Edo 2024: Ighodalo not Obaseki’s anointed aspirant.

By Goodluck Osaretin

As preliminary preparations begin unofficially for the gubernatorial election in Edo State next year, aspirants have set in motion, consultations with stakeholders across the state.

Prominent among them is a frontline hopeful, Dr Asuelimhen Ighodalo, who is vying to clinch the ticket of his political party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.

Though, the party’s primaries are scheduled to be held in February of 2024, not less than five (5) individuals have through body language, flashed their interests including the Deputy Governor, Comrade Phillip Shaibu who has openly declared his intention to succeed his boss in Osadebey Avenue.

It is yet to be seen if the PDP will maintain the principle of zoning, but, a drop-filled leaked information has it that it will most likely tilt its candidacy to Edo Central Senatorial district to have the much political balance of power rotation within the state.

Without any bit of doubt, it can easily be predicted that the PDP is gearing towards having 90% of its gubernatorial aspirants from Edo Central with only Shaibu coming out from Edo North. Anselm Ojezua from Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area has also declared to run, with feelers saying that Sen Clifford Odia will be joining the fray in the days ahead.

Ighodalo, one of the top runners, has taken consultations to his family in his Ewohimi community in Esan South East, and to the entire Edo Central, consulting with party stakeholders, youths and traditional rulers across the five LGAs that make up the senatorial zone. He is the only aspirant to have achieved this despite no official declaration yet.

According to him, ‘’ I believe it is important to take my aspiration to my people at home first for consultation to get advice, counselling and support before declaring to the general Edo people’’.

Ighodalo is a University of Ibadan trained Economist and a London School of Economics-trained lawyer. He has an enviable successful career with experience that spans private, public and corporate sectors.

He is a co-founder of Banwo and Ighodalo, a top-rated and reputable law firm with 15 partners and over 100 staff that specializes in taxation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate banking, and energy and natural resources among many others. He has practised law for the past 39 years.

Ighodalo has served as Chairman of many conglomerate boards such as Sterling Bank, Dangote Sugars, Heineken Nigeria, and Nigerian Breweries. He has also Chaired the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG; Director of, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA where he spearheaded the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, the building of cancer centres and the initiation of the Abuja-Kano rail construction.

He also served as an active member of several company boards across various sectors. Prominent amongst them is Okomu Group, the producer of Okomu Oil. “Okomu is the highest profit-making private company in Nigeria at the moment,’’ he said in one of his consultations outings.

Ighodalo has contributed immensely to the economic development of his state, Edo, where he served as a member of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s Economic Team for 8 years, and subsequently got appointed by Governor Godwin Obaseki as Chairman of his Economic Team where he has consistently chaired the Alaghodaro Summit, a yearly program, for the past seven (7) years.

He has now decided to bring his much-acquired wealth of experience to steer the ship of leadership as the Governor of Edo State come 2024.

Ighodalo believes that success cannot be achieved through shortcuts, it requires hard work hinged on dedication, discipline, integrity, and strong commitment to one’s chosen field of duty. This has also made him take his aspiration to govern Edo State to a wide range of stakeholders for consultations before formally declaring.

However, being the Chairman of Alaghodaro Summit has made a section of the people especially those in the camp of his competitors erroneously insinuate and place him as Governor Obaseki’s ‘’anointed candidate’’. A man who supposedly enjoys the Governor’s support will not be the most hungry aspirant seeking the support of party stakeholders across the length and breadth of the state.
Governor Obaseki has consistently reiterated publicly that he has no favoured candidate going into the primaries. Speaking to journalists last week at a stakeholders’ meeting organized by the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP to iron out some pressing issues with all the aspirants at the party's national secretariat in Abuja, Obaseki reaffirmed his stand of neutrality by pledging to support whoever emerges the candidate of the party. ‘’I will support whoever emerges the party’s candidate at the primaries…’’, he said.

A very close ally to the governor who pleaded to remain anonymous confirmed to me that the Governor has no preferred aspirant, and has not even made it known to them of such intention. He went further to say that Anselm Ojezua is the closest friend to the Governor amongst others.

Ighodalo has toured virtually every part of Esanland to seek support for his aspiration in the past 3 weeks where he engaged in deep consultations with the grassroots stakeholders cutting across the youth, men, women, and the association of paramount rulers – the Enijies. While none of his co-aspirants has been seen to have achieved this feat, he is scheduled in the weeks ahead, to take his consultations to other senatorial regions.
Speaking to some Edo youths about his ambition last week in Abuja, Ighodalo dispelled the rumour that he is the anointed aspirant of the Governor. He harped on his readiness to make the youths his priority to drive his desire to lead Edo state from the Government House next year. He emphatically confirmed to the youths that he has formally resigned from all his board appointments, those he chairs including his law firm to enable him to fully focus on the great task ahead.

This man is really loaded. I wish the so called career politicians will allow this man to deliver good governance to the good people of Edo state.

Asue Ighodalo is a hardworking man who believes that courage, confidence and hard work, are what he needs to achieve his ambition

He has toured, more than any other aspirants, the entire senatorial districts meeting stakeholders and party faithfuls

Goodluck Osaretin, you are absolutely right. Obaseki has no anointed candidate because he has said it over and over. He believes in supporting whoever wins in the PDP primaries come February 2024.