Oshiomhole vs Obaseki: Political titans take centre stage as Edo decides new governor

The Edo State governorship election slated for September 21 is fast becoming a battle of wits between estranged allies, Senator Adam Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki, writes ADEYINKA ADEDIPE

It is no longer strange and surprising that the Edo governorship election scheduled for September 21 has become a battle between former allies, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole and his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki. They are both not on the ballot, but it is clear that they are bent on ensuring that their candidates become the next governor of the state.

How they achieve this will largely depend on their ability to rally their troops and grind out a superior strategy to outdo the other.

Going down memory lane, Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state and now a senator representing Edo North, made the emergence of Obaseki possible in 2016 against the wishes and advice of the leaders of the APC, who felt that his then deputy, Pius Odubu, or another politician, would be a better a successor.

However, Oshiomhole was able to convince the party leadership that Obaseki, who was instrumental in sourcing funds for the developmental projects embarked upon during his tenure, would do a better job. He convinced them by letting them know that Obaseki was in the best position to take the state through an impending global economic crisis that was predicted at that time.

At the party primary, with political manoeuvring, Oshiomhole made sure that Obaseki emerged as the winner, beating Odubu to the ticket. The former governor didn’t stop there. He was the face of the Obaseki campaign, moving from one Local Government Area to another and at the election proper, Obaseki defeated Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

It was sweet victory for Oshiomhole, whose political dynasty was getting entrenched in the state. Oshiomhole, then of the Action Congress, became the governor of the state after the court sacked Prof Oserheimen Osunbor on November 11, 2008.

Two years into Obaseki’s tenure, party leaders who were urged to support his victory expressed dissatisfaction with the governor for not including them in his administration. The issue got to Oshiomhole whose peace effort fell flat on his face as Obaseki insisted on being his own man and would not be pushed around or dictated to by a “godfather” or blackmailed into what he doesn’t want to do by party leaders. By this decision of Obaseki, the “cold war” between the two began.

The 2020 governorship election became another opportunity for the two political gladiators to engage in another battle of wits. At that time, Obaseki, who was seeking a second term ticket, had been pushed out of the APC after he was disqualified to pave way for the emergence of Ize-Iyamu, who had defected from the PDP to the APC. Obaseki then sought refuge in the PDP with the South-South vice chairman of the party, Dan Orbih, prevailing on party members in the state to allow the governor to use the party’s platform to realise his second-term ambition. The party went to work under the state chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, and Obaseki defeated Ize-Iyamu again to earn his second term ticket.

Obaseki’s win, linked to the ‘Edo no be Lagos’ slogan, gained prominence among the Edo people after the APC national leader, now the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, threw his weight behind the candidacy of Ize-Iyamu. It was a crushing defeat for Oshiomhole, who had pleaded with Edo people to vote for Ize-Iyamu, despite de-marketing the same candidate four years ago when he (Ize-Iyamu) was with the PDP. For the APC, the idea of being in the opposition for another four years was unfathomable and the party began the move to take back power, while also presenting the opposition politics needed to keep Obaseki’s administration on its toes.

However, the fallout between Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, over the latter’s insistence on succeeding his principal brought Obaseki and Oshiomhole together, as they were seen at a few state functions which threw up insinuations that they had settled their rift.

With the 2024 governorship election on the horizon, the interest of Oshiomhole and Obaseki shifted back to their parties as they forgot their brief ‘romance.’ For both men, the fight to ensure their candidates win the election on September 21 is not negotiable. As usual, Oshiomhole has been the face of the APC campaign, pushing the party’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo’s candidacy and the APC’s message to the nooks and crannies of the state, while Obaseki, who is said to have connected Asue Ighodalo to leaders of the PDP in the state, is rooting for his candidate from the rear.

However, the campaign has pitted Oshiomhole against Obaseki as it has afforded the two key men an opportunity to showcase what they have achieved as governors. Oshiomhole and his people have said that development stopped the moment the former governor left the saddle while Obaseki’s aides and the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council have scored the governor high.

The campaign took a new twist last week as Oshiomhole fired a salvo in a reply to the speech made by the wife of Obaseki, Betsy, at a campaign rally.

Betsy stated that only the PDP candidate, Ighodalo, had a wife among the contenders for the state governorship election. At the PDP campaign flag-off at the Ubiaja Township Stadium in Esan South-East Local Government Area, Mrs Obaseki introduced Ighodalo’s wife, Ifeyinwa, to the crowd, stressing the importance of having a woman in the Government House.

She said, “Let us vote for the best candidate in this coming election, and I want to introduce the wife. Incidentally, among all the candidates, only one has a wife, and it’s our own party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo. Only he has a wife. This is the wife, Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo.

“Edo women, know that only one candidate has a wife. Better things come to women when there’s a woman in the Government House. All women in Edo, regardless of party, should see the candidate who has a wife. They will take us higher.”

Oshiomhole faulted Mrs Obaseki’s comments in an interview with TVC.

“Our candidate not only has children; he has invested in the education of those children. The first one that spoke (at a campaign ground) is a lawyer, the second one is a medical doctor, and they addressed the crowd in Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North; and their mother was there,” he said.

The campaign even became more heated in the past few days as officials from both parties continued to fire salvos at each other. Oshiomhole, at the APC ward-to-ward campaign in Benin City, the Edo State capital, urged Obaseki and Ighodalo to forget about rigging the election.

He condemned Obaseki for his policies like the partial demolition of the Central Hospital to make space for the Museum for West African Art, the privatisation of the Edo Specialist Hospital and other policies, noting that these projects would be looked into if the APC candidate, Okpebholo, was elected the next governor of the state.

Oshiomhole said, “I call on members of the APC and its supporters to be vigilant and brace for emerging threats against peaceful and credible conduct of Edo State gubernatorial election on September 21. There were attempts by a certain woman who was caught with packs of Permanent Voter Cards in Ovia Federal Constituency and voter suppression linked to the ongoing PVCs collection in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.

“I must ask Governor Godwin Obaseki and Ighodalo to bury any thought of rigging. It cannot happen. Our party members should not dance too much and allow them to compromise the electoral process by stealing PVCs and denying you the chance to vote. We will defend those rights. We will do so peacefully in a civilised manner. Now, what is at stake in this election is much more than you can easily understand.

“APC will make Edo Specialist Hospital accessible to all residents and the next government will carry out a comprehensive audit on the privatisation regarding the hospital administration, and management as well as ensure that culprits behind the alleged fraudulent deal that makes healthcare accessible only to the rich are prosecuted.”

However, the Deputy Director-General, Media and Publicity of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Olu Martins, faulted Oshiomhole’s claim, urging him to stop making baseless allegations.

He said, “The APC and its leader, Oshiomhole, have a history of lying and corruption. I recall the chaotic and brutal administration of Oshiomhole from 2008 to 2016, with high violence and corruption.

“He betrayed campaign organisers and the misuse of public funds was widespread under him while he has a penchant for presenting mediocre candidates. His betrayal and political deception are captured in a book by the current Director of Media and Publicity, APC Edo Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, titled ‘Breach of Trust’. Omo-Ojo was a commissioner under Oshiomhole. The book is a comprehensive record of political betrayal and deception, with quotes from the commissioner criticising Oshiomhole’s leadership.”

Edo State Chairman, Conference of Registered Political Parties, Samson Isibor, said it was regrettable that the election was becoming a battle between Oshiomhole and Obaseki.

He said, “The election should not be an avenue for Oshiomhole and Obaseki to settle personal scores. The campaign should also be based on issues and what you want to offer if you become governor. Oshiomhole has been throwing shades at members of the opposition. They act like the Alpha and Omega of the APC campaign team.

“Without Oshiomhole, will APC not move on or without Obaseki, will PDP not exist? They should allow the candidates to take control of the campaign. Who appointed Oshiomhole as the Alpha and Omega in APC and who made Obaseki PDP leader? The action of the duo has led to some individuals in the party withdrawing from the campaign. Are these two the only ones who can be the face of the campaign? Both parties have professors, engineers, journalists, and intellectuals who can play the roles.”

Social commentator and state resident, John Osaro, observed that Oshiomhole and Obaseki have not moved past the bitter way they parted.

“The way the campaign has gone, it is obvious that both men still abhor something against one another. The two leading parties are discrediting one another and have not told the electorate much about what they will do if their candidates win. They have been making promises and what they will do but have said little about how they will achieve all the things they are promising,” Osaro said.

“My advice to the electorate is that they should listen to what the parties and their candidates have to offer. In all of these unpleasant noises, they must decipher what is being communicated and decide who they will vote for. I will also advise that the political parties should sell their messages to the people, instead of this unending bickering.”

“There is nothing wrong in having individuals as the face of a campaign, but they should not use it to pursue personal vendetta and settle scores with perceived political enemies. This could heat the polity and breed bad blood between members of the leading parties. However, party supporters and residents should be aware of the device of the parties so that we can have a free, fair and credible election on September 21.”