Edo governorship tears power ‘ring’ apart

After the conduct of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states before the end of this year, all eyes will now be on Edo State whose gubernatorial poll is projected to hold in 2016.

Tony Anenih

As usual, the Edo governorship election is expected to be a tough battle among political bigwigs.

undits say the contest will not necessarily be determined by the acceptance or followership which the major political parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) enjoys, but it is rather a battle among three ruling power ‘blocs or godfathers’.

The three most powerful ruling blocs include that of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin kingdom, Chief Tony Anenih and that of former governor of the old Benin state, Dr Sam Ogbemudia.  The current governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was a candidate of the Igbinedion ‘power bloc’. The Igbinedion power bloc is said to be poised to retaining power at the expiration of Oshiomhole’s tenure next year, a move the governor is said to be kicking against.

When he assumed office in 2008, Governor Oshiomhole promised to change the face of politics. So, he championed ‘one man one vote’ mantra and the move to end the rein of godfatherism.

However, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the governor, who wanted to end ‘godfatherism’, had also become a ‘godfather’, as he was said to have started making moves that would ease efforts to decide his successor just like a typical Nigerian governor.

This scenario, it was learnt, had strained his relationship with ‘the godfathers’. Governor Oshiomhole spent almost the duration of his tenure to fight the former chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Anenih with a vow to retire him from politics. He had also fought Dr Ogbemudia, advising him to quit politics at 83. His current battle is now the Igbinedion ruling bloc.

In the last two weeks, Governor Oshiomhole and former governor Lucky Igbinedion have been at each other’s neck. They have been engaging each other in a media war. The crisis is already creating tension in the state ahead of the 2016 governorship election. Both sides accused each other of mismanaging the state resources.

Meanwhile, Edo State has continued to witness the alignment and realignment of forces from the politicians who strategise to take over the Government House.

The victory of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last presidential election has also changed the political game. The APC also won National Assembly election in the state. Initially, all eyes were on the (PDP) as the likely party to win the governorship election in the state as the former Minister of Works Arch. Mike Onolememe and a former Secretary to the state Government Pastor Ize  Iyamu were among those being touted as the PDP candidates.

But the APC has bounced back since the victory of President Buhari of the APC at the polls. While the PDP recedes to its shell, the alignment and realignment of forces among politicians have continued unabatedly.

oshiomhole

Within the first 30 days after the presidential election, three major PDP heavyweights dumped the party and declared their intention to join the APC. They include a former PDP governorship candidate in the 2012 governorship race retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere, a former governor of the state Professor Oserheimen Osunbor and a former governorship aspirant of the party, Barrister  Kenneth Imasuagbon. They left the PDP for the APC with thousands of their teeming supporters.

The first person to dump the PDP was retired Major General Airhiavbere. He was not just the governorship candidate of the PDP in the last governorship but also the National Coordinator of the Goodluck Support Group and Goodluck Youth Initiative. General Arhiavbere, who joined the APC in Benin City, on Easter Sunday said, “Since the election of 2012, there has been heightened  tension in Edo state which has made development slow. I believe my coming to meet with the Comrade Governor and the APC which is now at the centre, speedy development will take place in Edo state. There will be peace. There will be stability and things can now happen faster”.

Asked why he decided to jump ship just a few days after the PDP lost power at the federal level, Arhiavbere said; “I would not be one of the political leaders that would move Edo state backwards, especially when the APC is now at the federal level.

“Every well-meaning politician must come to the centre for rapid development. We can only do that if we give political stability to his Excellency, the Comrade Governor of Edo state”, he continued “the party at the centre is All Progressives Congress and the party in Edo state is also APC, why then should we be in opposition? I believe that I have the ground and the supporters to influence positively the election of April 11, 2015 for the State House of Assembly.”

In his remarks, Governor Oshiomhole said “it is great receiving retired Major-General Charles Arhiavbere, who was my main opponent in the 2012 governorship election in Edo state. Over the period, he has seen through the political environment.

“Even as he was in the PDP, we have maintained a good relationship. That he has come to join us is in line with our tradition to try to consolidate democracy, open up the party to every genuine person who wants to join the party because politics is a game of numbers but this one is a quality number which makes it much more important for us.

“It shows that our political contestation was nothing personal which is why we have no difficulties in embracing one another and welcoming him into the APC family.”

Airhiavbere, who said the PDP lacked respect for its members despite being blessed with God given talents who could bring value to the organization, added that the party got intoxicated and stepped on many toes ruthlessly because power was centralized for a long time.

The next person who left the PDP was Barrister Ken Imasuagbon, who officially formalized his return to the APC in his ward in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo state.

Imasuagbon, who is popularly known as the Rice Man, due to his annual rice sharing ritual to the poor in the state, was received formally into the APC by the leader of the party in the area and brother to the late first lady of Edo state, Mr Victor Eboigbe and the chairman of the APC in the council, Bar. Chris Aghughu.

In his own case, a former Governor of Edo State, Prof Osunbor said he decided to dump the PDP for the APC because the PDP did  not have the interest of the people at heart.

Speaking at a rally where he formally decamped to the APC, Osunbor said, “Sometimes in February 2012, I reflected on my journey in politics and realized that the people in my party at that time (PDP) did not have the interest of the people of Edo State in mind. That was the reason why I cast my vote in favor of the re-election of the Comrade Governor. I told all my supporters across Edo State to give their votes to him.”

It is no longer secret that Barrister Imasuagbon, the proprietor of Pace Setter Academy and a former Governor  Osunbor have indicated interest to participate in the 2016 governorship poll.

For the PDP ticket, only Pastor Ize Iyamu, who was a former Secretary to the State Government under Lucky Igbinedion administration, has shown interest. He appears to be the anointed candidate of the Igbinedion power bloc.

As the number of aspirants for the governorship ticket continues to increase, a former governor of old Bendel state Dr Ogbemudia has said only candidates who have the qualities to provide good governance to the people will be supported.

Dr Ogbemudia said this when he launched an organization known as Edo Mass Movement. He said the organization would crisscross the state to help bring out a better candidate for the governorship position.

 

Edo governorship tears power ‘ring’ apart