The chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday governorship election have been strengthened after nine political parties unanimously collapsed into the party in Edo State.

The Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Sam Arase, announced on behalf of the Assembly of Registered Political Parties in Edo State that the parties prefer the APC candidate and are confident of victory.

The parties include the Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Peoples Party (APP), Accord (A), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Action Alliance (AA), and National Rescue Movement (NRM).

The parties demand a violence-free election and urge Edo citizens to come out en masse and vote for APC.

The parties mandated their members to work towards the enthronement of the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the next governor of Edo State.

Seventeen parties are vying for the Edo State governorship, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2014, with a winner expected to emerge after voting procedures.

Okpebholo and other governorship candidates in the state would be hoping to succeed the outgoing Governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, who supports the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo.