Intrigues as 20 contenders scramble for APC’s ticket in Edo

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole

The Edo State governorship election comes up in September, 2016, and already
several politicians have shown interest in the top job. Daily Trust on Sunday
takes a look at some of the contenders under the two major parties, APC and
PDP.
Evidently, the contest between the multitudes of aspirants who are working hard
to take over from Governor Adams Oshiomhole will be dicey. Besides
contenders from other political parties, over 20 aspirants are struggling for the
ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and each one of them feels
he deserves to take over from the outgoing governor, who is alleged to have
crowned his successor.
A peep into the life of some of the aspirants brings out salient issues about
them.
Major-General Charles Airhiavbere: He is one of the strong contenders for the
APC ticket in Edo State and this is the second time he is seeking the number 1
seat. He retired from the Nigeria Army in 2011 and went straight into partisan
politics where he contested the governorship election in 2012 on the platform of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
After a dodged struggle, he lost to the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole,
but remained a powerful figure in the PDP, which he worked for during the 2015
presidential election. The PDP delivered Edo for the former President Goodluck
Jonathan, and also won the National Assembly election in the state.
However, when President Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election,
Airhiavbere decamped to the APC, where he also led the party to win the state
House of Assembly election.
He said his structures are still intact, and that he is ready to make the APC
retain the Edo government house after the election. General Airhiavbere has
also pledged to drive the party’s progressive ideologies and programmes
towards the overall development and improvement in the living standard of
people of the state. He said with his viable economic model, which
encompasses effective security system, youth and women empowerment,
blocking of leakages in all sectors of economy of the state, rehabilitation of
ailing industries and factories long abandoned by previous governments,
employment generation and other laudable programmes, an APC government
under him would launch Edo State to the outside world.
Airhiavbere low side is that he is new in the APC.
Dr Pius Odubu: He is currently the deputy governor of Edo State and is seen as
another serious contender for the governorship seat.
One of his strength is that he has been in elective office for 16 years. He was at
the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 under the platform of the PDP
and thereafter became the deputy governor.
He is a grassroots mobiliser with proper understanding of political intrigues in
Edo State. When the space for the contest was opened, he did not hide his
interest in stepping into the shoes of the incumbent governor. However, as his
journey began to yield fruits, it became evident that he does not enjoy the
support of his boss. Despite that, Dr Odubu says he is part of the success
story of the governor and that he will continue with the party’s programmes if
elected governor. At a time, the deputy governor alleged threat to his life when
some assailants fired gunshots during the flag off of his campaign rally which
was rebuffed by Oshiomhole and all other government functionaries, a pointer
that he is not the preferred candidate.

He says he is optimistic of getting the party’s ticket if the primary is free and
fair. Sources said if he does not get the APC ticket and the crisis in the rival
PDP is not resolved, he may get the sympathy votes of aggrieved PDP
supporters at the general election if he gets the ticket of any other party.
Dr Godwin Obaseki: He is another formidable aspirant of the governorship poll
on the platform of the APC. He is currently the chairman of the state Economic
Management Team and has the full support and backing of the governor Adams
Oshiomhole. He is already seen as the “golden fish” and the most preferred
successor of the governor, who has been mentioning his name at every
available opportunity.
Though not seen as a grassroots politician, he will have to rely deeply on the
popularity of his boss to get the party’s ticket. However, if resources are
anything to go buy, Obaseki would have his way.
Barrister Ken Imansuangbon: Popularly known as the Rice Man of Edo because
of his yearly distribution of rice in the state during Christmas period, the
politician has an appeal among the downtrodden. He is an educationist and the
owner of the Pace Setters group of schools in Abuja. He is also contesting on
the platform of the APC. Imansuangbon was formally a member of the defunct
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). At a time, he left for the PDP but when he
lost the governorship ticket of the party in 2012 to Gen Airhiavbere, he left the
party and went back to the APC. Imansuangbon who hails from Edo Central,
will rely on luck to get the party’s ticket because the APC has already zoned
the position to Edo South.
Professor Oserheimen Osunbor: He was a former governor of Edo the state on
the platform of the PDP in 2007 but lost at the election tribunals to Governor
Oshiomhole. There are clear indications that after tasting what it means to be
governor, the professor believes he has more to offer for the Edo people and
working tirelessly to actualize his dream.
He contested the 2012 governorship primaries but lost to Gen Airhiavbere. He
was also a former Chairman of Nigeria Law Reform Commission. He decamped
to the APC after the 2015 general elections. He neither has the backing of the
governor nor that of the party’s machinery in the state but is insisting that he
shares some ideals with Oshiomhole.
Mr Frederice Osar-Ose: This is another contender in the APC. He says he stands
out because he believes that his resolve to continue from where Governor
Adams Oshiomole stops will bring the desired change in the state. An ardent
supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ose has the listening ear of some of
the APC stalwarts in Abuja and Benin.
Osarodion Ogie: Is a former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Works in Edo
State. At present, he is among the contenders for the APC ticket.
Chris Ogienmwonyi: Is a former Minister of State for Works and has shown
interest in picking the APC ticket for the governorship.
Pastor Ize Iyamu: He was the Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG)
under the former administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion. He was formerly of
the PDP before he decamped to the defunct ACN which later merged with other
parties to form the APC. He rose to become deputy national chairman (South)
of the ACN and was chairman of Governor Oshiomhole’s re-election campaign
in 2012. He fell out with the governor, when it became clear to him that
Oshiomhole will not back his governorship ambition. He is now a strong
contender in the PDP and has the backing of the state biggest political
structure, the Igbinedion family. Barring last minute change of political
scheming, he may not have much problem getting the ticket of the PDP.
Chief Solomon Edebiri: He is another aspirant on the platform of the PDP. He
enjoys the support of the masses in the state but does not have the backing of
any god father. He also contested the governorship of the state in 2012 on the
platform of the former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).