…As PDP declares end of campaign
By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The campaign to occupy the Dennis Osadebey government House Benin City has entered its critical stage as candidates of major political parties have also adopted all forms of last minute strategy to woo voters and ensure that their votes are secured.
Although INEC listed 17 candidates for Saturday’s election, it was learnt that some of the candidates and political parties have collapsed their structure and threw their weight behind candidates of other political parties, thus reducing it to a three-horse race, between Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) and Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as major contenders.
The result of the election has wider implication as may mark the end of Adam Osohmole controlled era or a renewal the hostilities between the former governor and the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki to stamp their authority and supremacy in the state.
The election has close similarities with what transpired in the 2020 governorship election, where Oshiomhole endorsed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who although was candidate of the PDP in 2016, moved into the APC when Oshimhole withdrew his support to Obaseki. During the political crisis, Obaseki joined the PDP backed up his deputy, Hon. Philip Shaibu but the two fell apart when Obaseki failed to back his governorship ambition due to rotation and rather backed Asue Ighodalo, a business ally and favoured by the zoning arrangement.
But the two horse race has been altered by the emergence of Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party, who although from the same zone as the exiting governor, introduced an element of uncertainty that made predictions more uncertain.
Like other states, Edo is divided into three senatorial districts: Edo South, Edo North, and Edo Central.
In terms of the number of local governments, Edo South has the largest, with seven LGAs, followed by Edo North with six, and Edo Central with five.
Since 1999, there has been an informal power rotation arrangement in the state.
In 2007, the ruling party in the state nominated Oserheimen Osunbor from Edo Central after eight years of Lucky Igbinedion.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party, the ACN, nominated Oshiomhole from Edo North.
INEC subsequently announced Osunbor as the winner of the election; however, the Court of Appeal nullified the result after one year and five months.
In 2016, Oshiomhole supported Obaseki, a candidate from Edo South, when he faced Ize Iyamu, a popular candidate also from Edo South.
Following their fallout, in 2020, Mr Oshiomhole backed Mr Iyamu against his former protégé, but they were defeated.
In the lead-up to the primaries for the current election, there appeared to be a consensus that power should shift to the Central district.
However, Mr Oshiomhole still supported a candidate from Edo South, Dennis Idahosa during the primaries, but Idahosa was defeated by Okpebholo.
Labour Party on the other hand gave their ticket to Olumide Akpata who was a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).
Akpata’s did not go down well with the Obidient movement, particularly those from Edo Central who believe power should be zoned to their district for equity.
“The three major parties are aware of Edo State’s political inclination. The APC gave their ticket to Edo Central, and the PDP did the same, so why didn’t the LP follow suit?
“There are good men in the LP from Edo Central who worked for Peter Obi during the last election,” FS Yusuf, a prominent Peter Obi supporter, posted on his X handle as he declared support for Mr Ighodalo, the PDP candidate.
The APC and PDP have similar arrangements regarding their candidates and running mates. Mr Ighodalo’s running mate is Osarodion Ogie, who hails from Edo South. Similarly, Idahosa, the APC running mate, is also from Edo South.
In contrast, the Labour Party is fielding a Christian-Muslim ticket, pairing Edo South with Edo North. Kadiri Asamah, an Auchi prince, is expected to attract the Muslim vote from Edo North.
Edo Central, with its five local governments, is expected to be a battleground between the PDP and APC.
Similarly, both parties view Edo South as contested territory, despite the presence of Mr Akpata, the sole candidate from the district.
The APC may consider itself dominant in Edo North. In the last governorship election, the party won only five LGAs, all in Edo North.
However, the Labour Party’s decision to choose Asamah as running mate may appeal to Muslims in Edo North, who have frequently complained of marginalisation.
The PDP may use the outcome of the State House of Assembly elections in 2023 as an indicator of its strength in this election.
Although the party suffered defeats in the presidential and National Assembly elections, it secured a landslide victory in the state assembly election.
With Peter Obi not being on the ballot, the Obidient movement may not have the same impact as in the 2023 general election.
Meanwhile, the APC candidate has been criticised by some observers for his lack of eloquence, with some even describing him as ‘not too lettered’ due to his public gaffes.
The state of the economy may also play a significant role in the election, as many Nigerians are angry over the current economic condition.
While the APC may be banking on “federal might,” the PDP is also making maximum use of state affairs to get the election preparation their advantage.
However, the governor lately started heaping allegations on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and police for attempting to compromise the process.
Consequently, the PDP and Gov. Obaseki refused to sign the peace accord and declared the election a “do or die affair.”
