Despite the exploits of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in Edo State, he has the PDP candidate to contend with in next year’s governorship election. Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR reports strategies being deployed by the main opposition PDP to succeed the governor.
Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have given Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole the green light to run for another term.
He has a major opposition to contend with in the race to retain his job. It is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Other parties, such as Labour Party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), have opted to back the governor for a second term.
For the PDP in particular, the task to reclaim the state it ruled for 10 years is one it is prepared to accomplish by all means. Besides shopping for a credible candidate to outmatch Oshiomhole, it has also adopted other measures to get Edo South votes. The region has majority of the votes.
The options available to the PDP, according to one of its leaders, is either to pick a candidate from Edo South Senatorial District or use Edo South political leaders to rally votes from the district.
The PDP leader, who preferred not to be named, said the first option was still being considered to prevent governorship aspirants from other senatorial districts from defecting to other political parties. The second option which includes getting all aggrieved members, especially those in Edo South, back into the party, is already in place.
The second option perhaps led to the reconciliation between the factions led by Chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority Chief Tony Anenih and a two-time former governor of the defunct Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.　
Ogbemudia, in a press statement, asked his supporters to recognise the leadership of the party under Chief Dan Orbih and remove his name as a leader of a faction of the PDP.
The statement, signed by Dr. Francis Iyasere, who was the Publicity Secretary of the Ogbemudia faction, explained that the move was sequel to the party congresses already held under close monitoring by the National Secretariat.
“Accordingly, any factional activities and identity after the congresses is regarded as outdated. “The declaration became necessary in view of the determination of some self-serving politicians to utilise the factional platform to pursue their selfish interests,” the statement said.
“There will be convocation of stakeholders very soon, where far-reaching decisions will be taken with a view to contributing positively to the political development of our dear state and, indeed, Nigeria,” it further hinted.
But former Chief of General Staff, Admiral Mike Akhigbe who was said to have also recognised the PDP leadership in the state, denied being aware of any reconciliation meeting at Abuja with Anenih and PDP leaders.
Akhigbe, in a statement, signed by Mr Humphrey Uanseoje, said it was not possible to resolve the crisis in the absence of the principal actors and stakeholders.
　”This group cannot and will not allow itself to be arm-twisted into an imposed settlement on the pages of newspapers. One point that needs clarification here is the constant reference to this group as a faction, which in all intent and purposes, is an offensive misrepresentation of facts. As a matter of fact, this group is the mainstream of PDP in Edo state which emerged from the state congress held on February 28, 2008.
“It is the other side which certain elements at the PDP secretariat in Abuja illegally and unconstitutionally accorded recognition that constitutes a faction of PDP in the state. It is this anomaly that is in contention in a subsisting suit at the state High Court which this group intends to pursue to the logical conclusion,” the statement further said.
However, a recent meeting of a group called ‘Enunuedo’ in Benin City indicated that the PDP move to rally votes from Edo South by using its leaders was already on course.
A political analyst said it was the same style adopted by the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to defeat the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the defunct Bendel State in the Second Republic.
The Enunuedo meeting called by Ogbemudia was attended among others by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief Sam Igbe, deputy governor of the state; Dr. Pius Odubu, Chief of Staff to Governor Oshiomhole and Mr Osarodion Ogie.
Addressing the gathering, Ogbemudia said the meeting was called to refocus the Bini after the leaders lamented that the district had not progressed as expected despite the fact that it has the largest population in the state.
Ogbemudia told the gathering that the Bini needed to be united in the pursuit of their interest and that he was responding to pressure that he should end the problems that had been bedeviling the people.
“I also share the concerns raised. I am a proud Bini man and I believe that all other well-meaning Bini people must be concerned about the direction to which our community is being steered. Going by the statements and reports from different sections of our community, with my own observation, I can humbly say that our community is not performing or competing optimally; therefore we must find solution.”
“At the end of the day, the will of the community will be sought through a transparent and a scientific process that will be the basis for inviting all those who desire a place in our heart to a round table to declare their intentions. The agreement reached will determine the direction of our support and allegiance,” he stated.
In a keynote address, former Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority, Dr. Tonnie Iredia urged the Benins: “In any election, first choice should be a Benin man. It does not matter what the election is. It does not matter the charisma of the person; what matters is the collective will of the majority which are the Benis. The person should not be strong enough because democracy is about majority.”
However, a chieftain of ACN from Edo South said he did not see how the meeting would help the PDP. “It was not partisan Leaders of ACN and political neutral people were there. Everybody knows that the Bini have never had it so good.”
The political fire is burning wildly in Edo State now. The next six months will determine if Oshiomhole will be returned.
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How PDP plans to stop Oshiomhole