Of the All Progressive Party, APC) Ahead of the Edo State 2024 governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party will not zone the ticket to any of the senatorial zones of the state but would look out for the best aspirant with the capacity to win an election for the party.
This claim has laid to rest the appeal by people from the Central Senatorial District that all political parties should zone their ticket to the zone for equity, justice and fair play. And it is much of a considerate lack of equalizing principle and inconsistency.
Shockingly, a party at the national level that won its election through the principle of zoning have come to Edo State to dismantle the same notion of zoning. What this easily means is that the urge to win the election supersedes other considerations. Well, that being said, several contenders and pretenders are readily available to purchase nomination forms, while some will self-dismantle from the race before the primaries.
One of the early starters in the race is Prince Clem Agba, who served as the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning from 2019 to 2023. Hon. Clem does not seem to be an exposed politician. He is eccentric and close-knit. He does not look friendly or even try to court friendship.
The most unappealing problem he faces is that he is from Edo North, where Senator Oshiomole is from. Many political watchers think he cannot get the support of even party members from the entire Edo North because the Etsako people have had their fair share in governance, dominating the Akoko-Edo and Owan people in elective and appointed positions.
So, if he does not get support from his home, one will wonder where his support will come from. At the centre, several aspirants are interested. The likes of Engr Gideon Ikhine, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Dr Mike Onolememen, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Col. David Imuse and several fringe others. Some of these aspirants have one contestable issue or the other. For example, Prof Osunbor is a very sound mind, and his short time as the governor of Edo State proved he could act as expected.
But the issues of campaign funding and age are both against him. His age might not appeal to the mass of youth that make up the large gamut of voters. The likes of Dr Onolememen and Engr Ikhine just recently decamped from PDP to the party. There is a very tiny chance that they will be considered to carry the ticket of the party where they are new entrants. In Edo South, several aspirants are also campaigning to get the party ticket.
As for some of the serving members of the National Assembly, while their rights to aspire for bigger offices can be respected, those freshers who have barely served six months throwing their hats into the ring are getting many talking already.
For example, many political watchers have opined that the senator representing Edo Central, Sen Monday Okpebholo, who became a senator by benefiting from the implosion and crisis that bedevilled the PDP and has yet to make an impact in the senate is also among the legion of aspirants from Edo central in the APC. The pundits see this as an insult and misplacement of priorities and privileges. He is also seen as one of those from Edo Central who is said to be working for some interests in Edo South, as he is seen as a close associate and political godson of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The likes of Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Dr Osifo, who recently lost in his bid to go to the House of Representatives, Senator Urhoghide, who recently returned to the APC after losing the PDP Edo South senatorial ticket for a third term in the National Assembly(NASS), Hon. Agbonayima, a flamboyant politician but relatively unknown politically in Edo Central and North, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (Retd), a former governorship candidate of the PDP; Chief Lucky Imasuen, a former deputy governor of Edo State and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a serial contestant and decamped. In recent times, he has crisscrossed from one party to the other like a swinging pendulum, all for ticket’s sake.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu is the most popular among the contenders in APC. However, his ego problem has pitched him against Senator Oshiomole. It was rumoured that he tried to out-master the Edo North senator with President Tinubu during the build-up to the presidential election.
As they said, this was why both of them fell apart. Recently, in a well-attended function, Hon. Puis Odubu, the former Deputy Governor to Senator Oshiomole, was appointed APC leader in Edo South Senatorial District just to slight Pastor Ize-Iyamu. And in this bid, he has intentionally refused to consult with Senator Oshiomole. Still, he has been holding secret meetings with Hon. Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the president, and Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman, in a bid to outsmart Senator Oshiomole who has been silent on supporting any aspirant at this stage.
Some stakeholders known as Pastor Ize-Iyamu have refused to acknowledge that Senator Oshiomole will decide who flies the APC ticket in the state.
They claim that the APC governorship candidate is beyond the Edo North senator and that the governorship ticket 2024 is a national issue in the party, beyond local leaders like him.
So, the first huddle for Pastor Ize-Iyamu is how to scale beyond Senator Oshiomole and then be faced with the idea of dealing with the issue of zoning, which would certainly not help his already troubled situation, although rumours have it that he is sponsoring some aspirants from the Edo central extraction.
Next on our series is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.