By Francis Ogbuagu
The Edo 2020 gubernatorial election is few weeks from now . The major gladiators are the Edo State Governor, Mr Goodwin Obaseki, who is the candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The two major Political Parties are locked in a supremacy battle, as both parties work to outwit each other. Manipulation, mudslinging, blackmail and Political thuggery are weapons applied in the battle that will not only determine who governs the state,but also determine the relevance of major Political characters in the state.
The shootings at the gate of the Oba of Benin’s palace on Saturday 25 July,at a time the national leaders of the PDP were on a courtesy call to the palace, shows the desperation of the some actors who are either angling to retain or take over the Dennis Osadebe Avenue come November 12.
Godwin Obaseki:his chances
The Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki is the candidate of the People Democratic Party, the sitting governor of the State. He won the election on the platform of the APC,but allegedly offended the power brokers in the state, especially his benefactor and predecessor, Adams Oshiomole,which resulted in him being denied the APC ticket and his subsequent move to the People Democratic Party, it is believed that the APC way of handling Obaseki’s case will attract sympathy vote from Edo electorates to the Governor.
In Nigerian politics,the power of incumbency is a factor that cannot be underestimated.Obaseki may cash in, on the incumbency factor to stage a come back to Dennis Osadebe Avenue come November 12,2020.Moreso election in Nigeria is determined by money.Many argue that since the Governor has the state purse at his disposal, he can spend his way to victory.
It is also a common belief, especially among civil servants in the state , that Obaseki had performed and deserves to be rewarded with a second term in office.They cite some landmark projects like the reconstruction of the State Civil Service Secretariat in Benin ,the renovation of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium,the newly constructed Judges Quarters, also in Benin and some road projects.
Obaseki’s army of supporters will come from the Senior citizens,who before his administration were owed years of pension and gratuity. His early days in office saw endless protest by pensioners.Emmanuel Aigbe,62, who retired as a Principal in one of the public Secondary School in Benin described Obaseki as the best thing that has ever happened to civil servants in Edo State.
“Obaseki had solved the problem we have in Edo for a every long time, before now, when you retire, you have to wait for years, sometime 4 years or more before you begin to receive your pension.But, today as I speak to you,I retired as a Principal in one of the Secondary School in Benin in October,2019,and by November,I receive my pension allowance.The difference between my salary and my pension was a little fraction.Which in any case,I would have spent on transportation and other things.
“So, I am happy leaving the service,on like when it was a death sentence. People dread the life after retirement then,it was hell,many died waiting for their entitlement.We ‘ll mobilize to vote for Obaseki.” He concluded.
His Challenges:
One of the strongest obstacles to the return of Mr Godwin Obaseki as the Edo State Governor come November 12 is his inability to relate well with the political class, from the inception of his administration, it seems he could not accommodate the political class, this brought protest and formally kick-started the anti Obaseki war,championed by Edo people Mandate(EPM)
The group was able to recruit most notably politicians of the APC extraction for a war against the Governor, with the sole aim of making sure the Governor did not get the APC ticket
for a second term.The group was able to fulfill it’s objective,when finally the Governor was disqualified from the APC primary.Also, Obaseki’s “close ended” relationship with the media seems to be hunting him.For example,the Governor have not had an one-on- one parley with the media since the inception of his administration.His image maker,Mr Crouse Osagie had been reportedly said, that he deals directly with editors in Lagos and does not have business with reporters and correspondents.
This may be the reason, stories of events in Government House are directly sent to editors in Lagos.Journalists in Edo complain of the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication not picking calls or replying text messages.
Another factor trailing the Governor like a ghost is the army of political friends,aides and associates leaving him for the opposition Party’s candidate,Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu.The last two months had seen more than twenty political appointees ( CoS, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Advisers and board members) abandoning him.
He will also have the ex -national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomole to contend with, Oshiomole had thrown his wait behind Obaseki during the 2016 election, when he also contested against Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu,then as the candidate of the People Democratic Party.This time around he will be on the opposite side with Oshiomole, who had vowed to stop him from getting a second term in office.
Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu:
He is the candidate of the All Progressive Congress,who contested under the platform of the PDP in 2016. Osagie Ize-Iyamu served as the Secretary to the Edo State Government under Mr Lucky Igbinedion administration.
His Chances
He is popular among politicians,a mobilizer of people and resources.Ize-Iyamu will be going into the election with full support of the political class in Edo State. For example,the ex- national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomole will be fully supporting him. The Federal Government, being an APC Government is also an added advantage to his ambition.
His Challenges:
One of the challenges the APC candidate for the September 19 gubernatorial election will face is the fact that he will be contesting against a sitting governor. The Edo State gubernatorial election will be an acid test for him,as many people believe,this is his best time to become governor
The 700 million naira EFCC case at the Federal High Court,Benin, is seen by many as a factor that may undo him. The opposition, PDP, and it’s candidate had consistently, called for his disqualification,insisting that the corruption charges against him is too big to be ignored.
At the same time, some political pundits believe the 2016 campaign by Oshiomole did a lasting damage on his person. Oshiomole had during the campaign leveled many damaging allegations on him.One of them was that he (Oshiomole) does not trust him enough to give him any position, even, when he was his campaign DG during his second term campaign.
Another allegation was that Ize-iyamu poured acid on a female student, during his days at the University of Benin.But in a damge control mechanism, Oshiomole has attributed his allegations as political talks, apologizing to Edo people for supporting Obaseki,who he described as a bad product.
