Governor Godwin Obaseki

By Jethro Ibileke

To say that all is not well with the major political parties in Edo state, ahead of the 21 September 2024 governorship election in the state is an understatement. As it is, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is swimming in the ocean of internal crisis and division among its leadership, thereby making some of the aspirants wishing to contest the governorship election believe that the people of the state are in dire need of a replacement for the ruling party.

Many aspirants have turned to the direction of the Labour Party, LP, which has become like a bride, following its sterling performance in the 15 February national elections in the state, although it has not been a bed of roses for the party also.

On the other hand, the All Progressives Congress, APC, is also battling with its own in-house fighting. Just last week, the State Working Committee, SWC, of the party reportedly suspended one of its Assistant State Welfare Officers, Suleiman Bagudu. Reason? No official statement to that effect was given. Calls to the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Uwadia Peter and his Assistant, Victor Ofure Osehobor were not answered and no response to a text message.

But, an insider who preferred not to be named told this magazine that Bagudu was suspended for allegedly endorsing the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, for the same election that the State Chairman of the party, David Imuse, is also aspiring to contest. Independent findings by our Correspondent could however not match the correlation between Imuse’s aspiration and the suspension of Bagudu.

In the meantime, the question most mostly being asked ahead of the gubernatorial election is: Will the PDP survive beyond 12 November, 2024, when the newly elected Governor would have been sworn-in? Reasons abound to make one worry.

Predominantly, Edo has always been a PDP state from the outset, since the inception of this present democratic dispensation, especially among the Esan indigenes of Edo central. In fact, PDP flows in the veins of an average Esan man, who’s political leader, the late Board of Trustees chairman of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, was their second God.

The PDP lost its grip on the state on 11 November, 2008, when the Supreme Court sacked the then government of Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor of the PDP, and pronounced Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the rightfully elected Governor. The party later became APC and it ruled the state for 12 years. Power again shifted to the PDP, when the leadership of the party decided to deny Governor Godwin Obaseki to run for a second time on its platform, and he decamped to the PDP. And that was it! The party has never remained the same ever since that uneven yoke. It has been the case of a cock that perched on a rope, neither the rope nor the bird will know peace.

Presently, the party is highly factionalised, with some members of the SWC, led by its chairman, Tony Aziegbemi on the side of the Governor, with some others, including the state secretary, Hilary Otsu, under the Legacy Group, being loyal to the deputy national chairman (south-south), Chief Dan Orbih. The impact of the rancor was seen in the outcome of the 2023 general election, as the Legacy Group worked against the party’s candidates elected by the Obaseki faction. That was reason the party lost woefully even at its strongholds, including Edo central. For the first time ever, the party lost all the three senatorial seats and only managed to win a single House of Representatives seat.

But, like the dog that is destined to stray away will never hear the whistle of its owner, the leadership of the party has not learnt leasons from its failure by putting its house in order. Rather, the two factions have continued to fight dirty for the soul of the party in the state. Just recently, the Legacy Group declared that whichever candidate Governor Obaseki anoints s his successor in next year’s election would be dead on arrival.

Hilary Otsu who spoke on behalf of the Group, said: “Most of Governor Obaseki’s closest political allies have echoed it that Edo State will never accept another stranger to govern its people. If the person you mentioned now is the same person I have heard from some sources, then it’s dead on arrival. If Edo people are given a choice today, they will vote against any candidate that Governor Obaseki supports. I am sure you can see it’s a bit of a dicey situation. We have exactly one year to the election, time to get serious.”

Besides not supporting Obaseki’s choice in next year’s election, The 2024 guber election time table recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has inadvertently resurrect the battle for the soul of the ruling party which had hitherto pitched the faction led by Gov. Godwin Obaseki against the Legacy faction led by Chief Dan Orbih, with the latter vowing to wrestle the party structure from the Governor.

Vasco Ogie, the State Publicity Secretary of the party and a member of the Legacy Group faction, recently announced the candidate of the party would likely emerge from the collection of dedicated and loyal party members who have stood with the faction over the years.

Meanwhile, the internal wrangling has continued to take tolls on the party, with many of its leaders and members abandoning it for other parties. Months ago, one of its frontline aspirants, Barr. Ken Imansuagbon dumped the party for the Labour Party, where he is currently seeking to actualise his dream of securing the party’s ticket for the election.

Just last week, one of the founding member and a former Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, also dumped the party. The frontline aspirant of the party in next year’s governorship election announced his resignation from the party in a letter addressed to the Ward 4 Chairman of the Party in Esan North East LGA, Michael Eromonsele. He cited “protracted conflict” in the party for his decision.

“I’m writing to formally inform you and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that I’m resigning my membership of the party with immediate effect. After carefully analyzing the protracted conflict in the party and consulting with relevant stakeholders from my immediate constituency, political allies, friends, and family, this decision was made,” Onolemenmen wrote.

It is inconceivable that the political son and son-in-law of late Chief Tony Anenih will dump it for whatever reason. Although he did not state his next line of action, rumours had it last week that the former Minister has concluded plans to join the APC. In fact, it was gathered that he has approached the party at the ward level to intimate the leadership of his intention to join them.

Political pundits see the exit of the likes of Arch. Onolemenmen from the PDP for other parties as a bad omen a sign that the party is over for the party that has held sway in Edo for years.