Compared to weekend’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), today’s contest among the three aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is believed to have been decided even before delegates formally cast their votes to produce a winner. OSAGIE OTABOR looks at the chances of the aspirants.
Three aspirants are contesting for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State in today’s governorship primary for the September 10 election. This is the first time the PDP will be going into an election in Edo State as an opposition party, both at the state and the federal level.
The aspirants are a former Secretary to the Edo State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Solomon Edebiri and Matthew Iduoriyekemwen. The 576 delegates that would decide the fate of the aspirants were elected from the 192 wards across the state. They are to be joined by other statutory delegates whose figures are yet to be disclosed.
All the aspirants are from the Edo South senatorial district, the zone where the governorship seat was zoned to in the PDP. Unlike the APC, the build up to the Edo PDP primary appeared rancour-free, with low apprehension: a situation which made many to believe the party delegates already know where the pendulum would swing.
At different fora organised by a PDP group, the Unity League, the aspirants pledged to work together after the primary. At a seminar held last weekend in Benin City, the Edo State capital, a former Minister of National Planning, Prof Sulaiman Abubakar, said the survival of the PDP as a party depends on winning the Edo governorship election in September.
Abubakar noted that putting Edo under the PDP family would open the path to true federalism in the Southsouth region, provide a platform to reclaim power in 2019, if the aspirants and supporters accept the outcome of today’s primary election and not cause disaffection in the party.
In his address entitled, “Edo State Election: The last Hope of the deprived”, Abubakar said: “The Southsouth must as a matter of strategy be under the same political platform. This will be a challenge to the hegemony in the Northwest. We should not forget that you have been described as people who provided just five per cent of the presidential vote. So, as long as the APC remains in power, you should not expect anything significant.
“The surest way to negotiate, bargain and diplomatically make a point is to be united, integrate and form a formidable front under the PDP. Such political formation is sharper, result-oriented and more consequential than a thousand avengers.”
One notable personality that has been silent since the race to September 10 began is Chief Tony Anenih, a former Minister of Works and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT). On a good day, a snap from him is capable of deciding who gets the PDP nomination. But, the story is different today. Though Anenih is yet to announce his retirement from partisan politics, he has been taking a back seat since the former ruling party was defeated in the last general elections.
The aspirants are in for a stiff contest.
Ize-Iyamu
He has a bright chance of emerging victorious in today’s primary, because he has effectively taken control of the PDP at the grassroots. Top PDP chieftains across the state are in support of his candidacy. They believe Pastor Ize-Iyamu is the only person that has the political clout to lead a successful campaign against Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He was a founding member of the PDP and strongly opposed to the over-bearing influence of Chief Anenih on the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion. This made him to propagate the slogan: “No man is God.” He joined others to fight Anenih by forming the Grace Group. Ize-Iyamu returned to the PDP in 2014 with his supporters after he sensed that his ambition to succeed Oshiomhole under the APC would not succeed. He has however told critics that he should not be blamed for the failure of the Igbinedion administration, because, according to him, he was not in charge of contracts award and the final decision rests with the executive governor.
He had said: “You will be surprised the way the ordinary man understands the matter. For them, Ize-Iyamu is a good man. He has not been a governor, let us give him a chance and know if he will do well.
“If you sample opinion round the state, you will find out that form of attack will not work at all. People are very enlightened. They see me as somebody who is very experienced and courageous enough to bring the kind of changes they want in the state.”
Edebiri
This is the first time Edebiri would be contesting a party primary since he has been contesting for the governorship since 2007. He was the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) governorship candidate in 2007. In 2012, he endeared himself to the people at a political debate when he contested under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). After the merger that led to the formation of the APC, Edebiri joined the APC where he stayed briefly before he moved to the PDP in 2014, after the party’s congresses. Many said he is seen as an outsider in the PDP and that party leaders would not be able to control him. He might spring surprises if the thinking of his supporters that some leaders were in secret pact with him is anything to go by.
Edebiri has promised to develop the agricultural potentials of the state to boost internally generated revenue (IGR) without over taxing the people. He has also promised to generate N12 billion annually from rice production.
His words: “What is uppermost in my mind is that we must develop our agro potentials to tackle poverty and boost the economy in the face of the dwindling oil price. If we produce rice in this state and tax N1000 per bag, we will generate N12 billion in a year from rice production. This state will become a centre for food production. We will negotiate and get crude oil from the Federal Government. We will build modular refinery and produce petrol at N45 per litre. Enough is enough of electing people who get into office and treat people like slaves.
“If you make an error of not electing a labour-conscious candidate, we are in for a mess. There will no welfare and there will be low-staff morale. For workers not to be corrupt, we must look at all the issues.
“The only way to create jobs is to set up industries. How many workers can say they have gone for a capacity-training programme? It is pathetic. I know we will manage a state where workers will be happy and the people will be happy.”
Iduoriyekemwen
He was the former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly and a Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Matthew lost the PDP primary in 2012 to Charles Airhiavbere. He is tagged as Mr. No stain and said his performances as NDDC commissioner would secure votes for him. Matthew said he should be rewarded for being a loyal party man and not those that moved from one party to another.
All the aspirants have pledged to work for whoever emerges in today’s primary and the delegates are poised to vote according to the dictates of party chieftains. There is however a snag in the contest over the pending court ruling on who is the authentic National Chairman of the party. It was the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led leadership that screened the three aspirants.
