Senator Monday Okpebolo of APC, top left, Asue Ighodalo, PDP, right, and Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata of LP

Richard Elesho

The people of Edo State are in a frenzy over who will succeed Godwin Obaseki as their governor. His tenure comes to a close on 12 November, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed September 21 as a date for the next gubernatorial election.

Not less than two scores of politicians from across more than ten political parties have indicated interest in the plum office Obaseki has held for nearly eight years. Zoning and competence have been at the centre of the gubernatorial debate. Last week, the three major political parties, namely the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP went through the primary election ritual to pick their respective flagbearers. It was a herculean task for each of them.

After a series of consultations, maneuvres, and high-level backstabbing, the parties picked their respective candidates from an array of war horses who aspired to the tickets. It is a striking coincidence that all three are graduates. Not only that. While two of the three have career overlap in law practice, another two overlap as economists. Certainly, Edo 2024 promises to be another multidimensional clash of the Titans.

Here are the things you need to know about the candidates of the frontline parties in the state.

Labour Party LP: Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata:

The former National Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA was declared winner of the LP primary on Friday in Benin, by the deputy governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, who was Returning Officer of the poll. Akpata scored 316 votes to win the exercise.

Born on 7 October 1972, Apkata is the youngest of the triumvirate. He hails from Edo South, just like incumbent governor Obaseki and former governor Lucky Igbinedion.

The LP candidate attended the University of Benin, where he studied law, graduating in 1992 at the impressionable age of twenty. He performed the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in Kano. Apkata has made a scintillating success of his law practice career, which he started in nearby Delta State before relocating to Lagos, where he was a founding member of the Templars law firm.

It is worthy of note that the commercial lawyer was the first non Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to have led the NBA in 28 years, when he was elected in July 2020. He was a bachelor then and only got married on 14 May 2022 to another lawyer and long-time girlfriend Osayamon Michelle May Ogbebor.

Akpata, who embarked on aggressive television campaigns, had seamless access to his party ticket. How he wriggles out of the zoning debate will go a long way in shaping the outcome of his current venture..

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo:

He emerged winner of the PDP primary election, which was held in Benin on Thursday, 22 February. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, the Chief Returning Officer of the contest, said Ighodalo polled 577 votes to beat other aspirants-Anselm Ojezua, Arthur Esele, Osaro Onaiwu, Martins Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru and Felix Akhabue, who scored zero.

Ighodalo is the anointed candidate of the outgoing governor, who has vigorously argued in support of the power shift to Edo Central. The state Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu, from Edo North, who has been in strong contention for the ticket, emerged victorious at a parallel primary6 he coordinated. How the party manages its internal crisis over the guber ticket will go a long way to shape its performance in the main election.

Born on 19 July 1959, he hails from Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East LG. Ighodalo is a product of King’s College, Lagos. He obtained B.Sc degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1981, an LL.B from the London School of Economics and Political Science, 1984, and a B.L from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, 1985.

The corporate and commercial lawyer is a founding partner of Banwo and Ighodalo law firm. He has carved a niche in law practice. He is the chairman sterling Bank, Director, NSIA – Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Chairman NESG – Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

Ighodalo and Akpata, the LP candidates, are both Lagos based lawyers and friends. But what law brought together, politics may threaten to separate.

All Progressives Congress, APC , Senator Monday Okpebolo:

His emergence as the party flagbearer was not without a drama. He was one of three aspirants who emerged from a previous controversial primary exercise conducted under the supervision of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State. Violence compromised the outcome of that exercise, and the party’s hierarchy in Abuja, while declaring it inconclusive, ordered its conclusion.

Cross Rivers State governor Bassey Otu, the chairman of the new committee that conducted the fresh  poll, declared Okpebholo winner after collating the results on Friday, 23 February. He polled 12,433 votes to defeat the aspirant supported by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and a representative of the Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes.

Okpebholo is the Senator of Edo Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly. Born on 12 June 1962, he hails from Uromi, Esan North-East local government area of the state. He attended Uromi Primary School and Uromi Grammar School.

He had his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Benin in 1986 and a master’s in Public Administration in 1990 still from Uniben. Opkebholo earned a PhD, in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1996. He is a successful businessman whose areas of interest caught across the vast terrain of agriculture, hospitality, oil, and gas among others.