The Governor told his audience who seemed captivated by his seemly political dexterity that,”henceforth governance will take the backseat, while campaigns for Atiku/Okowa and other candidates of the ruling party takes front seat.
“People who say they are ‘Obideintnts’,of course they will be,but they will run out of steam. We know how to manage elections. How many people can do what we have done? They cannot even form their campaign council,not to talk of having time table for the election. You get it! This election is ours to lose and by the grace of God,we will not lose it!” Obaseki concluded with an air of finality.
“Edo is the home of PDP, I urge every member to join hands with Atiku Abubakar to rescue the country. By the grace of God, PDP will rescue this great country; Atiku is coming to salvage the country.
“PDP is one in Edo, no division. Edo is the home of PDP, every other party is an appendage. Edo PDP is not in contention.
“The election is hand-to-hand combat. We have done it before, we will do it again”, he stressed.
Surprisingly,the results of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections showed that Obaseki and PDP scored F 9 Parallel,as he could not win his unit,ward or any local government area in the state
The Governor, during his September 19, 2020 re-election bid,after a prolonged fight with his erstwhile political godfather, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, moved from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP and won thirteen out of the eighteen local government council in the state.
But, barely three years after that feat, Obaseki was left with bad political injuries at the Saturday,25 February Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
In Edo South Senatorial District, where the Governor,Mr Godwin Obaseki hails from, a seemly unknown Naden Imasuen of the Labour Party beat the duo of Hon Matthew Iduoriyekemwen( a more popular candidate among the pack) and Hon Valentine Asuen of the All Progressives Congress to clinch the cosmopolitan Edo South.
In Obaseki’s Oredo Federal Constituency, where the PDP presented,Hon Sunny Aguebor, while the former Oredo Local Government Chairman,Hon Osaro Obazee futures for the All Progressives Congress(APC).An unknown LP candidate, Hon Iyawe Eseosa stole the show, beating the more political sophisticated opponents.
In Edo North,the political dexterity of the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and ex governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was unquestionably evident,as he cruised home with victory for the Edo North Senatorial election.The party also pocketed five federal constituencies.
Akoko-Edo, Hon Peter Akpatason;
Etsako, Dekery Anamero ;
Owan, Prof Julius Ihonvbere.
Others are–
Esan South-East/Esan North East, Odianosen Okojie and Hon Dennis Idahosa, representing Ovia .
The results from Edo Central,the traditional home of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), where the late sage, Chief Anthony Anenih held sway years back was most embarrassing to say the least.
The APC clinched home the Senate, through Hon Monday Okpebholo and one of the Federal Constituency ( Esan South-East/Esan North East) through Hon Odianosen Okojie. But for APC recent incurrsion in the zone, no other political party has made inroads in the zone since 1999.
The two undecided constituencies are Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency which was inconclusive and Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency which was postponed
As the March 11 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections approach,there is heightened tension across the state,as the Governor,Mr Godwin Obaseki continued to meet several stakeholders in the state, while soliciting for their votes.
Obaseki’s plans to maintain the control of the 24 members House of Assembly has suffered some setback owing to the fact that only ten out of the twenty four elected members were inaugurated since 2019, leaving fourteen others out of job.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) cashing out on the dwindling popularity of Governor Obaseki recently alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has perfected plans to rig the March 11 State Assembly election, after it suffered a heavy defeat during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in the State.
State Chairman of the party, Col David Imuse RTD, who spoke to journalists at the State Secretariat, said he hopes all the various arms of security agencies are on red alert.
He alleged that there were plans by the PDP with Mr Godwin Obaseki’s financial support, “to compromise INEC officials and adhoc staff to bypass the use of BVAS and generally disrupt the house of assembly elections in the state through the use of thugs to cause mayhem, with a view to dispersing voters at polling units in order to have opportunity to rig the elections, subvert the will of the people to achieve victory at all costs.”
He said since the PDP suffered massive losses across the state on February 25, 2023, “the PDP has held series of meetings at various locations to perfect their nefarious plans to ensure that they disrupt the electoral process, compromise INEC staff and deploy maximum violence.
“They have therefore resolved to buy INEC staff to sabotage the elections as described above, and also to specifically ensure that the original result sheets are neither brought to the polling units nor the ward and local government collation centres.
“Since the IREV malfunctioned last Saturday, they reasoned that they would calmly write new results when the representatives of other political parties disperse at various collation centres in the belief that results had been announced.”
The APC chairman said,
“We have also been informed that sums running into hundreds of millions have been exchanged over the years and through third-party agents to conceal the money trail,” he claimed.
Also, reacting to an alleged impeachment plot credited to the former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, which Oshiomhole swiftly debunked.
The Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie said they are confident that, “like it happened in 2020, when Edo people stood with the governor despite the bullying and intimidation by Oshiomhole and his paymasters, Edo people will again rise in defense of the governor at the polls on Saturday, March 11; vote massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and elect a House controlled by the PDP.
“Obaseki has never placed his confidence in any man or godfather. He has placed his confidence in God and the people.
“It is also curious that it is Oshiomhole who has come forward with the agenda of the APC and not any of the candidates. One wonders if Oshiomhole will be a member of the Edo State House of Assembly after the polls. This, obviously, points to who and where the instructions will be issued if the party’s candidates are mistakenly elected into the House.
“Edo people can see the handwriting on the wall and we are certain that they will troop out en masse to vote candidates of the PDP in the election to sustain the developmental strides of the Governor Obaseki-led government.” He concluded.
