Tag: Edo 2016

As Edo State warms up for the governorship election, Edo Central and Edo South districts are struggling for the tickets on the platforms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR writes on the battle for power shift.

Edo Central Senatorial District is made up of five local government areas. It is the zone with the lowest voting population in Edo State. It is the smallest in terms of size when compared to other senatorial districts. The zone has also produced powerful politicians who have dominated the landscape in the country.

During the aborted Third Republic, the zone produced the national chairmen of the two political parties. Chief Tony Anenih was the National Chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP)and Chief Tom Ikimi was the National Chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

Before the emergence of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2008, Uromi, where Chief Anenih hails from, was described as the seat of power where politicians go to for political blessings. Politicians sought for the blessings of Anenih to contest elections or seek for federal appointment. The reverse is the case today with the loss of power at the centre by the PDP.

As the race to succeed Oshiomhole gathers momentum, some politicians from the zone, especially in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are insisting that it is the turn of Edo Central to produce the next governor. The APC is silent on zoning, but leaders of the party and traditional rulers from Edo South have insisted on power going to Edo South. The PDP zoned its governorship to Edo South and the deputy governorship to Edo Central since its Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, hails from Edo North.

APC aspirants from Edo Central are former President of the Trade Union Congress Peter Esele, Mr. Kenneth Imasuangbon, popularly known as Rice Man, human rights activist Casely Omon-Irabor, Austin Emuan, an architect, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, and Chief Matthew Atamah.

The arguments by some of these aspirants are that the tenure of Oserheimen Osunbor was cut short by the court. former Governor Lucky Igbinedion from Edo South ruled for eight years, Oshiomhole from Edo North is completing his eight years tenure and it was the turn of Edo Central.

At a forum organized by Esan Journalist Forum at Irrua, Esan Central local governmen, the Esan Agenda in the APC was first popularised. A communique issued at the end of the forum called for support from all Esan sons and daughters in the zone’s bid for the slot.

The communique said the zone has the capacity to produce Oshiomhole’s successor and that the dream could be realised, if Edo people of Esan extraction unite and speak with one voice.

The National President of Esan Journalists Forum, Timothy Okojie-Ave, said the forum was “to set in motion an agenda for the future of Esan Nation” for economic prosperity and political as well as cultural vibrancy.

He said: “We recognise that for the development that we seek to come quickly, the easiest way is to ensure that we  all come together to say with one voice that the time has come for political power in Edo state to shift to Esanland, by allowing the zone to produce the next Governor of Edo state”.

Imasuagbon said the people from each senatorial district have the inalienable right to aspire to any elective position and who governs them.

On whether the Esan will get it right during the governorship race, Imasuagbon said: “The Esans will speak with one voice because it is our turn. I am not an apostle of zoning. I am for merit, but on a flip side, it is the turn of Esans. Lucky Igbinedion was governor for eight years. Oshiomhole will soon serve out his tenure of eight years. Lucky is from the South, Oshiomhole is from the North, you cannot jump Central and take it to the South again, that will not be fair.”

“Equity, justice and equilibrium demands that Edo people will not jump Central and take it to South. I am not an apostle of zoning, I am an apostle of the best and proper person to do the job. I am ready and prepared. The governor has helped to narrow down the criteria on who should succeed him. I am in alliance with the governor when he said he needs a wealth creator. All my life, since I left school, I have been in the business of creating jobs. None of other aspirants can show the jobs they have created but they have all been taking from government. I have been giving to the people.”

The unionist,  Esele, appeared not too keen on the Esan Agenda when he stated he was not brought to do sectional talk. He said he endorsed competence and the capacity of individuals to deliver food on the people’s table.

He added: “For me, I’m a former TUC Leader. We were not brought up in this sectional talk. I look at the capacity. Does this person has the capacity and can he put food on my table.”

“From my background, I rose from the minority group to be PENGASSON President and from my background, I rose and became the President of TUC.”

President of the Esan Youth Movement, Mr Kingsley Ohens, at a press conference said Edo Central Senatorial District has been marginalised in the sharing of political positions in the state since 1999.

Kingsley, who urged political parties, to pick the next governor from Esanland for equity and justice to prevail in the politics of Edo state, said Edo South and Edo North have had their fair share of power.

He said: “Esan has credible, reliable and dependable candidates that have what it takes to take Edo State to the next level. All Esan people must unite and bring this injustice to an end”.

“Edo South has since 2008 held on to the deputy governor, Chief judge, Head of Service, Accountant-General, Auditor-general, Attorney-general, Solicitor-General  as and the Chairmen, Judicial  Service Commission, Law Review Commission, Oil and Gas Commission among others”.

“Edo North has held on to the governorship, the SSG,  Chairman, board of Internal Revenue, Universal Basic Education, Local Government Service Commission, Executive Director, ICT, Directors of Edo state Liaison Office in Abuja and Lagos, State Security Adviser and Principal Security Officer among others”.

Last week, Esan Leaders of Thought rose from an emergency meeting and called for an end of the marginalisation of the Esan people.

The leader of the group, Chief Francis Inegbeneki,   said the only position occupied by an Esan man, which is the Speaker of the House of Assembl,y has been taken away.

He said: “Esan has credible, reliable and dependable candidates that have what it takes to take Edo state to the next level. All Esan people must unite and bring this injustice to an end”.

“We recognize that for the development that we seek to come quickly, the easiest way is to ensure that we all come together to say with one voice that the time has come for power in Edo state to shift to Esan land, by allowing the zone to produce the next governor of Edo state, which indeed, is our right, because having seen Edo south produce a governor in this dispensation that served his two terms of four years and now the North is about rounding off its second term of four years.”

“ Our mission is to set in motion an agenda for the future of Esan nation to be

economically prosperous, politically vibrant, culturally dynamic and be at peace with itself and its neighbour.”

Inegbeneki added: “We want unwavering support to realise the Esan’s governorship bid in its effort to ensure rapid economic growth and development of the district. It is the turn of Edo central to produce the governor, the

North and south senatorial district have produced the governors in the

last two dispensation. It is the turn of the Edo Central. Edo people are civilized. It is on this basis that we all collectively should accept that it is the turn of Edo Central senatorial district to produce the governor of Edo state in 2016.”

 Esan politicians are serious about the Esan Agenda. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Justin Okonoboh, has refused to openly endorse Godwin Obaseki on behalf of the senatorial district.

He simply said: “We will go back home and remind our people on what to do and they know exactly what to do.”

The PDP has zoned the slot to Benin. According to sources, the APC has followed suit. Some leaders of Edo Central may be serious about the Esan Agenda. But, the governorship appears to be a tough aspiration for them to achieve.

As the participating political parties prepare to elect their standard bearers for the September 10, 2016 Edo State governorship election, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on the issues that may shape the results of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic (PDP) primaries 

Since mid April, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the guidelines for September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State, there has been increased political tempo in the South-South state as aspirants and their supporters mount pressure on their political parties to either elect them as the parties’ standard bearers or at least allow free primaries. This has deepened the intrigues as some stakeholders try desperately to advance reasons why their rivals must be denied the opportunity of flying the parties’ flags.

In the INEC guideline, primaries are scheduled to hold between June 2, 2016 and July 4, 2016. Realising that they have barely a month to either gain the ticket or loss it, the serious aspirants in the two leading political parties in the state, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have literarily relocated to the rural communities both to feel the pulse of the real electorates and to carry along the grassroots political leaders who will ultimately determine the party’s flag-bearer. For example, one of the leading APC aspirants, Mr. Kenneth Imasuagbon (fondly called the Rice man), told The Nation on Thursday that he had visited all the wards in the state. “I have been working hard. I am the only aspirant in APC that have been to all the 992 wards to associate with the people and to feel their pulse,” he said. An associate of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a leading aspirant on the platform of PDP, who pleaded not to be named, since he was not assigned to speak for the aspirant, also said he has been working hard at the grassroots.

Aside the current moves of the aspirants to win support from the grassroots, which seems to cut across most of the leading parties, The Nation investigation shows that the major issues that will likely determine the results of the primaries and that of the governorship election include how APC leadership will finally handle the burning issue of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s alleged support of one of the aspirants and how PDP will resolve the consensus candidate riddle.

APC and the fuss over Oshiomhole’s choice

Barely a month to the deadline given to the parties by INEC to produce their candidates, the issue of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s choice has remained the major issue ahead the primaries. Most aspirants for APC ticket and their supporters have continued to express fears over Oshiomhole’s alleged endorsement of one of the aspirants, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, threatening that anything short of free and fair primaries will endanger the fortunes of the party at the governorship election proper.

Aside Obaseki, who is the head of the economic team of Oshiomhole’s government, other prominent aspirants for the ticket of APC in the governorship election include the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, Mr. Kenneth Imasuagbon (the Rice man), former governor of the state, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor, Works Commissioner, Osarodion Ogie, former Minister of State (Works), Dr Chris Ogiemwonyi and Gen. Charles Airhiavbere.

The allegation that Oshiomhole may have endorsed Obaseki first gathered steam in January, when the governor was accused of making government facilities available to him to promote his ambition at the expense of the other aspirants.

The Nation reported then that this allegation, which has been a subject of contention since then, gave the leadership of APC serious concern as some of the aggrieved aspirants reached out to top leaders of the party outside the state, warning that they would resist any form of imposition. A campaign official of one of the aspirants had warned that Oshiomhole’s open support of one of the aspirants will not be in the best interest of the party at the long run. “From what we are seeing, it seems clear that the governor is trying to change the goalpost in the middle of the game. This is not acceptable. Everybody knows that the calibre of aspirants in the race today was made possible because the governor initially and openly promised to allow a level playing field, to ensure that only the best and most popular candidate would emerge APC flag bearer. This is not acceptable.”

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leadership of APC to wade into the matter to save the party in the state, he asked rhetorically, “Will Buhari, APC chieftains and national leaders of the party allow Oshiomhole to go ahead and impose candidate in Edo? Is it not a common knowledge that he is sponsoring delegates to favour his candidate? So, why are the leaders folding their hands and watching this dangerous development, knowing the likely consequence of destroying the party’s chances at the real governorship election?”

He added, “We all know that the governor came in with a populist ideology as a labour leader, fighting for the welfare of the people and so they embraced him and the party but it seems he has turned out to be a capitalist. In his actions, especially on this issue of how his successor would emerge, he is not walking the talk as he now sees himself as alpha and omega. He should allow people’s will to prevail and shouldn’t be allowed to truncate Buhari’s change mantra.”

Zoning permutation and APC

Our investigation shows that zoning may have emerged the major issue of who would succeed Oshiomhole. A source in APC said zoning will play a major part in the primaries, adding that some elements in the national leadership may have seen reason why zoning may not be totally ignored. According to our source, who claimed the avalanche of criticism against Obaseki’s choice may have dealt a big blow on his chances, said “those opposing Obaseki’s choice are not doing so only because it was the governor that wants him, but primarily because his emergence will not be fair, zoning wise; this has created a situation where the governor’s choice may no longer be the leading candidate. From what we can see on the field and from sentiments expressed during our interactions with some political leaders within and outside the state, the deputy governor, Pius Odubu from Edo South and the Rice Man, Ken Imansuagbon from Edo Central, may have actually emerged the aspirants to beat, since the North should not think of producing the next governor after Oshiomhole. If this sentiment persists, and if a free and fair primary election is held one may see a situation where the vote from the North will be shared between Obaseki and the other strong aspirants whose popularity spreads across the three senatorial zones while other zones like Edo Central may give an aspirant like Ken a bloc vote.”

This implication of this permutation would not be lost easily by a perceptive observer. This is a major challenge, especially for Governor Oshiomhole, who, insiders said has an idea of the person he wants to succeed him. Edo South Senatorial Zone for example, where the deputy governor comes from, has more than 50 percent voting population, and the zone has been outspoken on the need to produce Oshiomhole’s successor. Edo Central Senatorial District, where Imansuagbon and Professor Oserheimen Osunbor come from is also insisting that it should be their turn. For example, Dr. Francis Inegbeniki, the APC senatorial candidate for Edo Central in the March 28 general election, is of the opinion that the agitation by the people of Edo Central to produce the next governor of the state in 2016 “is non-negotiable,” arguing that the agitation is “for the purpose of justice, equity and fair play.”

He also said, “Edo Central had only occupied the governor’s office for just 18 months, adding that “The people of Edo Central are demanding to produce the next governor to take over from Oshiomhole in 2016. Honestly, I think the people of Edo South, which had occupied the position for over nine years and Edo North presently completing its eight years in that office in the person of Oshiomhole should not argue about it.”

Dr Austin Iyare, a political analyst, who also said zoning will play a major role in the choice of the candidate in APC, said, “Since APC leadership is not ignorant of the popular sentiment in Edo State today, I do not see why it will not convince the governor to allow a level playing ground in the interest of the party. Here in Edo, many agree it should be the turn of the Central. I can assure you that any party that ignores this truth will pay dearly for it.”

PDP and the consensus candidate’s riddle

In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the major issue seems to be how far the aspirants, especially the so-called four leading aspirants, will honour the alleged agreement to support any of them that emerged the consensus candidate. The four leading aspirants, according to Dr. Iyare, include Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekwmwen, Chief Solomon Edebiri and Earl Osaro Onaiwu.

Given the radical antecedents of the four aspirants for example, insiders said they may not easily accept any imposition of any of them. For example, both Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a former Chief of Staff and Secretary to Edo State government during the Lucky Igbinedion administration (1999-2007) and Edebiri belonged to the progressive elements that formed the APC before but defected after alleged marginalisation.

Ize-Iyamu was one of the forces that formed the Grace Group, a pressure group within the PDP, which left the party to form the AD and the Action Congress in Edo State. He later served as the Vice Chairman, South- South of the defunct ACN before returning to the PDP after allegedly falling out with Oshiomhole.

Edebiri was one of the leaders of Edo ANPP group during the merger with the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) for the formation of the APC. But he defected to the PDP in 2014 after complaining that only the ACN group was running the show in the new APC.

As Iyare puts it, “Given the caliber of the PDP aspirants and their antecedents, informed observers are convinced that any imposition will hurt the unity of the party and that will be a gain to APC.  This notwithstanding, we learnt that many influential members of PDP national leadership are of the opinion that the party, besides studying the choice of APC, must take into consideration the zoning sentiment while settling for a standard bearer. The game is hot already as the leaders scheme the way to victory.