Many aspirants are preparing for the governorship primary of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, which is scheduled for next month. In this report, Southsouth Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI looks at the chances of the contenders

The Edo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary, to produce the party’s flag bearer for this year’s off-cycle election, is likely to be held between February 1 and 24. It has been dubbed a fight-to-finish among the growing number of aspirants in the race. This is because of the bitterness and animosity that have been witnessed so far in the build-up to the election scheduled for September 21, to determine Governor Godwin Obaseki’s successor.

The primary is expected to be a fierce contest involving Governor Obaseki’s anointed aspirant, Asue Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer; Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu; Anselm Ojezua, a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who followed Obaseki to the PDP; John Yakubu, a former chairman of Esan Northeast Local Government; and whosoever emerges as the consensus choice of the Legacy Coalition led by Chief Dan Orbih, PDP National Vice Chairman (Southsouth) who is at war with Obaseki.

Asue Ighodalo:

Asue Igbodalo appears to be the man to beat in the race for the party’s ticket. But, his challenge is the fact that he is being anointed by Governor Obaseki, who is increasingly looking like the new godfather of Edo politics. Obaseki had fought his former benefactor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, to a standstill because the latter was perceived as becoming overbearing as a godfather.

Igbodalo is a Lagos-based technocrat, like his benefactor (Obaseki). With the question mark over the performance of the former Lagos-based investment banker (Obaseki), according to many stakeholders, it will be suicidal to allow another Lagos-based technocrat to succeed him.

Obaseki is said to be backing Ighodalo who hails from Edo Central Senatorial District, which has not produced a governor, to ensure justice, equity and fairness. Ighodalo, a lawyer, is an indigene of Ewohimi, Esan Southeast Local Government Area. He was accused of inability to speak his native Esan language recently because he opted to address his people in English, rather than in the Esan language.

But, the governorship aspirant has described himself as a true Esan boy. He said: “I am a true Esan boy. I am a true Edo boy. I am a true Nigerian. That is what I am. Since 2008, I have been in the economic team of the state, starting from the administration of Comrade Governor (Adams) Oshiomhole. Since Godwin Obaseki came in as the chairman of the Economic Team, I have been coming to Edo State to support and advise the government.

“I have been advising since 2008, which is 15 years ago, which means that I came into Edo State, five, six, so many times a year for government business, not to talk about my own business. So, people can say what they like. Because we are not noisy, and because we are not jumping from one ‘mama put’ to another does not mean am not a true Edo boy.”

Ighodalo believes he is the best person to succeed Obaseki. He refuted the allegation that he was being propped up by the governor. Rather, he said he is in the race to bring his experience of serving as chairman of various companies in Nigeria to bear in serving the Edo people, upon his being elected and inaugurated.

The aspirant who spoke when he visited the secretariat of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, the Edo State capital, stressed that he wants to make the Southsouth state strong economically. His words: “I am the best man for the job. I am here to serve the state. I hear people saying I am someone’s candidate, but I can tell you that I am nobody’s candidate. All I will do is to bring my experience to bear, having been chairman of several top companies. I am coming from a comfort zone. I can do things for many more people, having done for fewer people in the corporate world.”

He urged members of the PDP in Edo State to support his aspiration.

Philip Shaibu:

Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives, insisted that loyalty to Obaseki had nothing to do with his ambition to succeed the latter as governor. He maintained that he would vie for the ticket to succeed his boss during this year’s election.

The erstwhile national president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) insisted during his declaration for the governorship race in Benin that nothing and that no one can stop his aspiration to take part in the primary on the platform of the PDP, and succeed Obaseki.

The declaration was initially fixed for Eterno Hotel, Aiguobasimwin Crescent, off Ikpokpan Road, Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Benin City. However, it had to be shifted to another venue because some allies of Obaseki had fixed a meeting of Finish Well Group (FWG), supporters of Governor Obaseki for the same venue on that same date. The idea is to campaign for Ighodalo, who is perceived as the governor’s anointed candidate. It must be noted that Governor Obaseki is furiously against the aspiration of Shaibu who hails from Edo North Senatorial District to succeed him.

It was to prevent a confrontation and to ensure peace that Shaibu decided at the eleventh hour to move his declaration to Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, located within the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road in Benin City.

Shaibu, however, maintained that he remained undeterred, focused, and determined to be victorious. He said: “Back in the day, you did not just call me ‘Mr. Constituency Project,’ for nothing. In my time as a legislator, I delivered 49 constituency projects at the state level and 13 solid constituency projects within my short stint at the federal level. I have fought the good fight for you, my people. Along the way, I suffered humiliations and enjoyed many moments of victory, but I am thankful for all things.

“I have been pressed, but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, badly hurt but not destroyed. I resonate with the tireless and irrepressible spirit of the Edo people. By the grace of God, nothing and no one can stop us. After all, I am an original Edo son, a 100 per cent homeboy.

“This is why today, I stand before you with great conviction and resolve, as I declare my intention to run for the office of the governor of Edo State, on the platform of the PDP, in the upcoming 2024 election, and I am confident that with your support, we can take Edo State to even greater heights.”

The deputy governor also noted that the people of Edo came from a lineage of greatness. He said their ancestors built the “Old Bini Empire” on bold ideas, breath-taking innovations and matchless diligence and that from the “Great Moat of Benin” to the world-famous “Benin Bronze Works”, their ancestors dominated their times, led the Nigerian dream from the front, and created novel frontiers for the future.

He said: “When Edo State was created in 1991, our brilliant leaders, fully aware of our ancestral destiny named us ‘The Heart Beat of The Nation.’ That was not an ordinary slogan. It was a call to destiny…mandate that we must collectively achieve.

“As your deputy governor in the last seven years, I have had the privilege of working closely with our amiable governor, His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki, to lay a solid foundation for progress in Edo State. Under our administration, we have seen remarkable achievements and milestones, but there is still much work to be done.

“I am aware of the need by the greater Edo people for a more inclusive government; a government of the Edo people, by the Edo people, and for the Edo people; a government of individuals who have been there and know the pains and wishes of an average Edolite. A government, together, with the greater Edo people, will reignite the Edo spirit and transform our tomorrow.

“Since my foray into politics three decades ago, I have lived among you and you have loved me as your very own son. I have felt your pains at close quarters, sat with the elders to benefit from their words of wisdom, led the youths in many struggles for their rights, visibility and freedom, learned the intricacies of modern governance and built adequate service capacity.

Anselm Ojezua:

Anselm Ojezua is a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP. Ojezua, a lawyer, hails from Edo Central Senatorial District, has assured that his administration would give security top priority. He also expressed displeasure over the unbelievably high cost of access to health. He said if the challenge is not addressed adequately, it would spell doom for the majority of the people.

Ojezua, a former Edo APC chairman, who defected alongside Governor Obaseki to the PDP, from the APC, on June 19, 2020, ahead of the crucial September 19, 2020 governorship election, spoke with reporters in Benin recently about his aspiration.

He declared that his administration would have zero tolerance for open grazing, with his government initiating policies that would ensure that farmers who deal in livestock had no reason to clash with those who engage in crop farming.

The governorship aspirant, who was Commissioner for Information in the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, noted that the challenges facing the health sector has been compounded by the growing incidence of brain drain and that it now requires an urgent attention.

He said: “I am one of those who believe that no security can be as effective as local security, which brings us to the issue of state police. I am one of those who believe that state police is essential, and that it is imperative, but until that is constitutionally made possible, whatever arrangements that are already in place can be improved upon. With the Edo Security Network which has been established, I know that funding has been improved upon and we have to look at how best they can be effective.

“What I have found out over time is that these so-called herdsmen are a group of people that likes to live inside the bush; they will go and create settlements inside the bush. Some of them even legitimise their stay by making payments to traditional rulers, whether they call it royalty, rent or whatever. They make payments and they will go and stay inside the bush. I know that at a point, security meetings were held and we resolved that we no longer tolerate people living in the bush. Ideally, people should live and co-exist with other members of the community. We welcome anybody, whether you are a Nigerian, or not, to come and stay where people stay, not in the bush. So, we are going to try very hard to fight that.

“The immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, talked about grazing routes, something that was done in the 60s, but the then Attorney-General of the Federation could not tell him that since then, the Land Use Act has been promulgated, which has negated all that he was saying. All lands in every state are vested in the governor of the state. So, whatever route you had in the past, they are no longer there, and it cannot be as of right just the same way anybody can come to Edo and say he wants to set up an industry. If you want to set up a ranch, you can come and do that, but it must be in a confined environment. The idea of just roaming around is unacceptable.

“We had a situation somewhere in Esan Southeast Local Government, the settlement in the bush had more population than the indigenes around them, should there be any altercation, they would wipe the indigenes out.”

Legacy Coalition:

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, there were parallel primaries by Obaseki and the Dan Orbih factions of the PDP. Nevertheless, the court eventually favoured candidates that emerged from the primaries organised by the Obaseki faction, thereby making the numerous supporters of Orbih to vote massively for the candidates of the APC or the Labour Party (LP).

Besides Charles Idahosa, the legacy coalition also has other aspirants in the race. They include two ex-members of the House of Representatives, in the person of Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama and Sergius Ogun, as well as a former Edo Women Leader of the APC, Dr. Esosa Amadasun; an ex-Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Frank Okiye: a former Commissioner in Oshiomhole’s administration, Comrade Orobosa Omo-Ojo; and a senatorial candidate of PDP in Edo North, Pascal Ugbmohe; among other prominent politicians.

John Yakubu:

John Yakubu was the running mate to Edo PDP’s governorship candidate in 2016, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The former Chairman of Esan Northeast Local Government Council, recently described himself as a trader in an interactive session with reporters in Benin.

He said aspiring to govern a state like Edo should be for men, not boys. He said: “Social media have made governorship aspiration very easy. Out of the numerous governorship aspirants in Edo State, ahead of the September 21, 2024 election, 90 per cent do not have offices in Benin City but are ‘popular’ on social media.

“Most politicians are incurable optimists. Nobody will stop anybody’s political or governorship aspiration. Politicians have the right to aspire, but the electorate will separate the men from the boys. We are pushing for true reconciliation in Edo Central PDP. Ahead of the governorship primary election, the aggrieved members of the party would have agreed to sheathe their swords, to have a formidable PDP.” (The Nation)

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