The governorship election in Edo State is fast approaching and it is common knowledge that it is going to be a straight battle between the incumbent governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by its former Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.

Since PDP lost the governorship seat to Oshiomhole at the Court of Appeal, its has been crisis-ridden and factionalised. There were regrets, backbiting, blame games, anti-party activities and confusion within the party in the State.

Despite pretences that all was well, the party remained so divided until Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, a grassroot politician, founder and major financer of ACN in the state defected to PDP with his followers. There was no doubt that his joining the PDP brought about genuine reconciliation and succour to the party in the state, especially as majority of the members had angrily abandoned Anenih over his overbearing influence in the party.

Tongues have since been wagging on what prompted Imansuangbon’s decision to join PDP instead of remaining in ACN, especially with Oshiomhole’s victory at tribunal. But Imansuangbon will tell anyone who cares to listen that he was on a mission to rescue the state PDP from imminent collapse.

A principled and untainted politician who knows his onions, he has also made it clear he has left the ACN for good. But to many, including some PDP members, his defection to the PDP was unusual and a risk not worth taking.

Fortunately, Imansuangbon is a selfless politician who has achieved a lot in his private businesses and has touched peoples’ lives positively across the country, as a result of which he has become a household name in the country today, more than most politicians at the corridors of power. This feat he has not allowed to get into his head. Rather he has continued with his philanthropic gestures and at the same time devoted his precious time in the rebuilding the PDP in the state, even if at a risk to his life and that of his family. For instance, during last yuletide’s celebration, he undertaken the rare initiative of going to the streets of Edo state to share food items to the people, especially the less privileged ones. This gesture succeeded in winning many people over to the PDP in the State.

This was at time those who have benefitted from the party, at both the state and national levels in the past, avoided the party like a plague, because they were not sure of its future in the state and what they would benefit individually. But Imansuangbon demonstrated that he does not belong to this selfish clan based on his strong belief in human empowerment, politics or no politics; after all, he has been a philanthropist for years.

But surprisingly his efforts combined with that of Anenih and other PDP chieftains paid off during the last April polls in the State. Despite the power of incumbency and enormous resources at Oshiomhole’s disposal, PDP gave him a battle of his life in the state, especially in Edo Central zone where Anenih and Imansuangbon hail from.

Many could not help but wonder what would have happened to the party in the state during the polls if Imansuangbon and Anenih did not take the bull by the horn to fight it out with the ruling party. This development is believed to have made Oshiomhole and his party members jittery and worried ahead of next year’s governorship election in the state.

Before the ministerial nomination in the state, many had thought that Imansuangbon would be nominated, but it was not so, as Anenih nominated his cousin and former personal assistant, Mike Onololemen who is the current Minister of Works. It was a development many had thought would create more crisis in the party, but Imansuangbon was not perturbed or discouraged with the situation as he has remained focused in repositioning the party ahead of future challenges in the state.

With the governorship election getting closer in the state, some disgruntled PDP members who abandoned the party in time of need are already scheming their way back and grandstanding on how to grab the party ticket. Some of them are moles from the ruling party camp, but pretend to be PDP members. That is why the party must be thorough, fair and just in their primary election ahead the guber poll in the state.

To the majority of the people in the state, PDP has no better option than to choose and support Imansuangbon as their candidate for the election.

Mr  LUCKY IBONWOSE, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Ekpoma, Edo State