By Gabriel Enogholase

IN the beginning, they were four aspirants that indicated interests in the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They were Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Osaro Onaiwu.

However, only three of the governorship aspirants were screened by the Prof. Tunde Adeniran committee set up by the National Caretaker Committee of the party. Onaiwu did not pick the governorship form for yet undisclosed reasons.

 Zoning  dispute

The issue on which of the three Senatorial Zones in the state should produce the PDP governorship candidate was long settled by the party which long ago resolved to focus on the Southern Senatorial District.

The party took into cognizance the political exigencies of the time in arriving at its decision. It went ahead to zone the Deputy Governor to Edo Central.

With a voting population put at about 58 percent and a strong determination to produce the next governor, it appeared the PDP understood that the first step to winning the election was in picking a candidate from the Edo South zone.

Political analysts are strongly of the view that with only three governorship aspirants, the PDP will have less post-primary crisis to battle with unlike the APC that had 12 aspirants.

The successful conduct of ad hoc delegates’ election last week meant that the status of delegates, who will elect the party governorship aspirants, was settled.

The three aspirants also appear more united than their colleagues in the APC as they have vowed to combine forces with whoever among them emerges as the governorship candidate of the party.

In a demonstration of this show of oneness among the aspirants, last week, they were all brought together under one roof by an Edo PDP pressure group, Unity League, to discuss how they can foster unity among the aspirants and the supporters.

On that occasion, the aspirants once again gave their words to give their support to whoever wins among them will have the full support and cooperation of the others.

 The candidates

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu appears on the surface to be the leading aspirant in the PDP. The former Chief of Staff and Secretary to Edo State Government of Chief Lucky Igbinedion is said to have political structures in almost every nook and cranny of the state and against this background some of the party faithful are already seeing him as the PDP flag bearer in the 10, September 2016 governorship election.

Looking beyond the PDP ticket

Ize-Iyamu is well grounded in the politics of Edo State and people close to him say that he is already looking beyond the PDP ticket and was already plotting on how to defeat the APC  candidate in the September 10 election.

Vanguard findings indicated that Ize-Iyamu has done the needful to secure the votes of most of the delegates in the Edo North and Edo Central, while he is expected to share Edo South with Iduoriyekemwen and Edebiri.

If this permutation plays out, the party’s ticket will be handed over to him despite staying only two years in a party he was disconnected from in 2007.

The strength of the Ize-Iyamu aspiration is also in the fact that he knows the strength of the APC having been the campaign manager to the outgoing governor in 2012. In fact, Ize-Iyamu’s political sagacity is seen in the fact that he has been a major facilitator in the victory of all four governorship contests held in Edo State since 1999.

Criticisms against his connection with Lucky Igbinedion under whose administration he served have raised dust among some.

He has, however, replied that he was not the driver. Indeed, since he left the APC, his role as SSG in the Igbinedion administration has been put under the binoculars, but his traducers have not been able to indict him of any wrongdoing.

Solomon Edebiri

Solomon Edebiri as the candidate of the All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2012 governorship was the revelation and the new face of Edo politically in the debate organized by a group, Nigerians Decide, he won many hearts with the way he marshalled points during that debate that was organized for the governorship candidates.

He led the Edo ANPP group into a merger with the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to form the APC. He, however, left the APC to join the PDP in 2014 after complaining that only the ACN group was running the show in the new APC. Edebiri has never occupied any political office; hence, he is seen as a “decent” politician and a man who has not soiled himself with the spoils of office.

Many in Edo think that he is an ideal governor. Edebiri said he has a master plan to develop Edo through industrialization and agriculture, pointing out that Edo State has no reason to be poor. As a businessman, he plans to run the state as a business enterprise.

A great philanthropist and sports lover, Edebiri has touched the lives of many in the state through his various business interests.

He has advocated for a paradigm shift of age long imposition of candidates to free and fair contest. Many who are apolitical in Edo seem to be in love with him and are yearning for him. Many, however, fear that his lack of political structure capable could be a serious challenge for him.

Edebiri is presently the President Nigeria Welding Institute, (NWI) and his critics are worried about his gentleness, live and let live attitude and disposition to life.

Matthew Uduoriyekemwen

Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen was a two-term member of the Edo State House of Assembly, who contested the governorship election in 2012. He was a former majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly and a former commissioner on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Youthful and energetic, he is working behind the scene to actualize his goal. He describes himself as the only original PDP member among the aspirants as he has never left the party at any time. He is also quite popular among the youthful segment of the state who see in him a role model.

Unassuming young man, the “Major” as he is fondly called by friends and political associates has touched lives, and his followers cut across the three senatorial zones of Edo State, and his popularity goes beyond his native Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, where he may have the upper hand during the primaries.