By Osehobo Ofure

As a party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) position on the issue of consensus candidature is public knowledge. But for the records, the party sometimes ago stated that all positions including Governorship are open for a contest among members; unless for positions in which only one aspirant who indicates interest, purchases a form for that position.

A variant of consensus candidacy is also a scenario where all the contending aspirants for an office come together to back a single candidate for a position, by agreeing to step down and pledging to work for the success of that preferred candidate. It is this candidate that will carry the burden of implementing the important task of rescuing the state from the claws of incompetence, intolerance, and reversal of growth and development, with others supporting.

This variant has become necessary because in Edo state, stakeholders have agreed that the current occupant of the position of Governor does not deserve a second term. They, therefore, are united in the submission that whereas there are qualified, competent and credible members who can challenge the incumbent at the primaries, it would be foolhardy for all to jump into the fray. But, suffice a digression to cross examine how and why the party chose this option as a last resort, so it does not drown its fortunes in Edo state.

All was well after the Governor took office until he shot himself in the foot when he alleged that party leaders and members have become a burden to him and as such, asking him to share Edo state public funds to them, adding that that was not why he was elected.

Committed to rubbishing the party that brought him to power, soon after the 2019 general elections which saw the party winning all 24 seats at the state Assembly, the Governor orchestrated a confusion that made nonsense of the 7th Edo state Assembly. He did this by proclaiming the state assembly with majority members who were duly elected absent, as a minority of 9 took oaths at night and purportedly elected a 'speaker'.

Then came the fracas at the state-owned Edo University, Iyamho, which has its first Convocation and had guests from far and wide in attendance. The Governor embarrassed the party and the state when thugs in his deputy's convoy of motorcycles clashed and had these guests attacked, close to the private residence of the APC National chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Yet with all the security apparatus at the Governor's disposal, not a single arrest was ever made over the matter.

This was soon followed with an attack targeting Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at his Benin residence. But the party moved on by embarking on serious membership drive, identifying and interfacing with former and new members across the state who have shown genuine interest to rejoin or join the party, developing a programme of action to receive them and at all levels of engagement from the ward to the state levels.

Then the unthinkable happened, late last year when founding members like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his supporters, who in times past, left in annoyance were welcomed back home at a rally in Edo South. To the chagrin of many, thugs made bonfires of tyres on Benin City streets and barricaded the entrance and exit of the Benin Airport, in addition to all roads leading to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole's home in Benin City, the state capital.

A similar rally in Edo North, the home senatorial zone of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole also suffered from vandalization of facilities at the venue but held successfully. Homes and offices of party leaders went on free for all attacks as they escaped assassination, and in the state capital, without as much as a word of condemnation from a governor who serves as Chief Security Officer of the state, sworn to safeguard the lives and properties of all citizens.

Yet the governor has not hidden his ambition to return to office for a second term and was holding rallies but said he had banned rallies without his express permits! And as part of the strategies put in place to actualise his dream, he got a handful of persons masquerading as the Ward Exco in Etsako West local government area to suspend the National chairman from the party. This was a matter that saw the Governor saying his second term was non-negotiable while singing that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has been suspended from the party. He even demanded that the National chairman only visit the state where he served two terms as governor only with His (Obaseki's) approval.

Not to mention that this same governor has sacked party members he suspected of being loyal to the National Chairman, as Aides , members of the state executive council and elected local government council chairmen - all known party members. And for three and half years now, he woefully failed to constitute boards and parastatals of Ministries, department and agencies of the state.

These are some of the reasons why party stakeholders came up with the idea that this betrayer must be voted out and replaced with a consensus candidate from among those who have signified desire to be Governor. Consensus at this time is to ensure that the party pick her best from among the seven aspirants.

But then again the benefits of consensus have been articulated elsewhere as germaine to our situation in Edo. Happily all the aspirants have bought into the idea and ready to see it through. It is all about inclusive participation, engaging and empowering the party and requires a commitment of all aspirants to work together and increase cooperation.

It will create shared understanding through discussion that bridge differences, equalize the distribution of power in the party and can create better decisions that are more representative of the larger population of expectant and eager supporters of the party, nationwide.

The consensus arrangement will create more ownership and commitment and result in more effective implementation because the entire group of aspirants in tandem with stakeholders commit to taking an action on a plan they believe cannot fail.

hmm!

All we want is a better Nigeria.

#POI IS OUR CHOICE!