April 7, (THEWILL)- The Independent National Electoral Commission, March 30, 2024 list of governorship candidates in the forthcoming September 21 Edo State Governorship Election has shown that 17 political parties are in competition to produce Governor Godwin Obaseki’s successor. By April 23, 2024, electioneering will kick off in earnest.
But in reality, only three parties are in contention. The rest are just numbers meant to fulfill constitutional requirements.
In the displayed list of the candidates and their deputies, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is Ighodalo Asuerinme; African Democratic Congress (ADC) has Obazele Paul Agbone, Labour Party (LP)’s candidate is Olumide Akpata Anthony; the All Progressives Congress (APC) has Okpebholo Monday and the People Redemption Party (PRP) has Key Patience Ndidi.
Others are Young Progressive Party (YPP)’s Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan; Boot Party (BP)’s Osirame Edeipo, and Accord Party (AP)’s Enabulele Bright.
Mr Uwaifo Osaro is the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA), Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s candidate is Aner Abdullai Aliu; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has Azena Azemhe Friday as its candidate and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)’s candidate is Osifo Isiah.
The All People Movement (APM) has Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster; Areleogbe Amos Osalumese is the standard bearer of the All Peoples Party (APP) in the governorship poll, while Akhime Kingson Afere will contest the election on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). The African Action Congress (AAC)’s candidate is Udoh Obersifo David and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.
Of the pack, the PDP’s candidate, Ighodalo, Okpeholo of the APC and Akpata of the LP stand out as the major contestants. For reach, political structure, demographic clout and membership, these parties are in that respective order.
PDP AND IGHODALO
For the corporate guru who has been contributing behind the scene as a think-tank in the state’s development stride through strategic and critical project design, aspiring to be on the saddle appears to have come with some challenges. Legal disputes and internal intrigues after the primary election are still lingering and taxing the loyalty and partisanship of leaders and the led alike. Contestants in the primary like the Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu and Anslem Ojezua, ex-APC state Chairman, who defected alongside Governor Obaseki, are yet to withdraw their suits against the primary.
Nonetheless, Ighodalo, by virtue of his association with the development stride of previous governments in the state, is seen to have a better grasp of issues at stake, enabled by a sense of independence and decisiveness that investors value in political leadership. Even so, political analysts also say he will take some of the blame for any dark spot in the outgoing administration that will be a matter of debate and campaign in the days ahead.
THEWILL learnt that corporate Nigeria sees Ighodalo as the man who has the qualities and grit to succeed Obaseki and they are pulling all the stops to make him succeed. In the meantime, party stakeholders have begun the fence-minding to arrest the lingering legal and personality clashes and disputes. The three geo-political zones in the state have been ‘captured’ in fairness and equity. While the Central zone that has been under-represented in the governorship now had Ighodalo as candidate, immediate past Secretary to Government, Barr Osarodion Ogie, who hails from the highest vote catching South, (including the governor) is Deputy, the House Speaker Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku comes from the North zone. In addition, the party controls the 18 local government areas in the state following the September 2023 election.
APC AND OKPEBOLO
With the choice of Hon. Dennis Idahosa as running mate to Senator Okpebolo, the initial post-primary crisis and intrigues which rocked the party has been checked.
Okpebolo, like Ighodalo, hails from Edo Central, which, incidentally, he represents at the National Assembly. Representative Idahosa, like PDP’s Ogie, hails from Edo South. From the North zones, comes Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who had initially frowned at Okpebolo’s emergence until his favourite aspirant, Idahosa, emerged as deputy governorship candidate in a meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu.
Thus, the governing PDP and the rival APC have made significant moves to strengthen their presence in the three geo-political zones of the state. The competition looks poised for a battle royale.
LP AND AKPATA
After he won the Labour Party’s governorship ticket at the primary election, Barr Olumide Akpata looked like the candidate to watch, but things seem to be falling apart at the moment.
The formidable ‘Obidient Movement’, which put its full weight behind the party during the 2023 General Election, is doubtful of the party’s preparation for the governorship election in Edo. From allegations that the conduct of the primary election was not transparent to the division of the party into pro-LP and anti-LP factions, with some people reportedly offering support to Okpebolo in the face of the lingering leadership crisis at the national level.
Then comes an allegation of forgery, in respect of documents and information supplied to INEC, by LP deputy governorship candidate, Mrs Oluyinka Faith Alufokhai.
Alufokhai is alleged to have falsified her academic record and date of birth declaration in the EC9 form submitted to INEC. In an affidavit she swore to at an Epe Division of the High Court, she claims she was born on the May 18, 1981, the same year she got her first primary leaving certificate.
Akpata, on the other hand, is also involved in a controversy over the Oath of Allegiance he swore to another country, as shown in the particulars displayed by INEC. In the form on display at INEC offices, Akpata is seen to have ticked ‘yes’ to the question, ‘Have you made a declaration of allegiance to any country? If yes, specify the country. He answered yes and swore an Oath of Allegiance to Vanuatu – a small island country with a population of about 350,000 people.
With these infractions on their displayed forms, Akpata and his deputy, may have unwittingly violated Section 118 of the Criminal Code which prescribes 14 years imprisonment to anybody who gives false information on oath and has therefore committed perjury.
Efforts to get Barr Akpata’s response failed as his three lines were switched off. The same happened with the Edo State LP Chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi. He was unreachable. THEWILL learnt that there is quiet in LP in the state. This may not be the end of LP in the governorship contest, but it may be for the candidates.
In displaying the names of candidates, INEC gave an option. The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said, “We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primary with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court, as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022. While any LP aspirant that participated at the primary election has a chance to have their name in the ballot for the party, the consequences may be so devastating for the party that PDP and the APC will be the only viable contestants for the September 21, 2024 poll.
OTHERS
In name, clout and presence, the other parties have not won any seat in recent elections in the state and there is nothing concrete to show that they are about to make any difference.
About the Author
Amos Esele is the Deputy Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
