In 2024, Edo State will witness yet another governorship election where the citizens, through the electorates, will choose who will govern them for the next four years or beyond as the twilight of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eight-year reign comes to an expected end.
Three significant parties with uncertain numbers of aspirants are targeting the vacuum that must be filled. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Progressives Congress, APC and then the Labour Party, LP, will all present candidates for the election proper, which will come up on Saturday, 21st, 2024. For this particular first series, we shall look at the LP, its aspirants and how they stand.
The LP won in Edo State during the presidential election earlier this year, where Mr Peter Obi was on the ballot box. This was as a result of different factors. Chief among them was that the voters, which constituted many of the disenchanted urban youth, saw Peter Obi as the illumination of a new order.
However, their hope was dashed after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced Obi as the second runner-up. The disenchanted youth lost hope in the electoral process as issues of rigging and favouritism by the electoral umpire were daily drummed into their heads through manipulated untruth.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, nor the Supreme Court did not help their claims as nothing tangible was presented in both courts to support their tales of outright rigging. This dampened the spirit of the youth that voted enmass in Edo State and beyond. And from assessment, the idea has disenfranchised the youth.
They no longer want to vote because they have been told their votes do not count, an inconsistency that has self-inflicted the party in elections since then. Despite this, several aspirants still feel they can cash on this populist party to win the election. About 28 persons have shown interest in vying under the party.
But the major contenders are Ken Imasuagbon Esq., Olumide Akpata Esq., Dorry Okogie Esq. and Mr. Serguis Ogun. Kenneth Imasuagbon, who has aspired most (four times), under different political parties just not too long ago decamped to LP. He caused awe last week when he told party faithful not to give the ticket to political newcomers while on a visit to Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
The chance of him winning the ticket is as slim as the chance of a crowing cock missing stew for Christmas. He said people should not compare him to a former Nigeria Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, or Dorry Okogie, both of whom he described as ‘newbies in politics,” adding, “Don’t make a mistake of giving your vote to unpopular candidates.
We need a popular candidate to take on the PDP and APC.” Apart from coming from Edo Central Senatorial District and being able to spend dollars during party primaries, not much will work for him to secure the party ticket.
Mr Dorry Okogie has the backing of some of the youth within the party, but how they will fair under the party that has been taken over by moneybags against the old mantra of ‘we nor dey give shi” is yet to be seen. Mr. Sergius Ogun was still in PDP when he openly supported Mr Peter Obi’s aspiration.
The two-term House of Representative member under PDP from Edo Central Senatorial District formally joined the LP about a fourth night ago. His chances are slim, except he is rewarded through the influence of Peter Obi.
Olumide Akpata, the immediate past president of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, is the most likely aspirant to secure the ticket. Although he might be called a neophyte by Ken Imasuagbon, he has shown to the party members what money can do above experience.
It was alleged he recently gave all the councillorship candidates of LP five hundred thousand Naira each in the state while one million five hundred thousand was given to each chairmanship candidate after their attempts to contest the election were summarily botched.
Also, during his visit to each of the 18 local government areas, he donated five million Naira to the party and took away food and drinks. Recently, he added to his gifts to the party by donating 20 Sienna buses, even when some party members described the gesture as a ‘Greek gift.’ Although his chances are the highest among the numerous contenders, he is, however, being seen as an outsider to Edo State and its complex politics.
The Warri/Lagos boy had to add Osiagbovo to his Olumide Akpata name to evade this tag. He is also seen within and outside his party as an alternative candidate for the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki. He has, however, come out to openly debunk the widespread rumour.
The LP will only do well in Edo South Senatorial District if there is any wand to awaken the interest of the party members in the district. Another issue that will work against the LP is the issue of zoning. So many citizens from the three senatorial zones are in favour of zoning.
They think it is against the spirit of justice, fairness and equity for Obaseki from Edo South to leave after eight years in power and be replaced by another individual from the same district. The people from the other two districts are afraid of political dominance if governance is not rotated.
In continuation of our Edo 2024 Meet the Aspirants series, we will look at the All Progressive Congress, APC aspirants in our next edition.
Watch Out!