From Fred Itua, Abuja
As the political intrigues in Edo State on who succeeds Governor Godwin Obaseki take shape ahead of the 2024 polls, the number of aspirants that have indicated interest for the top job, appears to be thinning down.
Most of those that have indicated interest to contest for the governorship position particularly from Edo Central Senatorial District have now been reduced to six aspirants based on the outcome of a screening exercise organised by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the geopolitical zone.
The APC leaders in Edo Central had organised a forum where interested aspirants from the District believed to be hugely marginalised came before the party leadership in the area to give their manifestos on why they should be considered for the top job.
After the screening exercise, six of the aspirants were penciled down to slug it out with other aspirants from Edo North and Edo South.
Those who emerged successful in order of performance are Festus Ebea, Monday Okpebholo, David Imuse, Victor Eboigbe, Thomas Okosun and Senator Oserhiemen Osunbor.
Ebea, who surprisingly emerged first in the screening exercise, is a former Deputy Speaker in the Edo State House of Assembly and hails from Ubiaja in Esan South-East Local Government Area.
He is closely followed by the current Senator representing Edo Central in the 10th National Assembly, Monday Okpebholo, popularly known as Akpakomiza.
Retired Colonel David Imuse, the APC Chairman in Edo State, came third in the screening alongside a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Thomas Okosun.
While Victor Eboigbe, Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) also scaled the Edo Central exercise in 5th position, a former Governor of the State, Oserhiemen Osunbor emerged 6th in the contest.
Osunbor, a 72-year-old Professor of Law, is arguably the most experienced of the lot, having served as senator representing Edo Central on two occasions from 1999 to 2007 before contesting, winning and eventually sworn-in as governor on May 29, 2006 when the Tribunal removed him on November 11, 2008.
Before joining active politics, Colonel Imuse, the incumbent Chairman of the APC, is a trained medical doctor from the University of Benin and a retired military officer having served meritorious with the Nigerian Army.
Okosun, the first Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly in 1999 is one of many who joined the race but miraculously scaled through in 4th position.
However, Ebea and Eboigbe seem to be the newest entrants into the game of politics compared to the other four based on their antecedents.
But in all of this, those who were screened out of the parley in Edo Central have vowed to still participate in the party primaries when the time comes insisting that the exercise carried out by the APC leaders in Edo Central was a ploy to sideline them.
The aspirants said they will contest fully when the party decides to hold a proper exercise in the coming future saying that a section of the party cannot decide their fate.
In Edo North, the run for who becomes Governor in 2024 is not as tough as the two other Senatorial districts since only two persons are seemingly interested on who takes over Obaseki’s position.
They are former Minister of State Budget, Clement Agba and a sitting member representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Sunday Dekeri Anamelo’s (a.k.a Danco).
But in Edo South, the most populous of the three Senatorial Districts, four aspirants are likely going to slug it out.
The likely aspirants include former Deputy Governor of the State, Lucky Imasuen, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the PDP and APC Gubernatorial candidate in 2016 and 2020 governorship election, current member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa as well as former member of the House of Representatives and member of the board of the Code of Conduct Bureau Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma.
But despite the CVs of the other three, Imasuen’s foray into Nigerian politics puts him on a high pedestal above them, based on his intimidating credentials haven’t contested the governorship elections in 1999, served as a former Chief of Staff to the Governor and thereafter as Deputy Governor in 2007, and most recently as the Edo State Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council.
So far these 12 aspirants are dominating the political scene ahead of the 2024 governorship election in Edo state.