2016 Governorship: Battle of Who Flies PDP ticket?

The battle for who to fly the ticket in the 2016 governorship election continues to create fear in the minds of the aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State.

All the aspirants believe they have a chance to emerge as the party candidate at the primary but the fear of the effect of the political godfathers in the state sink like a nightmare as they approach.

The aspirants under the PDP are:

• Arc. Senator Ehigie Uzamere


• Dr. Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri


• Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu


• Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen

A well respected family of Chief Igbinedion is said to be masterminding the plans to anoint a special candidate who must be a pioneer of the party and a friend to the family.

PDP Aspirants

According to The Nation, the former governor of the State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion was quoted as saying that he would play a prominent role when the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picks its candidate for the election”Whoever is going to be the next governor of Edo State must be one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. And must also be a member of the ‘family”.

He spoke  at the Ugbor palatial residence of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff during his administration, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his wife, when the couple celebrated their birthday.

The self-acclaimed godfathers had earlier held a meeting in Abuja and in Benin at Chief Tom Ikimi residence to screen the candidates by asking them to voluntarily step down for each other.

What was wrong with the meeting was that party leaders loyal to other aspirants except Pastor Osagie Ize Iyau were not invited to the meeting in Abuja which led to internal grumbling of other aspirants who believed that the  leaders in the state were planning to handpick an anointed candidate.

Though many of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leaders in the state are denying the speculations, but one of the leaders, Chief Roland Owie who considered himself a knight opened up to NAIJA CENTER NEWS few ago that such moves was attempted, but vowed to resist it.

Chief Owie said ” Some of us have told them it is illegal and they cannot try it. They were trying to do that nonsense and we told them it is not possible.

“I told Tom Ikimi that he doesn’t have moral right to be there because he has a candidate he is supporting, how will you then chair such a committee. The PDP constitution is very clear, only NEC, PDP at national level that can constitute the committee at the appropriate time.

“They were just wasting their time with what they were doing, it is unnecessary and they do not have the authority to do that.

“Ikimi has his own aspirant which everybody has right to have but certainly my own arguments have been that the governorship election is not on party level but who is fielded.

“I have said it that any aspirant that has close link with PDP eight years in Edo State cannot be the governor because that regime did not do too well. Everybody is free to choose candidates, but Edo people will choose their candidate. If they choose a candidate that is not salable or not, we wish them luck.

EXCLUSIVE: Ikimi, Orbih, Igbinedion planning to hijack PDP candidacy for Pastor Ize-Iyamu –

 

After the first meeting, the PDP called for another meeting, last week to fine tune the earlier plan to screen down the numbers of aspirants to at least 2 , a decision that didn’t augur well with the aspirants who believed they should be allowed to pursue their dreams to a reasonable conclusion.

It was gathered that Igbinedion family is bent on making sure that the governorship office is in the family control as it has always been. It could be recalled that the same family played an important role in the emergence of the current governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.

A member of the PDP who is very privy but preferred not to be named as he does not have the authority to speak on the issue exposed the plan.

“Igbinedion family is Very much responsible. There is even a new twist. This is being done secretly in collaboration with the State Governor.

“All the noise you are hearing about putting the ex Governor (Igbinedion) on trial was to systematically fooled people to the extent that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu should not be held responsible for the failure of the Lucky’s Administration.

“That is the conspiracy theory. As soon as the threat to arrest Lucky separated Pastor Iyamu from Lucky, they went into this second phase which is attempt to impose Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

“People like Senator Owie are fighting the issue head on unaware of this conspiracy theory. They know what they are doing but other aspirants are aware and may team up to edge Pastor out.

The source also said Tony Anenih, a leader of the party may pull out of the plan as he is perceiving the consequence of the Pastor’s candidacy.

“Chief Anenih is beginning to  see reason why a Pastor Iyamu’s candidacy may lead to his political demise. The Igbinedions are already boasting that they own Edo State and have consistently produced the governor since 1999 including the incumbent.

“I doubt if he (Anenih) was even in the plot in the first place. If he was, he was deceived. His foot soldiers are on him and never really liked Pastor.

“They say the only one Prof Osumbor Anenih brought was edged out with the court and nothing will stop them from maintaining status quo.”

If the party is not careful enough, the move to sneak out a preferred candidate may tear the party apart and the only outcome will be woeful defeat at the poll.

With the remarkable achievement made so far by the incumbent governor, whoever the PDP is featuring must be someone who has a record and is willing to improve on the development.

Many of the aspirants had said they would work with whoever emerged as the candidate for the election so long no hanky-panky game was played by those they accused of trying to con them

 

2016 Governorship: Battle of Who Flies PDP ticket?