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The coming days promise to be interesting in the Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of next year’s governorship election in the state.

TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI writes:

Godwin Obaseki, the state governor, and Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu, his main challenger in the governorship election in 2016, will both slug it out for the ticket of the APC in next year’s governorship election in the state.

Although the two are expected to be the main contenders, others who may also contest on the APC platform are Chris Ogiemwonyi, Charles Airhiavbere, Pius Odubu, the yet-to-be-sworn in Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) board chairman.

Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to announce a date for the governorship election, political analysts believe that the primary to determine the party’s flag bearers will likely take place in June while the election may hold in September.

Ize-Iyamu, who recently defected to the APC, was formally welcomed into the party last week at his residence by a faction of the APC loyal to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s national chairman and former governor of the state.

Both Oshiomhole and Obaseki have been at loggerheads over unresolved political differences.

It has been speculated that Oshiomhole persuaded Ize- Iyamu, a grassroots politician with a strong followership in the state, to join the APC where he would use his influence as national chairman to give him the party’s ticket.

There are also speculations that Obaseki may find his way to the PDP, the major opposition party in the state. However, he has repeatedly denied this, saying he had no plans to quit the APC.

“If a handful of individuals start misbehaving and feel we will leave the party for them, they will be the ones to leave,” Obaseki had said.

Also, Charles Idahosa, a former Commissioner for Information in the state, said the governor had no plans to dump the APC for another political platform in order to secure the ticket for his re-election.

He said despite the feud between Obaseki and Oshiomhole, the governor had done so much to deserve his second term and therefore could not be pushed aside by Oshiomhole and his foot soldiers in the APC.

“There is nothing like that. It is a black lie that the governor is leaving the party for another. Governor Obaseki is not leaving the APC for anybody. He is getting the party’s ticket and he must do his second term,” Idahosa declared.

However, leaders of the APC in Edo State, under the aegis of the Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), have said the governor does not deserve a second term, insisting they would shop for a better candidate that would fly the party’s flag in 2020.

Samson Osagie, a former minority whip of the House of Representatives, said: “Governor Obaseki is only dreaming to think that because he is the custodian of our collective patrimony he will intimidate us and hoodwink Edo people to shy away from giving him a run for our money he is amassing to run for second term.

“Let this serve as notice to him that some of us are going to present ourselves for next year’s gubernatorial elections and by the time the array of contestants are unveiled, Edo people will not choose deceit over sincerity, rhetoric over substance, and a government that has encouraged capital flight from the state over a government that will make sure the resources of the state circulates among its citizens.”

On the mode of the primary to be adopted, a credible source in the party said since there were two factions in the state, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Oshiomhole would determine the mode of primary to be used in selecting the party’s candidate.

“The APC has three methods for the primary. They are direct, indirect, and consensus. The party usually gives the states to choose the method they want.

“But just as it happened in Kogi APC during the just concluded governorship election, the NWC may step in and adopt a method if the party is factionalised.

“In Edo today, the party is factionalised with two state chairmen. Col. David Imuse, who is from the Oshiomhole camp, is claiming to be the state chairman of the party while Anselm Ojezua, who is solidly behind Governor Obaseki, has also said he remains the authentic chairman.

“If this is not resolved, the NWC may wade in adopt the mode of primary for the election,” he said.

Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, Ize-Iyamu said he would do all he could to ensure that the misunderstanding in the party was resolved. He also said he had instructed his followers who defected with him from the PDP to register at their ward levels.

“We will continue to do all we can to ensure that the little misunderstanding is resolved. But we have told all our people to go and join the party at the ward level, just as I did. Luckily, in many of the wards, we don’t have any faction there.

“We will try and bring more people into the APC in the coming days. I believe the whole tension will soon come down and we will have a united party,” he said.

Also speaking on whether he would contest the governorship election on the APC platform, Ize-Iyamu said only God would determine that.
He said: “We leave that to God and for our people. Next year may appear near but it is still far. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and see how it goes.”

However, Barrister Anselm Ojezua, Edo State chairman of the APC, said on Wednesday that the membership status of Ize-Iyamu was not clear as a lot of people believed that he defected to Edo People’s Mandate (EPM) and not the APC.
According to Ojezua, “What is more important and fundamental is that we have to, first of all, establish his (Ize- Iyamu) status. There are some people who believe that what he joined was EPM, not APC. Can he effectively join APC without the leadership of the party knowing about it? That is not possible.

https://www.independent.ng/disquiet-in-edo-apc-over-governorship-ticket/

johnmattew:
it's Benin turn and ishans are the next

johnmattew:
it's Benin turn and ishans are the next

helinues:
While Pdp are not making any strategic moves to take the opportunity of the current situations in Edo Apc

Opposition with no balls

EmptyCoconutHead:
Benin will hand over to another Benin cos they be like northerners.
Born to rule Edo

helinues:
While Pdp are not making any strategic moves to take the opportunity of the current situations in Edo Apc

Opposition with no balls

BRASH:
if they are making the move, they will inform u abi?

EmptyCoconutHead:
Benin will hand over to another Benin cos they be like northerners.
Born to rule Edo

hisexcellency34:
From the way things are going, Ize Iyamu and Oshiomhole will lose out. Buhari is on Obaseki's side

afroniger:


Buhari is not on anybody's side when it comes to this sort of instances. If he could allow Amosun, Ambode, Amaechi, and even Rochas Okorocha, to be subjected to local political intrigues, any governor counting on him saving his behind is sitting on a long thing. He has always demonstrated an aloof disposition towards local politics so Obaseki better have a plan-B (which should logically be defection to the PDP), else he's just wasting his time if he is counting on Buhari of all people to save his behind. What would be Buhari's stake in Edo politics that would make him stick his neck out for Obaseki?

Obaseki just rejected the second high-profiled/levelled APC NWC reconciliation committee setup by the party to try to settle the problems plaguing edo APC - - he keeps using the excuse that those that constitute the committees are pro-Oshiomhole people as reason for rejecting them. With such consistent intransigence, he is showing that he's not open to compromise/reconciliation. But whether he likes it or not, Oshiomhole is still the chairman of the party and that may not change anytime soon. He should at least allow the reconciliation committees to do their job and see the outcome of their efforts before rejecting them outrightly. That is why I said if he continues like this then he should start planning to port to PDP. I am sure they won't hesitate to give him their ticket considering that he is an incumbent.

itsme01:





regardless of the outcome of the election, oshiomole goofed big time.. if he thinks he cant controll Obaseki what makes him think ize iyamu is controlleable?

Oshiomole keeps copying Tinubu but Tinubu was born into Godfatherism (son of Iyaloja General of yoruba land), his Tax consulting model means all states that consults AlphaBeta Tinubu has enough information on the government account and thats a finacial weapon, same as his TVC and the Nation Newspaper that can blackmail anyone including president like Jonathan

Oshiomole has nothing as tool
..

itsme01:





regardless of the outcome of the election, oshiomole goofed big time.. if he thinks he cant controll Obaseki what makes him think ize iyamu is controlleable?

Oshiomole keeps copying Tinubu but Tinubu was born into Godfatherism (son of Iyaloja General of yoruba land), his Tax consulting model means all states that consults AlphaBeta Tinubu has enough information on the government account and thats a finacial weapon, same as his TVC and the Nation Newspaper that can blackmail anyone including president like Jonathan

Oshiomole has nothing as tool
..

helinues:
While Pdp are not making any strategic moves to take the opportunity of the current situations in Edo Apc

Opposition with no balls

EmptyCoconutHead:
Benin will hand over to another Benin cos they be like northerners.
Born to rule Edo

Pusyiter:
There is no PDP opposition
What we have are political jobbers looking for the next Ghana-must-go
How can you reconcile a fact where the State Chairman of the opposition is demanding 6 billion to give the incumbent a ticket on the party's platform?

cjudy:


See as three of them worwor

Tufiakwa for Edo and Ugliness

afroniger:


Buhari is not on anybody's side when it comes to this sort of instances. If he could allow Amosun, Ambode, Amaechi, and even Rochas Okorocha, to be subjected to local political intrigues, any governor counting on him saving his behind is sitting on a long thing. He has always demonstrated an aloof disposition towards local politics so Obaseki better have a plan-B (which should logically be defection to the PDP), else he's just wasting his time if he is counting on Buhari of all people to save his behind. What would be Buhari's stake in Edo politics that would make him stick his neck out for Obaseki?

Obaseki just rejected the second high-profiled/levelled APC NWC reconciliation committee setup by the party to try to settle the problems plaguing edo APC - - he keeps using the excuse that those that constitute the committees are pro-Oshiomhole people as reason for rejecting them. With such consistent intransigence, he is showing that he's not open to compromise/reconciliation. But whether he likes it or not, Oshiomhole is still the chairman of the party and that may not change anytime soon. He should at least allow the reconciliation committees to do their job and see the outcome of their efforts before rejecting them outrightly. That is why I said if he continues like this then he should start planning to port to PDP. I am sure they won't hesitate to give him their ticket considering that he is an incumbent.