The people of Edo State will on September 21elect a new governor for the state known as the Heartbeat of the nation on account of its central location. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has assured the good people of Edo State that their votes will count. The INEC boss, who reiterated that INEC is not a political party also promised that the poll will be free, fair and credible. We shall give the electoral agency the benefit of doubt. It is on record that the electoral umpire had failed on its promises on credible polls.
It is not in doubt that INEC had bungled some elections in the past including its handling of the 2023 elections. Since this is a one-off election, we believe that INEC will deliver a credible poll where the wishes of Edo people will be respected. The votes must count this time around because the stakes are so high. The Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC has no reason to fail the people of Edo State. They will have cause to celebrate the electoral outcome. We are hoping that the election will be free from rigging, ballot snatching, voter suppression and intimidation, vote buying and other oddities associated with elections in this part of the world.
Although there are many political parties participating in the Edo governorship election, the contest is a straight fight among three major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP, the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The list is not in any particular order. In other words, the major contenders in the race to Osadebe House are Asuerinme Ighodalo (PDP), Olumide Akpata (LP) and Monday Okpebholo (APC). All the parties and their candidates are well known and all of them are eminently qualified to succeed the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, in spite of zoning and other considerations that tend to shape the outcome of election in the country. Everything depends entirely on the people of Edo State and their preference.
There have been intense campaigns by all the leading parties and their candidates including road shows, newspaper and television adverts as well as internet and social media campaigns. These are expected in election like this. By now, the voters would have taken their decision on whom to vote among the major contenders. Without being immodest, this is an election that would have been much easier for the ruling party in the state to win if Obaseki has wisely chosen which wars to fight and those he could not dare at all. But it can no longer be so. The governor has attracted to himself and his party many political enemies.
Whether the PDP performed in Edo State or not, Obaseki would have easily delivered the party in this poll if he did not make many enemies for himself and the PDP. While some people claim that Obaseki performed in Edo State, others are of the view that he didn’t do much in spite of huge expectations from the people. So many people felt betrayed by Obaseki, including his main supporters during the last gubernatorial poll that gave him a second term. When Obaseki consolidated his hold on power, he began to fight everyone including known and imaginary enemies. His avoidable war with his former deputy and man Friday, Philip Shaibu, plus other wars may deny PDP victory in this election. The war with his deputy is one war Obaseki should have avoided by all means. He should have been more circumspect in fighting his deputy. He should have deployed tact and diplomacy in engaging Shaibu. But he did not. He threw caution to the wind.
He won his second term election because Shaibu was with him. That can explain why they could withstand Oshiomhole and his formidable team in the APC. Despite what critics say of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo is one of the best candidates for the race to Osadebe House. He has good credentials and experience to govern Edo State. Forget the diatribe that he cannot speak his native language and other campaign jibes and jokes. Coming from the zone most favoured for the poll, Ighodalo should count on his solid achievements plus the support of the incumbent governor.
The LP candidate, Olumide Akpata is basking on the popularity of the party during the 2023 election as well as the Obedient Movement and his supporters. I don’t know if he has support among the god fathers of Edo politics in comparison to the PDP and APC candidates. The LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s recent roadwork with Akpata may have increased his popularity among Edo voters. Apart from being a new comer to Edo politics and an ‘outsider,’ he has been zoned out of the contest, although that is unconstitutional. Whatever happens he will make an appreciable impact in the poll. He may be testing the ground for future outing. Should the Obidient Movement lend their full support to Akpata, he might as well see himself in Osadebe House.
If there is one candidate much favoured by the zonal arrangement of the governors hip seat and the blessings of god fathers, that person is no other than Monday Okpebholo of the APC. As a serving Senator and a member of the ruling APC, Okpebholo is well positioned to clinch the seat. He enjoys enormous support from many godfathers of Edo politics including former governor, Adams Oshiomhole, deputy governor, Philip Shuabi and former gubernatorial candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and others. The only criticism against Okpebholo is that he cannot speak too much grammar of English or that he is not well read of educated.
They forget that the man is in the Senate. What qualifies one to be a governor or even a president in Nigeria is WASSCE or its equivalent. It does not require a university degree. So Okpebholo can get there if he gets the highest votes and certify all conditions. We recall that APC narrowly missed the seat last time because Obaseki attracted the sympathy of the masses. Shaibu’s intervention and strong support helped Obaseki to get his second term. Now that Shaibu has been pushed out by Obaseki, that huge support will go to Monday Okpebholo. Obaseki has lost that sympathy. He appears to be alone in this race. People will pay him back in his own coins and definitely seek revenge. In some of his campaign shows, Okpebholo appears ready to go. He is like a man who has long been prepared for the tasks ahead. He is obsessed with getting the job done and giving the people of Edo the dividends of democracy, which have reportedly eluded them under Obaseki.
