Edo 2016: Obaseki, Iyamu scramble for Oshiomhole's job

Following the emergence of the gubernatorial candidates of the two main political parties in Edo State, the stage is now set for electioneering campaigns and the final contest to produce the next governor of the state, write OGIEVA OYEMWENOSA and OFFOR ONUKWUWE, in Benin/Asaba

The usually tortuous journey undertaken by both politicians and the electorate to elect public office holders has started in Edo State. This followed the emergence of the governor­ship candidates of both the ruling All Progressives Con­gress (APC), and the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 10 governor­ship election in the state.
The two major candidates and those of the fringe po­litical parties, who may likely emerge in the next few days, will, for the next three months, be scrambling to take the plum job of Adams Oshi­omhole, the current governor of the state.
While the APC produced Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as its gubernatorial candidate at the end of the governorship primaries held on June 18, the governorship primaries of the PDP produced Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu, as the party’s can­didate.
Obaseki - former chairman of the Edo state Economic and Strategy Team polled 1,618 votes to beat his closest rival, Dr. Pius Odubu, the deputy governor of the state, who scored 471 votes.
The other contestants in the race were Blessing Agbomere (5 votes), Gen. (rtd) Charles Airhiavbere (11 votes), Prof. Amadasun Ebegua (8 votes), Emmanuel Arigbe-osula, (10 votes), Austine Emuan ( 7 Votes) Peter Esele ( 8 votes), Prof. Osunbor Osarhiemen (9 votes), Tins Agbarha (3 votes) Chris Ogiemwonyi (137 votes), Barrister Ken­neth Imasuagbon (247 votes). A total of 2,582 delegates were accredited to vote in the con­test which ended in the morn­ing of June 19.
At the end of PDP guber­natorial contest, Pastor Iy­amu, scored 584 votes to beat his closest rival Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen who polled 91 votes, while Dr. Solomon Edebiri scored 38 votes.
Governor Oshiomhole who kept vigil throughout the exercise, said the outcome showed that the party had no preferred candidate, rather “the voice of the people paved way for the emergence of the party’s candidate”.
He said: “Our delegates have spoken; now the party will hit the ground running. We we’ll not only focus on winning the governorship election in the stat, but will change Edo politics. We have no fear at all, in fact we will do better in the next election and kick out the opposition” said a visibly elated Governor Oshi­omhole.
Obaseki urged the aspir­ants who failed to win the cov­eted crown not see their defeat as a personal loss, but rather to work with the winner to propel the party to victory in the September 10 polls.
He also thanked the del­egates for electing him as the party’s flag-bearer, saying that given their continued support the party wills the forthcom­ing governorship election in the state ahead,
“The delegates are true he­roes of democracy. They have shown that indeed, democ­racy has evolved and far more sophisticated than they have been given credit for.
“We have collectively de­cided who will fly the flag of our great party in Edo. My greatest encouragement in this race was my co-contest­ants - this array of accom­plished individuals, including the deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu.
“I am indeed humbled by my nomination, but I will like to state that this is our col­lective victory. As a party, we must continue to work as a team to deliver victory at the September .10 governorship election. But, let me assure you that we will win,
“The state has commenced another journey to a brighter future, a future which will de­fine the state as a modern and progressive state where every citizen is provided with op­portunity to live life to its full­ness”, said Obaseki.
While presenting the Cer­tificate of Return to Obaseki, the Governor of Katsina State, who was also chairman of Edo State APC Governorship Primaries Committee, Hon. Aminu Masari, urged those who participated in the pri­maries to regard themselves as winners and not losers. He said that together the aspir­ants could and would make Edo and Nigeria better.
“For those who are not lucky to be the flag bearer this time around, they should get ready for the next primaries. Four years in the life of a na­tion is so small, even in the life of an individual.
“In politics, we have to learn to accept defeat and pre­pare for the next election.
“May I appeal to the winner also to be magnanimous in victory because this is the first leg. The second and most im­portant is the general election, where you need the support of not only the members of APC, but also other people of Edo State.
“For this reason, I call on you to extend the hand of fel­lowship to your fellow con­testants. And, for the contest­ants, take solace that it is only God that decides and who chooses who to lead in a par­ticular time,” Masari said.
Pastor Iyamu, an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of Nigeria, is considered as one of the most experienced politicians in Edo State.
In fact, he has been in poli­tics since the 90’s. He report­edly worked assiduously to ensure the victory of Lucky Igbinedion of the PDP, during the, 1999 governorship elec­tion in Edo State.
He was also said to have helped Oshiomhole become governor about 8 years ago, notwithstanding the fact that the duo were and are still members of opposing politi­cal parties.
“Iyamu has the political structures on the ground throughout all the local gov­ernment areas in the state, and added to the political experi­enced he garnered over the years, it’s not surprising that he won the PDP governorship primaries”, said one spectator in Benin, the Edo state capi­tal, where the governorship primaries of the two political parties held.
In his remarks, Masari, who presented the Certificate of Return to Obaseki, urged those who participated in the primaries to regard them­selves as winners and not los­ers. He said that together the aspirants could and would make Edo and Nigeria better.
“For those who are not lucky to be the flag bearer this time around, they should get ready; four years in the life of a nation is so small, even in the life of an individual.
“In politics, we have to learn to accept defeat and pre­pare for the next election.
“May I appeal to the winner also to be magnanimous in victory because this is the first leg. The second and most im­portant is the general election, where you need the support of not only the members of APC, but also other people of Edo State.
“For this reason, I call on you to extend the hands of fellowship to your fellow con­testants. And, for the contest­ants, take solace that it is only God that decides and who chooses who to lead in a par­ticular time,” Masari said.
Pastor Iyamu’s emergence as the PDP flag-bearer did not come to many as a surprise. An ordained pastor of the Re­deemed Christian Church of God, Iyamu, is said to be one of the experienced politicians in the state.
He was said to be a mem­ber of the PDP caucus in the state who worked assiduously to ensure the victory of Lucky Igbinedion, during the 1999 governorship election in Edo state.
He was also said to have helped Oshiomhole become governor eight years ago, not­withstanding the fact of their party differences.
Beyond that, Iyamu, ac­cording to some of his politi­cal associates, has formidable political structures in all the wards and local governments in the state.
“A lot of PDP faithful in the state would have been sur­prised if he had lost the guber­natorial primaries”, said one of his political associates.
Pastor Iyamu promised to deploy his political experi­ence garnered over the years to bring a new dawn in Edo State, if he finally wins the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Interestingly, the PDP gov­ernors have queued behind him in his quest to become the next governor of the state.
For instance, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was visibly present dur­ing the primaries, assured the PDP flag-bearer that his colleagues will give him un­flinching support to emerge victory at the polls.
Governor Okowa who spoke before and after the keenly contested elections at the Samuel Ogbemucia Sta­dium, Benin City, assured the people of Edo State that “as a member of one family, I will be involved in the PDP cam­paign which will usher in a progressive and development-oriented government in the state”. He said: I thank God that I witnessed this primaries today(June20).
“The organizers of the pri­maries promised free and fair elections. I am so glad because a candidate has emerged through a very ac­ceptable process and it will make the work easier.
“For the government and all of us in Delta State, we promise you our support; with the one spirit I am seeing in us today, we will win the elections come September,” Governor Okowa said.
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi who was the chairman of the panel for the governorship prima­ries, described the exercise as transparent.
Who then has the capacity to win the forthcoming guber­natorial election in Edo State? Not a few say that it would be difficult if not impossible for the PDP candidate to upstage the candidate of the APC, giv­en the power of incumbency in the state, and also given the “outstanding performance” of Governor Oshiomhole in the past eight years.