The just concluded primary elections by the major political parties in Edo State to choose their candidates for the September 21 governorship election were chaotic, at some point dramatic, and confusing. While some aspirants desired to win at all costs, the seeming bias to skew the election in favour of certain aspirants by party executives, brought tension into the race.
From the Peoples Democratic Party, and the All Progressives Congress to the Labour Party, the story was the same as disaffection among party executives, aspirants, and party members became the order of the day.
Events leading up to the primaries of all the political parties gave a hint of what to expect as party executives fell apart, aspirants bickered while party members and aspirants did not trust the executive to organise free, fair, and credible elections that would produce worthy candidates.
For the ruling PDP, the choice of who would become the party candidate damaged the cordial relationship between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu as both no longer see eye to eye. Shaibu has been kicked out of the Government House while the weekly devotion he organised at the chapel within the Government House no longer holds there as the chapel is undergoing renovation. He has since taken the prayer session to his new office.
Before their relationship hit the rock mid-last year, the bond between Obaseki and Shaibu could have passed them as brothers from the same parents. Shaibu referred to Obaseki as his elder brother and they were always together at different fora grinning from ear to ear. Such was the trust Obaseki had in Shaibu that he put his deputy in charge of the local government and sports in the state. Shaibu handled both jobs diligently with sports getting the needed development and the revenue generated from the state’s local government areas increasing over time.
They also battled a former governor of the state, Adam Oshiomhole, who was instrumental in their ascension to the “throne”. They felt that Oshiomhole was becoming overbearing and they needed to check his excess, which they did with all they had. In fact, Shaibu who is from the same area as Oshiomhole was more vocal, slamming Oshiomhole’s desire to play the godfather, which he fought against during his tenure as the governor.
With all these, it was shocking when Obaseki and Shaibu fell apart due to the ambition of the latter to succeed his boss as the governor of the state. The governor, on the other hand, preferred and backed a candidate from Edo Central and former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Asue Ighodalo, who eventually became the party’s candidate.
But before Ighodalo was declared the winner at the primaries conducted on February 22, at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, supporters of Shaibu held a parallel election and declared the deputy governor the candidate of the party. Shaibu’s aggrieved supporters said they were not accredited to take part in the congress at the stadium. Ighodalo got his certificate of return at the party secretariat in Abuja but this may not put an end to the crisis as Shaibu has vowed to pursue the mandate given to him by the “authentic party delegates”.
Speaking to the protesting delegates, Shaibu said, “I appeal to all of you to be peaceful. I don’t want anybody to be injured, I don’t want anybody molested and I am happy with the way you have conducted yourselves peacefully and have come to report to me that you were not allowed to be accredited but I want to tell you that no one man can determine the destiny of a people and by the grace of God they cannot disenfranchise you people.
“The law is clear that you people are the authentic delegates. Now that they have pushed you away, they want to go and replace you but I assure you that your vote must count; they cannot change and replace your names. I assure you that I will take your protest to the committee that is coming but you must remain peaceful in everything you are doing.”
Later that day Shaibu told journalists, “I saw the crowd outside and I asked who they were and they said they were delegates. I said they should be directed to the venue of the accreditation but they said they were protesting because they have been sent away from the venue of accreditation despite winning their delegate election at the ward level.”
However, the Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi told The PUNCH that what Shaibu did with his supporters was senseless and not worthy of his comment. He said, “What he did with his supporters was senseless. I don’t really know what he thought he was doing. Such action is not worthy of my comment,” he added.
Before the primary, the other PDP aspirants had expressed worry over the way the ward and national delegate congresses were done by the state exco in conjunction with the party’s National Working Committee to allegedly favour Ighodalo. And when he emerged with 577 votes with Shaibu and Anslem Ojezua getting a vote apiece at the primary held at the stadium, their initial fears may not have been misplaced.
While Omosede Igbinedion stepped down for Ighodalo on election day another top aspirant, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama who withdrew from the race blamed irregularities and corrupt process by the party’s NWC for his decision.
The APC congress turned out to be the most cumbersome and chaotic as it took some kind of supernatural power to prevent the loss of lives. The initial election took place on February 17 across the 192 wards in the state. By mid-day, results had started coming into the Lushville Hotel and Suite designated for the collation and announcement of results. The returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja had announced results from eight local government areas with Senator Monday Okpebholo in the lead and House of Representatives’ member, Dennis Idahosa in second.
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