Edo guber race: APC gunning for continuity

• Oshiomhole’s alleged neglect of Edo Central haunts Obaseki
• Governor challenges Ize-Iyamu to a popularity contest
•Ruling party’s candidate says, God has chosen him

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been touring the nooks and crannies of the state starting from Benin (Edo South), which controls more than 50 per cent of the voting population of the state with the sole ambition of ensuring that its governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki succeeds the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Although Obaseki hopes to capitalise on the perceived achievements of the outgoing governor, an albatross that the ruling APC is contending with at present is what has been described as ‘total neglect and marginalisation’ of the Edo Central Senatorial district by the administration.

Apart from infrastructural decay in the area, the people also lamented that the only high ranking official of the state from Edo Central, Jerry Obazele was hounded out office of the Head of Service, on a flimsy excuse. The governor had claimed that Obazele was removed because he failed to provide proper leadership.

An opportunity to show that an Obaseki’s administration may not continue with the trend was blown when Obaseki chose his running mate from Edo North. Philip Shuaibu, the deputy governorship candidate hails from the same ward with Oshiomhole.

Edo Central is made up of the Esan clan, which has produced notable and influential Nigerians living and dead, they include Chief Anthony Enahoro, former Chief of General Staffs, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Prof Ambrose Alli, Chief Tony Anenih and Chief Tom Ikimi, to mention but a few.

However, there has been a recent move to appease the Edo Central people. Apparently to appease them, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie (Edo South), Speaker of the House of Assembly was compelled to step down on Monday and her deputy, Justin Okonoboh (Edo Central) made the speaker.

Only time would tell how far this reversal in the House leadership would go to shore up APC’s fortunes in the election.They would also contend with the frosty relationship with the work force and the pensioners who for some time now, have been complaining of non-payment of their entitlements.

Notwithstanding, the party is determined to ensure that its legacies of new schools, numerous asphalted roads across the state, transparency in public procurement, public works advancement, among other achievements were not eroded.

Obaseki, a technocrat who professed to be apolitical up to the year 2014, has gradually grown and bulldozed his way into politicking. In the last few appearances in campaigns, he has been able to display grasp of public presentation both in pidgin and queens English depending on the mood of the environment.

What has been going well for the party is its grip on the grassroots and densely populated areas in the cities. These are where most of the voting population reside and the Oshiomhole government, as a matter of policy, has concentrated its infrastructural works in these areas more than the highbrow areas.

The APC launched its state-wide campaign few days ago, which was heralded with the meeting of the Progressives Governors Forum where the governors set up a Campaign Council co-chaired by the governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state.

It was a mammoth crowd that filled the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium defying the rain to listen to their party leaders and then see their candidate officially presented to the party after the primary election.It was a roll call of who is who in the APC including the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; governors of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Plateau, Imo states; wife of Edo governor, Mrs. Iara Oshiomhole; the deputy governors of Oyo, Kogi, Jigawa, Kwara, Borno, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa states, and the host deputy governor, Pius Odubu; former Senator representing Edo North; Domingo Obende, his successor, Francis Alimekhena; Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire; serving and past lawmakers from the state and thousands of other party supporters across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Odigie-Oyegun who called for a continuation of the developmental strides of the outgoing government, said that Obaseki contributed to feats of the government as the chairman of the state Economic Management Team in the last seven and a half years.

Okorocha urged the people not to vote for PDP because “the only thing they know how to do is to snatch ballot boxes; but we are now in charge at the centre so no more rigging. I am here with my colleagues to endorse the candidacy of Godwin Obaseki. Come September 10, we are going to win the election, PDP is not a popular party.”

Speaking after receiving the party’s flag, Obaseki said if elected, he would focus on employment with a target of 200,000 jobs through private sector investments in agriculture and expanded infrastructural development including the completion of power generation projects in the state expected to generate not less than 20 per cent of the power needs of the state.

“Having worked closely with the comrade governor, developing plans, formulating policies and programmes, and implementing same, I am deeply familiar with what has been accomplished and what has been left undone. I am familiar with successes, prospects and challenges,” he stated.

On his part, Oshiomhole challenged the PDP candidate Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of the state for a road walk to test their popularity. In addition, he ‎tasked Ize-Iyamu to account for the N1.7 billion-taxpayer money for erosion control at Teachers’ House and the dredging of Ikpoba River in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state during Lucky Igbinedion administration.

“Obaseki has been the brainbox and chairman of the Economic Team. He has not received salary from Edo State Government, which is the kind of selflessness that we need. He told me that his reward is to see changes in Benin City, and in Edo.“Few years ago they said I was a hoodlum, rascal, labour activist, a poor tailor and that they will teach me a lesson, today l am the professor of politics”

The campaign train then moved to Edo North Senatorial District and at Auchi, the headquarters, some defectors from the PDP were received. The APC’s governorship candidate, flanked by his running mate, Philip Shaibu said if they win, they would continue the infrastructural development that has been started just as he said the abundant mineral resources in the region including vast land for agriculture would be exploited to generate employment and revenue for the state.

“We are God’s own and God has said that I will be the next governor after our great leader, Adams Oshiomhole and because God has said it, then I will do it as expected of me. We built roads so that we can expand the economy of Edo north, today, you can go to Anegbette, we have opened up more than 100 hectres of land by that road so now my responsibility is to bring investors and grow food in these lands.

Similarly, it was a colourful outing on Monday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium when thousands of market women dressed alike with green headgears gathered to endorse Obaseki. The President General of the Market women, Mrs. Blacky Omoregie urged Obaseki to continue with the developmental projects of Oshiomhole saying, “We are declaring today our support for you and APC. We are doing this because APC under Oshiomhole gave us hope, gave our children schools, health care and loans for our businesses and we want you to continue from where Oshiomhole stopped”.

The ability of the party leadership to quickly reconcile all factions that emerged during the primaries, which ensured that none of the aspirants that lost left the party remained a plus for the chances of the party.Edo North has remained intact despite initial fears that the choice of Shaibu as Obaseki’s running mate could generate some bad blood.