Hendrix Oliomogbe x-rays the chances of some of the contenders for Governor Godwin Obaseki’s job ahead the governorship election holding in Edo State in September.
If Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State is to take a quick glance at his right shoulder, lurking behind him will be the shadows of former All Progressives Congress (APC) zonal vice-chairman, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; ex-Edo deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2012 election, Major General Charles Airhiavbere; Mr Chris Ogiemwonyi and Mr Saturday Iwulekhue. All five are fellow APC members, hustling to displace him from the saddle and take over the reins of power as governor, come November this year.
A gaze to the left side of the incumbent governor will reveal the resolute sight of a member of the House of Representatives, Dr Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama and Mr David Ikhine. The duo are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have also expressed their determination to grab the ticket of the main opposition party in their bid to displace Governor Obaseki from the state Government House in the election, scheduled for September 19 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ahead of the primary, the tempo of political activities in the state has accelerated, as the ruling party is set to roll out its timetable. Should Governor Obaseki however have his way, there will be no contest as he should be given the right of first refusal, a demand which the other aspirants and the national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, are not dispose to, hence, the APC primary, which is scheduled for June, must hold, going by the trend of events.
Notwithstanding the plethora of aspirants, it is the belief of many politicians and analysts that Pastor Ize-Iyamu and Dr Odubu are Obaseki’s main challengers for the APC ticket. The governor, for sure, will be facing the greatest political battle of his life as his erstwhile political godfather and now national chairman of the APC, Oshiomhole and some party leaders have all deserted him, following the ongoing crisis in the party since the last general election.
Dr Odubu, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives, is said to be a consummate politician with a strong grass roots appeal. The former deputy governor under Oshiomhole is reputed for his doggedness and commitment to party ideals which many said is a plus to his aspirations. His support base cuts across political divide and spreads across the 18 local government areas of the state. A team player who is always calm under fire, the ability of the former deputy governor to keep his loyalists together speaks volume of his political sagacity and this, it was learnt, has endeared him to many politicians who are supporting his quest to govern Edo State.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu is a household name in the state. He has a strong political structure built across the three senatorial districts. He was in former Governor Lucky Igbinedion’s PDP-led government in the state from 1999 to 2007. He was first appointed as Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the State Government (SSG) where he wielded enormous power. It was believed that most of the decisions and policy thrust of that administration were cooked in his office.
Ize-Iyamu was credited with the formation of the Grace Group, a political pressure group within the PDP that then was a thorn in the flesh of the late PDP BoT chairman, Chief Anthony Anenih. The group merged with the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and later the Action Congress (AC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and finally APC. He was said to have played a prominent role in the emergence of Oshiomhole as the governor in 2008 but left the party following irreconcilable differences with the comrade-governor in 2015. He defected to the PDP where he became its candidate in the 2016 election but lost to Obaseki. Ize-Iyamu, however, returned to the APC late last year.
Chris Ogiemwonyi, a Minister of State for Works in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, hails from Orhionwmon Local Government Area like other aspirants, except Governor Obaseki. Arhiavbere, a former Director of Finance of the Nigeria Army, was the PDP governorship candidate in 2012 before defecting to the ruling party. He joined the APC in 2015 and contested the 2016 governorship primary and lost to the incumbent governor. Political analysts believe that the General may not make any appreciable impact as he was said to lack the political structure to actualise his dream, even though he has the resources to navigate his way through.
Saturday Iwulekhue has been described as a serious contender who has carved a niche for himself as a grassroots politician. He was one of a few prominent politicians who participated in the mock PDP primary between former Governor Igbinedion and Senator Roland Owie in the run up to the 1999 governorship election. Iwulekhue was the chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Area between 2004 and 2007. Besides, he was a commissioner in Oshiomhole’s administration and was the immediate past representative of Edo State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The experience gathered from these positions and his integrity may put him miles ahead of other aspirants, but he may not have the required financial muscle for the tough race.
From the PDP camp is Omoregie Ogbiede-Ihama, a lawmaker from Oredo Federal Constituency who has since threw his hat in the ring for the governorship race on the platform of the PDP, won a second term in 2019, a feat that had never been achieved by any politician in the constituency. A grassroots politician with his supporters spread across Edo South Senatorial District, Ogbiede-Ihama has been making consultations across board. His Achilles heels, however, may have to do with acceptability across the other 17 local government areas of the state and the two other senatorial districts in the state, Edo North and Edo Central.
Still from the PDP camp and from Edo Central is David Ikhine who signified his intention to contest the governorship election. He hinged his ambition on the spirit of zoning which the PDP is noted for, even as he has argued that the opposition party ought to cede the governorship to Edo Central where he hails from. He further noted that apart from Senator Oserhriemien Osunbor, who had a stint as governor for 18 months between May 2007 and November 2008, Edo Central has not been given a chance.
Against the backdrop of a recent failed attempt by the quintet of Ize-Iyamu, Odubu, Airhiavbere, Ogiemwonyi and Iyalekhue to pick a single aspirant for the party’s primary, Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Henry Idahagbon, has restated the determination of the Edo People›s Movement (EPM), a pressure group within the APC, to field a single aspirant for the party’s governorship primary. Idahagbon, a coordinator of EPM, said a meeting held by the group, last week, at the home of a former deputy governor in Benin ended in a deadlock.
The spirited defence by Idahagbon on issues concerning the matter, however, did not cut ice with Mr Anslem Ojezua, the APC state chairman loyal to Governor Obaseki who pointedly accused Oshiomhole of having a hand at what he insisted was an illegal gathering. The gathering also drew the ire of Governor Obaseki who amplified Ojezua, accusing the APC national chairman of continued violation by failure to heed the directives to halt the spread of COVID-19.
With only 10 of the 24 House of Assembly sitting, Governor Obaseki will, for sure, be facing the greatest political battle of his life, following the irreconcilable differences in the party which burst into the open last year. The governor’s supporters are however optimistic, pointing to what they described as his giant developmental strides spread across the length and breadth of the state.
In the great game, there will be no draw as only one winner must emerge and remain tall, while the losers will have to stand small as spectators of the show. June is pregnant and will, no doubt, tell who among the aspirants will pick the coveted ticket of their parties and the candidate that will go on to eventually triumph in the election.
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