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*Edo people speak with one voice as Obaseki defeats ‘godfathers’ to retain governorship seat*

Godwin Obaseki on Saturday, September 19, 2020 sailed through a fierce opposition to secure his second term mandate as the governor of Edo State.

Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 307,955 votes to defeat his main rival, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 223,619 votes.

Obaseki who had run under the APC in 2016 defeated Ize-Iyamu, then of the PDP, to emerge as governor. He embarked on a mission to recalibrate the economy of the state, taking gradual steps with critical changes happening at the background, which sold him to the populace as unassuming and intentional.

As a number of the reforms started yielding gains and with his tough stance on key policy issues, it became obvious that the governor had a solid understanding of his mission in government, showcasing an indomitable character and strong principles to drive needed changes. His determination to drive development, defend the interests of majority of Edo people against the avarice of a few greedy politicians and do things the right way culminated into the political battle with his predecessor and former ally, Comr. Adams Oshiomhole.

A squabble that lasted through to the end of the first tenure, with Oshiomhole leveraging on his position as the national chairman of the APC to screen out the incumbent governor and give the party’s ticket to Ize-Iyamu.

This was in Oshiomhole’s quest to become the godfather of Edo politics.

*Suspension, disqualification, defection*

The bickering between Oshiomhole and the governor led to a plethora of crises within APC, both at the national and the state levels. Stakeholders, particularly Obaseki’s colleagues in the Governors’ Forum, recalled the short end of the stick handed out to their former colleague and decided to give him (Obaseki) solidarity.

IN a bid to provide the incumbent a breathing space in the party, APC governors hit on an ingenious plan, which revolved around the suspension of the national chairman by the ward executive of ward10, Etsako West Local Government Area chapter.

Feeling that the suspension was of no consequence, the then national chairman disregarded his suspension even when the local government and state chapters ratified it and Oshiomhole was kicked out of office.

*Governors’ solidarity*

RIGHT from the onset of the attempt that denied Obaseki a second term ticket on the platform of APC, his colleagues banded together to ensure that he was not disgraced by godfathers the same way the immediate past Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, was denied access to the platform.

The governors’ solidarity played out during the flag-off of Ize-Iyamu’s campaigns as some of the APC governors that arrived Benin City failed to address the rally after visiting the Palace of Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.

Similar solidarity was demonstrated by the governors, not only by shunning entreaties to donate funds for the APC candidate’s electioneering, but also in the failed campaign grand finale.

While Tinubu, Governors Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Hope Uzodimma backed Oshiomhole in supporting Ize-Iyamu, the likes of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Mallam Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai and Senator Atiku Bagudu, reportedly stayed aloof.

The chasm between APC governors and Ize-Iyamu was, however, not only as a display of brotherly solidarity for Obaseki, it was also seen as a deprecation of Oshiomhole’s efforts to claim credit if victory was won by the APC, something he could possibly use as a bargaining chip to return to reckoning.

Not that alone, the feelings in certain quarters within APC that Tinubu was out to corner the APC structure for both economic and political purposes worked against Ize-Iyamu, who was being perceived as another crony to serve as conduit to Edo resources.

*Intriguing web*

THE journey to the resolution of the Edo State governorship was a chequered one, detailing intra- and inter-party squabbles and scheming by entrenched political interests and ambitions of sundry godfathers. A few days to the election, one of the national leaders of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, released a short video message in which he literally ‘commanded’ Edo voters to reject the incumbent, stressing that Governor Obaseki was not a democrat.

Tinubu hinged his claim on the allegation that Obaseki aborted the inauguration of 14 lawmakers-elect for the Edo State House of Assembly. However, that short video was like a poke on old wounds. It called to the minds of Edo electorate Obaseki’s battle to breathe the air of gubernatorial freedom brought about by the excessive interest shown by the former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

*Zonal integration*

THE determination by governors of the BRACED Commission to rally under a common political umbrella also worked to the advantage of Governor Obaseki as his brother governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta quickly embraced him.

Rivers State governor, Wike, alluded to such beneficial relationship, when he remarked that power belongs to the people of Niger Delta to ward off godfathers.

Perhaps, out of apprehension of the possible impact and appreciation of zonal political integration on APC’s future, the Edo State chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua, said: “I don’t even know what the state of the party will be after this, because Oshiomhole has succeed in fractionalizing the party; he has destroyed the goodwill that existed between members of the party.

The existence of the party is threatened as I speak.”Having come to the present auspicious juncture, it could be said that Governor Obaseki has moved from a child of circumstances to being a man of destiny and one of the leaders of the emergent Niger Delta political solidarity.

*Good performance*

The gubernatorial election in Edo State was also, among other things, a referendum on Governor Obaseki’s performance. Many of those who voted for him said they did so because of his performance in the past four years.“I voted for Godwin Obaseki because of his exceptional performance in almost four years.

We only had governors like this during the time of the late Samuel Ogbemudia and since then we never had this kind of opportunity,” Magdalene Barrah, a retired health worker in Benin City said.Ms Barrah said Oshiomhole was “okay” when he was the governor, but not “exceptional” like Obaseki.“We have seen nearly all abandoned projects being completed.

I attended the School of Nursing in Benin City and some critical buildings were abandoned in the school until the coming of Obaseki. Same with the School of Health Technology that has been transformed. So it is with many other structures.“In terms of payment of salaries and pensions, Obaseki got it right too.

During the era of Oshiomhole pensions were not paid for more than one year, but during the era of Obaseki it changed,” she said.Rodsimeon Idaewor, a journalist in Benin City, said he travelled to vote for Obaseki because of the governor’s “performance level”, even though PDP lost in his (Idaewor) ward.“This is the kind of person who should rule Nigeria, persons who are answerable to the people, and not to godfathers.

He has built new roads, completed old buildings in the state, and he is doing a refinery,” Idaewor said.Joseph Elegide, a lawyer, said he voted for Obaseki because the “the man has worked and he has impressed me.”“Some people felt that they are kings, but in fairness to them, they had the goodwill to have brought Obaseki in the first instance even when he was not known, but having done what is required of him as governor and he did not disappoint, why would they now turn around to begin to demonise him?” he said.“Prior to his (Obaseki) emergence as governor of Edo, touts took over the streets of Benin terrorising people to the extent that we became afraid,” Gani Momodu, a businessman, said.“When Obaseki came, he eradicated all these people and stopped them from collecting all these illegal levies.

With that alone, it is sufficient for me to vote for him.”The election outcome affirms Mr Obaseki’s popularity, especially in Edo South District, where he won even in Mr Ize-Iyamu’s Orhionmwon Local Government Area.In Edo North, which many saw as an APC stronghold, Mr Obaseki’s running mate, Philip Shaibu, with his enormous political clout, was able to checkmate Mr Oshiomhole.

Edo Central, besides their traditional support for the PDP, ‘fully’ supported Mr Obaseki because of the understanding that the district will produce Mr Obaseki’s successor in 2024.

If Ize-Iyamu had won the election, he would have naturally wanted to do two terms in office, which would have disrupted the aspiration of the people in Edo Central to produce the next governor of the state.

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