Accusations and counter accusations have in the past one week dominated the two major political parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of their governorship primaries. Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s constituted screening and pruning committee, headed by the leader of the House of Representatives, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, to address the issues in the APC, is facing a crisis. The impending crisis in the opposition APC in Edo is not unconnected with the alleged pruning down of the party aspirants from its original 29 to four.
Some names of the bigwig aspirants in the APC include the former governor of the state, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor; former Secretary to the Edo State Government and Senior Pastor with Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu are conspicuously missing from the yet-to-make official list.
Also, General Charles Airhiavbere; the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Honourable Clem Agba; House of Representatives member, Honourable Anamero Sunday Dekeri; Prince Kassim Afegbua and some others are said to be missing from the list.
According to some sources in the party, the former deputy governor of the state, Mr. Lucky Imasuen; House of Representatives member, Dennis Idahosa (both from Edo South Senatorial zone), the immediate past chairman of the APC in Edo, Colonel David Imuse (rtd) and Senator Monday Okpepbholo, (from Edo Central Senatorial Zone) are the four names that made the list.
According to a chieftain of the party (name withheld), the development, if not properly managed by the party national leadership, is capable of causing the APC the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election as some of the alleged excluded aspirants have threatened to go ahead with their ambitions.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, while fielding questions from his supporters, who thronged the now Oba Erediauwa Airport in Benin to receive him, advised his supporters not to panic on any development as he will be contesting the APC governorship primary slated for February, 17. While General Charles Airhiavbere may not have openly said anything about the alleged exclusion of his name from the primary by the committee, sources close to the retired Army officer informed that the former Nigeria Delta Development Commission (NNDC) director is still very much in the race and not concerned with rumour. While many other aspirants said to have been screened out of the race by Professor Ihonvbere’s committee are yet to make formal statements about their positions, their supporters have been crying foul over the alleged exclusion of their principals.
There have been accusations and counter-accusations between two groups suspected to be loyal to Ize-Iyamu and Oshiomhole over the recent development in the party. While the group loyal to Ize-Iyamu is blaming Oshiomhole for the removal of the name of their principal, his loyalists accuse the Iguododo-born politician of inciting the people against the senator.
Another group apparently disposed to the Edo North Senatorial Zone and particularly to Clem Agba, the Concerned APC Members (CAM), berated Professor Ihonvbere-led committee for excluding aspirants from Edo North from race, a development the group maintained was against the non-zoning stance of the national leadership of the party.
The PDP in the state is not free from the political intrigues as the legacy coalition group of the party led by the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, during the group’s meeting, threatened that it will not support any aspirant who joined the party recently for the governorship race. He said the group will be supporting one of its own for the sole ticket of the party.
The assertion of the former chairman of the PDP in Edo is coming barely few days after one of the strong members of the legacy coalition group and former House of Representatives member, Honourable Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, formally declared his intention for the PDP ticket.
But in a swift reaction to Chief Orbih’s threat, a group known as Edo South Vanguard for Equity and Justice (ESVEJ) accused the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the PDP of fanning embers of disaffection in the party by discrediting a governorship aspirant of the party, Dr Asue Ighodalo. It said: “We watch in total dismay and astonishment, the national vice chairman South-South of our great party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, speaking to a group of party faithful in his living room, speaking with so much bitterness, openly attacking Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of imposing Asue Ighodalo on the party. We, as a group, have concluded that the respected leader should embrace peace and allow the unity currently being experienced in the party to continue.
Also, one of the campaign vehicles of the state deputy governor and one of the PDP aspirants for the election, Comrade Philip Shaibu, was allegedly attacked by suspected hoodlums at Ekpoma, the administrative headquarters of Esan West local government area of Edo State. Condemning the alleged attack, Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation, alleged that the attack was sponsored by individuals affiliated with a certain PDP aspirant. “The Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation is deeply troubled by the recent attack on the campaign vehicle belonging to our Principal, Comrade Philip Shaibu, in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Sponsored individuals affiliated with a PDP aspirant launched a violent assault on the vehicle, driven by the coordinator of the campaign in Esan West, Mr Otoide Abas. The incident occurred shortly after Mr. Otoide concluded a productive meeting with Ward 10 (Illeh) PDP faithful. On his way to meet other supporters in Ekpoma, he made a quick stop at the local market square to purchase some beef barbecue (Suya).
Meanwhile, the various aspirants from the two major political parties (PDP and APC) in Edo are going about their activities without throwing tantrums at each other, a situation that suggested that their aspirations are not do-or-die affairs. Dr Asuerinme Ighodalo, on his part, is busy engaging party leaders and members across the 192 wards in the state.
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