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By James Azania
On Tuesday September 26, 2023,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lit up the steps of the political gladiators in Edo State when it announced September 21, 2024 as date for the conduct of the governorship election in Edo State. The tenure of the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki would elapse on November 11, 2024.
The announcement by INEC will obviously rekindle the bitter political battle between the ruling PDP in the state and the opposition APC. It would be recalled that Edo State was under the firm grip of the APC when Governor Adams Oshiomhole was in the saddle and handed over to Obaseki on November 12, 2016. Oshiomhole who enjoyed widespread support across the state utilised that opportunity to install Obaseki, then chairman of his Economic Team as governor. This was done against the popular wish of the people due to the fact that Obaseki was relatively unknown.
However, rather than Obaseki’s emergence to be a blessing and continuity for APC and Oshiomhole, he became an albatross to the APC hierarchy particularly Oshiomhole. A year after Obaseki emerged governor, a crisis ensued between him and his godfather, Oshiomhole. As a matter of fact, trouble started when Obaseki banned APC leaders from entering Government House shortly after they supported his emergence. Some of the APC youth leaders such as Osakpanwa Eriyo were thrown into prison, to the chagrin of Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole tried to call his boy to order but to no avail.
However, on June 19, 2020, Obaseki and his deputy Philip Shaibu dumped the APC for the PDP. That was how APC lost Edo State to the PDP.
So, when the INEC announced a date for the 2024 election, for the APC, it is obviously another opportunity to strategise on how to take back the state which many believed was taken from the PDP by Oshiomhole through hard work. On the part of the PDP and Obaseki, they would want to tell the world that PDP has come to stay. But it is obvious that they should expect the political ruggedness of Oshiomhole and his APC owing to the fact that those Oshiomhole enthroned as leaders of the state led by Obaseki ended up betraying him. No wonder many aspirants under the APC have expressed their interest to gun for the governorship position. The situation now is a huge challenge for Oshiomhole who many of his supporters and even the APC hierarchy in Abuja must have warned not to repeat the mistake he made by bringing Obaseki as governor.
The first challenge before Oshiomhole will be where to cede the governorship ticket. Is it to Edo South where the incumbent Obaseki hails from Or Edo Central, an area where many persons believe have been marginalised in terms of the governorship? It is being rumoured that Obaseki has anointed his friend, Mr. Asuen Ighodalo from Edo Central as his successor, after jettisoning the ambition of his embattled deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, who is from Edo North. It is true that many are canvassing for Esan Agenda (Edo Central), but Oshiomhole’s strategy will be to win and nothing more. Looking at the aspirants indicating their interest to face the PDP on September 21, 2024, it is obvious that the battle for the APC ticket is between the Central senatorial district and Edo South. Some of them who have indicated interest on the side of the APC include the former deputy governor, Chief Lucky Imasuen (Edo South), former House of Reps member, EJ Agbonayinma (Edo South), Mallam Gani Audu, (Edo North), Prince Clement Agba, (Edo North), General Cecil Esekhaigbe (Edo Central) , Victor Eboigbe ( Edo Central), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor (Edo Central), Mr. Gideon Obhakhan, (Edo Central), Saturday uwuilekhue, (Edo South), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, (Edo South), Col David Imuse (Edo Central) and Denis Idahosa.
It is also rumoured that former minister of state, works, Chris Ogienwonyi (Edo South) will also join the race soon. Immediate past director of finance in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd) is yet to jump into the race but there are strong indications that the APC hierarchy may persuade him to do so owing to the fact that he has remained consistently loyal to the party.
As it is now, Oshiomhole ceded the ministerial position to Edo North in the person of Alhaji Abubakar Momoh. And with the influence of Oshiomhole in Edo North APC is intact there. It is true that Edo Central believes that it is their turn after Senator Osunbor tasted it between May 29, 2007 and November 11, 2008, before the Appeal Court declared Oshiomhole as the authentic winner of the election. Many observers are of the view that the best bet for the APC is to cede the ticket to Edo South with seven local government areas. This is because while they are strategising, APC needs to also watch the activities of the Labour Party (LP). The party is already strong in Edo South and in the event that it decides to give its ticket to a popular Benin man from the South and APC goes Central, the contest may become dicey for APC, particularly now that Obaseki is looking in the direction of Central, which for many is a good omen for the APC.
All Oshiomhole needs is to pick a Benin man as candidate of the party and cede the deputy governorship to Edo Central since the minister is from Edo North. This will guarantee victory for APC.
Looking at the candidates from Edo South, if the party is able to persuade Gen. Airhiavbere to join the race, he is one man that has all it takes to sack the PDP and Obaseki from Osadebey Avenue. The former Commander of the Army Finance Corps and Accounts and immediate past executive director, Finance and Administration, was the PDP governorship candidate who challenged Oshiomhole in the July 14, 2012 governorship election.
His emergence as the PDP candidate then unsettled the then ACN due to his deep pocket and influence in the military. However, Oshiomhole who was basking in his popularity and, of course, his developmental strides as governor then won the election. In 2015, Gen. Airhiavbere dumped the PDP with his supporters to join the APC. He again ran for the governorship in 2016 against Obaseki and others.
But when Oshiomhole anointed Obaseki as his successor, Airhiavbere rallied other aspirants behind Obaseki. He ran again in 2020 but Oshiomhole preferred Pastor Osgie Ize-Iyamu. Again, Gen. Airhiavbere worked for the party but unfortunately Ize-Iyamu was outfoxed by Obaseki in that contest.
So many who have monitored the politics of the state over the years believe that Gen. Airhiavbere is the kind of man Oshiomhole needs to sack Obaseki and PDP in the coming election. He is a man that came from a regimented circle so he would be loyal to the party and leaders. His relationship in the Palace of the revered Oba of Benin is also an advantage to APC. And from his antecedent, he is a progressive, a man who has the interest of his people at heart. This his attributes played out when Governor Obaseki sacked 14 APC House of Assembly members and haunted them out of the state. General Airhiavbere came to their rescue and housed them in his Abuja hotel. It was actually during that turbulent period that those G14, as they were fondly called, echoed these qualities of his regretting the choice of Pastor Ize-Iyamu as their governorship candidate. And in terms of management, as the immediate past Executive Director Finance and Administration of the NDDC, it was said that Gen. Airhiavbere exhibited his high capacity intellectual prowess in assisting the management to redirect the commission positively. He was said to have introduced a policy framework which will assist the current management achieve its goal in ensuring that the Commission delivers on its mandate to the people of the Niger Delta.
So, as the APC primary beckons sometime in February 2024, all eyes would be on Oshiomhole and his APC to get the right man who will help the party get a revenge against Obaseki on September 21, 2024.
• Azania wrote from Benin
