EDO Guber Race: Behold the men who want to succeed Oshiomhole

A couple of months from now another milestone will be recorded in the annals of the political history of Edo State. It will again be a cynosure for political watchers, analysts, commentators and all stakeholders in the Edo project as Edolites will once again go to the poll to elect a governor who will succeed Adams Oshiomhole.
It will further define which among the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is more popular and would occupy the political seat of power at Dennis Osadebey Avenue.
Ahead of the governorship election, aspirants of various political parties jostling to occupy Edo State Government House have put relevant structures in place and embarked on aggressive wooing of delegates for the parties’ primaries.
While the national leadership of APC has fixed June 18, 2016 to conduct primaries to elect its governorship candidate, PDP and others are yet to announce a date for their primaries.
As at the last count, APC has over 15 aspirants, PDP five, while United Peoples Party (UPP) and Labour Party (LP) has one aspirant each.
The outcome of the primary elections will obviously open another vista of political alignment, intrigues, gimmicks and antics by the various aspirants’ camps that won and lost the ticket. It will also define the winning chances of the candidates in the main election as the aggrieved aspirants would likely scheme for either positivism or negativism to the advantages or disadvantages of the party.
In the last one year, the two main political parties and their aspirants have been putting all the necessary structures and machineries in place to actively participate in the election. As part of build-up to the primaries, APC had in the past few weeks been enmeshed in rumbles over the ambition of the incumbent deputy governor, Pius Odubu, to succeed his master.
Governor Oshiomhole, who had through body language and statements expressed disdain over the thought of being succeeded by his deputy, is, however, said to have developed a liking for Godwin Obaseki, his friend who doubled as the chairman of Edo State Economic Team and Strategy.
The governor, as part of political strategies to edge out Odubu from the governorship race, was said to have in a peace meeting to settle rift between the duo alleged that his deputy planned to poison him. In the midst of public outcry and condemnations against the governor’s statement, the deputy was, however, attacked by gunmen at the Etsako West local government secretariat of APC in Auchi during a sensitization meeting with the party’s delegates.
At the moment, those aspiring to succeed the incumbent governor in APC are Deputy Governor Pius Odubu, Godwin Obaseki, chairman, Edo State Economic Team and Strategy, Peter Esele, former national president of PENGASSAN, and Oserhiemen Osunbor, a former governor of the state.
Others are Amadasun Ebegue, Blessing Agbomhere, Ken Imasuagbon, Tina Agbarha, Chris Ogiemwonyi, Austin Emuan, Matthew Atamah, Casely Omo Irabor, Charles Airhiavbere, Pedro Obaseki and Chris Iyare.
In PDP, the contenders are Osagie Ize Iyamu, Solomon Edebiri, Osaro Onaiwu and Matthew Iduoriyekewem, while Adviser Nowamagbe and Amos Areloegbe are aspiring on the platform of UPP and LP, respectively.
As the election fast approaches, the contenders are being separated from the pretenders and APC aspirants who seem firmly committed and determined to pursue their aspirations to logical conclusion include Pius Odubu, Godwin Obaseki and Chris Ogiemwonyi, while those in PDP are Ize Iyamu, Solomon Edebiri and Matthew Iduoriyekewen.
Others are seen as paperweight politicians that lack structure, state-wide supporters and political arrangements, among others. BDSUNDAY takes a look at the top contenders, their strengths and weaknesses.
PIUS ODUBU
Odubu is the incumbent deputy governor to Adams Oshiomhole. He was a two-time member of the National Assembly who represented Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency before being nominated as running mate to the incumbent governor on the platform of Action Congress in the 2007 governorship election. As a deputy governor he supervises the affairs of the 18 local government councils. He is described as a grassroots politician, mostly in Edo South senatorial district where he built bridges of friendship across political divides. As a former PDP member, his influence cuts across the other senatorial districts of Edo North and Esan Central.
As the vice chairman of the Edo State Executive Council, Odubu’s contributions to the economic, infrastructural and political development of the state cannot be overemphasized.
During the last November Colloquium to mark the seventh anniversary of the Oshiomhole administration, he gave a vivid account of the state government policies to reform the local government administration, especially in the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries, among others. He, however, promised to build, consolidate and improve on the achievements of the Oshiomhole administration.
The influence of the palace of Oba of Benin on his aspiration cannot be ruled out. It was alleged that during the politicking for the second term election of the governor, forces were against the governor having his deputy to run with him but that it, however, took the intervention of the transited Benin monarch who instructed the governor not to abandon his brother. Some analysts who believe that the word of Oba is supreme and cannot be ignored no matter the period of time it took still hold on tenaciously to the monarch’s pronouncement.
Odubu is also in the good books of party chieftains who believe that in the past years they have been sidelined in the scheme of things. Seeing Odubu as a party man, they express hope that if given the opportunity, the leadership of the party will be better for it as they will all be carried along in addition to infrastructural development.
The political popularity and sagacity of the deputy governor played out in the last general elections, especially in the national legislative elections where the party produced only House of Representatives member in the Edo South out of the four seats. PDP won the other three seats.
Weaknesses
One of Odubu’s greatest weaknesses is the alleged disapproval of his ambition by Oshiomhole. Political analysts attribute the sack of some commissioners, local government chairmen, board members of various state-owned ministries, agencies and parastatals and aides as some of the ploys to compel him to chicken out of the race.
Other political intrigues geared towards frustrating his ambition include the alleged plans by the leadership of APC to doctor the list of delegates for the primaries, suspension of Edo South senatorial leader and that of the party chairmen of Orhionmwon and Esan North East local government, the governor’s alleged accusation that the deputy governor planned to poison him, and lately, gunmen attack on the deputy governor and his supporters at APC secretariat in Auchi.
Lack of financial muscle to wrestle with his main opponent will also be one of his major challenges.
GODWIN OBASEKI
Obaseki is said to have the backing of the state governor who has on several fora expressed his preference for Obaseki. As the chairman of the Edo State Economic Team and Strategy, Oshiomhole described him as the engine room to the success of his administration. Political appointees to the governor, party executives in the 192 wards across the state have all been wooed to join the governor’s crusade and project. The wooing was alleged to be laced with financial inducements. It is also alleged that Obaseki has the backing of Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, who has reportedly agreed to bankroll all financial expenses during the primaries and in the main elections.
Weaknesses
Forces that may likely work against Obaseki’s ambition, political pundits say, include the stand of the Benin royal family on some matters involving the Obaseki family and the Benin kingdom.
Obaseki had last January in a family gathering to celebrate the yuletide period said the Bini’s rejection of Obaseki’s advice led to the British invasion of 1897. Some members of the Benin royal family in reaction to Obaseki’s statement urged him not to re-open old wounds.
CHRIS OGIEMWONYI
A former minister of state for works as well as a former top management officer of NNPC, Ogiemwonyi is said to have rendered assistance as well as provided employment to mostly people from the Edo South senatorial district during his period in the NNPC. He has a good network of connection across the state. A technocrat par excellence, he is said to also be counting on the blessing of the Benin palace.
Weaknesses
A defector from PDP and not a preferred candidate of the governor.