculture, and power.
“The new power reforms have decentralised electricity; individuals and groups can now generate and distribute power.
“We will work with solar companies and support mini-grid systems so that our youths can power businesses and create jobs,” he said.
He added that under his watch, youth cooperatives would be established across wards to mobilise funding, build skills, and facilitate exposure to international markets.
“We will organise our youths into cooperatives, support them with funding, and even take them abroad to learn and bring back knowledge that will grow our local economy,” he said.
Garrick also pledged to prioritise infrastructure, particularly road connectivity, describing Edo as a strategic gateway state.
He promised to ensure that the Federal Government fixed critical roads linking Edo to Abuja and Lagos.
He further said he would complement the ongoing efforts of the Edo Government by attracting federal investments to deepen development gains.
“I will be a representative who goes to Abuja to work, not to sleep. My focus will be to complement what the governor is doing by bringing federal projects that will benefit our people,” he said.
Garrick emphasised that his aspiration was rooted in a history of grassroots impact, citing his private sector initiative, ‘Eminence Water’, which he said supported small-scale entrepreneurs through informal credit schemes.
“Many traders and youths started their businesses through the support we gave. This is the same model we will scale up to empower more people,” he said.
The aspirant urged party members to support his aspiration, describing his political bid as a collective mission to rebuild the constituency.
“Send me to Abuja to work for you, for our youths, and for future generations. Together, we can rebuild Egor/Ikpoba-Okha,” he said.
Earlier, APC leader in the ward, Mr Moses Idahosa, described Garrick as a well-rounded aspirant with a strong pedigree in business, academics, and community service.
“We are presenting an exceptional individual who has the capacity and the background to serve the people effectively,” Idahosa said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
AUO/KSN/MAS
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Edited by Stanley Nwanosike and Moses Solanke
