Follow Us on Google
By Tochi Dike
The results of the recent general election should be a cause to worry for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki. The indefatigable Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the APC has told his former protégé, Obaseki, with the result of the elections, the ruling party has come to stay in the politics of the state by ensuring that the disjointed Obaseki-led PDP was roundly defeated. The APC got the two National Assembly seats of both the Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial districts while the Labour Party (LP) won the Edo South seat. For the nine House of Reps seat, APC won five, Labour two and PDP one. The Uhumwonde/Orhionmwon Federal constituency result is yet to be declared.
However, the Obaseki-led PDP came back strong in the state assembly elections to pick 12 seats, while the APC won eight seats and hoping to make it nine, if the Ovia state constituency result is released. Oshiomhole, who won his senatorial election in his Edo North, campaigned vigorously for his party and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, across the state. It was gathered that the former national chairman of the APC decided to campaign across the entire state as if he were running for the governorship election, when he found out that the LP was having a good time in Edo South, which has seven local government areas.
With his eyes focused on returning the state to the APC in the off season 2024 governorship election in Edo State,, Oshiomhole charged his political foot soldiers to make sure that PDP and the emerging Labour Party are defeated. Oshiomhole as it seems utilized the expertise of the former commander, Corps of Army Finance and Accounts, in the Nigerian Army and now the executive director, Finance, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd), to lead the assault in Edo South, while Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe led the attack in Edo Central. It was gathered that Airiavbere lent huge financial support to all the candidates of the APC in Edo South and other parts of the state, with a view to ensuring victory for his party. Airhiavbere ran against Comrade Oshiomhole in 2012 under the PDP, but returned to the APC after the elections to join forces with Oshiomhole. And in 2016, he contested in the primaries of the APC but later succumbed to the pleas of Oshiomhole to help rally other aspirants of the party to support Godwin Obaseki who was Oshiomhole’s anointed candidate. Despite his disappointments in his governorship ambitions, the retired general, whose family is also close to the palace of the Oba of Benin, has remained loyal to the party and Oshiomhole.
However, following the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the presidential elections, Oshiomhole’s focus will be on who replaces Governor Obaseki come 2024. From the results of the just concluded general elections, Oshiomhole held grip on his Edo North and won in Edo Central, which was known as a PDP enclave over the years. The APC picked the senatorial seat and one Rep seat from that zone. But in Edo South, with seven Local Government Areas, Labour Patty seems to be in-charge following what the Binis described as the alleged anti people policies of Governor Obaseki who is a son of the soil. He hails from Oredo. The Oredo Federal constituency where Obaseki is from is under Labour Party. And it was learnt that the House of Assembly seat in that constituency was also won by the LP, though yet to be declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Though Oshiomhole had on several occasions pleaded with the Bini people to forgive him for bringing Obaseki to power, but he may have to bring another Bini son to run under the APC, to be able to completely banish the sad chapter that Obaseki became, come 2024. It is actually the turn of the Edo Central to produce the next governor of the state, but this may be a huge mistake for the APC to cede the ticket to Edo Central, with the current wave of the Labour party in Edo South. The only way to stop Obaseki from producing a successor will be for APC to cede the governorship ticket to Edo South and pick a deputy from Edo Central. This is because the PDP in Edo South is weak as it seems today and if the Labour Party picks a popular candidate from the South and the APC goes Central zone, Labour may grab it from both PDP and APC. The PDP became weakened in Edo State after the Legacy PDP members led by the South South National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, abandoned Obaseki and pitched tenth with the Oshiomhole-led APC in the just concluded General Elections. And, it is obvious that the crisis in the state PDP will continue long until after the 2024 governorship election.
And for Oshiomhole to get it right in the next governorship election, he may have to continue giving leadership of Edo South to Gen. Airhiavbere, who has the financial muscle to fund the APC in the area ahead 2024. While Gen. Cecil takes charge in Edo Central. This reporter was reliably informed that Gen. Airhiavbere is not interested in running for the 2024 governorship election in the state, therefore it will be wise for the party and Oshiomhole to give him the responsibility to lead the party in the area so as to help deliver any candidate of the party. Interestingly, the APC has the likes of former deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chris Ogienwonyi, Dennis Idahosa (DENCO) to pick as candidates. With the support of Airhiavbere, the political wisdom of Oshiomhole, many believe that APC will reclaim Edo State in 2024.
•Dike, a public affairs commentator, resides in Benin City
