•As leaders eye 2016 guber after February

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City

The primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were marked with surprises as seven sitting National Assembly members lost their bids to return to the National Assembly. The members include the senator representing Edo Central, Senator Odion Ugbesia, who lost to Engr. Clifford Ordia.

Patrick Ikhariele representing Esan Centrai/EsanWest/Igueben Federal Constituency lost to Mr Joe Edionwere while Mr. Friday Itulah, the Chairman, House Committee of Power, lost to Sergius Oguns. Another House of Representatives member, representing Etsako Federal Constituency, Abubakar Momoh, who defected from the APC to the PDP, was defeated in the PDP senatorial contest in Edo North by .

MOMOH-Abubakar

Paschal Ugbome. The APC House of Reps member in Ovia Federal Constituency, Engr Isaac Osahon, lost to Charity Amanyaenvbo, while Rasaq Bello Osagie lost to the incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe.

Anyone who has been following the politics of Edo since 1999 will observe that, for the first time, the primaries of the parties represented the voice of the majority of the members. PDP held sway in state since 1999 till the coming of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2012, but it hardly conducted free primaries following the belief that whoever emerges will be fixed into power by all means.

But when Oshiomhole came to change the political dynamics of the state, defeating the PDP in many elections, it started occurring to the PDP that the only way to stand a chance was to embrace internal democracy. The signals came when some APC leaders, led by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, dumped the APC for the PDP. Ize-Iyamu joined the PDP with four APC lawmakers namely: Jude Ise-Idehen, Patrick Osayimwen, Friday Ogierakhi and Rasaq Momoh.

And among them, two were gunning for the House of Representatives ticket: Ise-Idehen and Osayimwen. There was this rumour then that all defected APC lawmakers had been given automatic ticket by the leadership of the PDP. But some PDP leaders said there was nothing like that, that those who defected must face the rigours of the primaries. Those who had been angling for ticket in the PDP stood their ground and insisted that they will slug it out at the primaries, that the issue of endorsement did not exist.

The old PDP aspirants matched their words with action by actually ensuring that these aspirants were defeated. Ise-Idehen, who participated in the House of Representatives PDP primaries for Ikpoba Okhai Federal Constituency, was defeated by EJ Agbonayinma while Osayimwen, who participated in the House of Reps primaries for Oredo under the PDP, was defeated by Ogbeide Ihama. Momoh, who wanted to go back to the House of Assembly to represent the people of Etsako West Constituency 1, was equally defeated by Dada Abubakar Zuberu.

Of the four, only Oguerhaki narrowly clinched the return ticket of his new party to run for the Orhiomwon South Constituency in the state House of Assembly. Unfortunately for these former APC lawmakers, they decided to go to the PDP thinking that they will receive the endorsement of their new party to achieve their ambition. But the leadership of the PDP in the state, led by Chief Dan Orbih, allowed internal democracy to triumph and the people made their choice. The agitation by a section of the leaders of the party to get automatic ticket for the lawmakers was shot down.

Similarly, in Edo Central,the third term agitation of the trio of Senator Ugbesia and two House of Reps members Itulah and Ikhariele, was punctured by the PDP delegates in that zone. Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, the Leader, allowed the popular voice of the people to prevail to avoid defeat in 2015.

PDP senatorial candidate in Edo Central, Ordia, will face Chief Francis Inegbeneki, the candidate of the APC at the polls. Inegbeneki defeated Prince Joe Okojie and Theophilus Okoh to pick the APC ticket. His emergence did not come as a surprise because it was obvious to majority of the APC leaders in the area that for them to stand a chance against the PDP, they need Inegbeneki who was Anenih’s footsoldier when he was in the PDP. He has the youths behind him and capable of picking votes even from PDP members from that zone.

While the result of the PDP senatorial ptimary in Edo North did not come as a surprise, that of the APC was shocking. In the PDP, Ugbome defeated Momoh. Others who lost to Ominimini, as Ugbome is popular called, include Chief Richard Lamai and Bobby Ikhazobor. Sadly for Momoh, who got to the House of Representatives under the APC ticket, he dumped the party for the PDP when it was clear to him that he will not get a return ticket under the APC, following the feeling that he will get the ticket under the PDP. But he met a brick wall in Ugbome who received the endorsement of majority of the leaders. Momoh is seen by many as one who is driven by ambition following the way he defects from parties. It is even being rumoured that the lawmaker and his supporters are on their way to the SDP to achieve his ambition.

Three friends

Ihonvbere

For the APC in Edo North, it was a contest of three friends: Incumbent Senator Domingo Obende; a former Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere; and Chief Francis Alimekhena. Before the contest, Alimekhena was the dark horse but he became the winner following the intrigues that played out 24 hours before the primaries. Alimekhena, from the same Etsako with Oshiomhole, polled 831 votes to defeat Ihonvbere who polled 815 while Obende polled 198.

Ihonvbere and Domingo’s sin was that they failed to ensure the emergence of two House of Assembly members from their domains even after the governor pleaded with them for help since the lawmakers stood by him in the crisis between the PDP and APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly.

Their defence was that the lawmakers were unpopular and therefore difficult products to market. But the argument from Oshiomohole’s camp was that it would be wrong to say the lawmakers were unpopular since it was a mere party primary, adding that the same lawmakers defeated their PDP counterparts in the last general elections, wondering where the argument of not being popular came from.

It was learnt that what also angered the governor’s camp was that the duo allegedly used their resources to work against the lawmakers after they were briefed on the need to ensure their return to the House. But Ihonvbere debunked the allegation insisting that he did his best, but the delegates voted for the candidate they felt was more popular and capable of defeating the PDP candidate.

It was learnt that Ihonvbere was coasting to victory but Oshiomhole’s field soldiers convinced delegates to vote Alimekhena. Angered by the situation, Ihonvbere threatened resignation and it was immediately accepted by the governor even before receiving the hard copy from him. With the emergence of Alimekhena, the Edo North senatorial contest became an Etsako affair and Alimekhena will be banking on Oshiomhole’s influence in the area to defeat Ugbome. But it appears the APC will be in trouble in Akoko Edo in particular.

Chances

In Edo South, the heartbeat of the state. Matthew Urhoghide emerged as the PDP candidate after defeating West Ehioge-Idahosa, Victor Ebomoyi and Isaiah Osifo. It was not surprising because, prior to the contest, Urhoghide enjoyed the support of majority of the leaders of the PDP in the South. The argument in the party was that West-Idahosa and Osifo were new entrants, so they need to queue behind others.

But very sadly, West-Idahosa lost his nephew 48 hours before the contest and, there is no doubt, that also affected his chances. His nephew and a police orderly were shot dead after they went to the bank to withdraw some money believed to be part of the money the aspirant intended to use for the primary election. Urhoghide polled 127 polls against 102 scored by Idahosa.

Urhoghide will slug it out with the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, who defeated the Chief of Staff to the governor, Patrick Obahiagbon (Igodomigodo), with 1120 against 894 polled by Obahiagbon. A member of the House of Reps, Jim Adun, polled 162. The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Igbe, picked the House of Representatives ticket for Oredo Federal Constituency after defeating the incumbent, Rasaq Bello-Osagie. But Bello-Osagie was not defeated because he was hated or did not perform.

Igbe was preferred ahead of him due to his loyalty to the cause of the APC administration in the House of Assembly. Igbe exhibited bravery throughout the battle for the soul of the House and that endeared him to Oshiomhole and the APC leaders in Oredo. Majority Leader of the House Philip Shaibu defeated his fellow House of Assembly member Johnson Oghuma to pick the House of Reps ticket in Etsako. Shaibu is loved by his people due to his numerous constituency projects scattered all over the area and he is expected to triumphant in the general elections.

Credible primaries

What will determine the outcome of the results between the PDP and the APC in the coming elections will be how the APC is able to reconcile aggrieved members before the polls to avoid protest votes which is what the PDP will bank on in many parts of the state. The two parties were able to conduct credible primaries to an extent that it is now left for the electorate to elect the best. And what the parties will all be eyeing is the 2016 governorship election and the results of the National and state Assembly elections in 2015 will determine who carries the day in 2016.

Oshiomhole, speaking on the conduct of the primaries in his party, stated: “I will be surprised if anybody who had participated in this transparent election decides to leave simply because he didn’t win. If such people want to leave, we will escort them out because it means they cannot fit into the logic and philosophy of ‘Change’. The ‘Change’ we talk about is not just to change and replace the Federal Government of PDP, we also want to change the habit, the language of our political design and practice whereby people use guns rather than ballot papers.”