By Chioma Gabriel

In a matter of weeks, tempers may rise to a crescendo in Edo State over the struggle for who occupies the Deputy Governorship position in the build up to next year Guber election in the State.

Expectedly, tempers are high from the different camps within the Action Congress of Nigeria in the State over the call on Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to dislodge his deputy and put in his place, a more politically grounded candidate and politician who would help to attract the much needed votes from Edo South in next year’s election .

Next year’s election promises to be an acid test for political players in the State but more on the part of Comrade Governor who is being accused of several shortcomings. But like a fighter that he is, the Comrade Governor is not leaving anything to chance because of the several undercurrents that have continued to dictate the political pendulum in the State.

There are several splinter groups in the Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, in the State as a result of this development. Those who are loyal to the deputy governor, Pius Odubu are at daggers drawn over the call for his removal.

They reasoned, according to insider source, that the deputy governor has remained a very loyal party man and dependable ally to the governor since the inception of the administration and thus do not see any rationale for his replacement. There are others within the party who are of the opinion that the deputy governor has not been playing politics of inclusivity but rather, that of exclusivity which has not added value to the political fortunes of the party in the State.

Adams Oshiomhole (right) and his Deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu

Yet, there are others who are already putting the political leadership of the State into consideration in the event that power returns to Edo South when the Comrade Governor would have completed his second term in office in 2016. In whatever brackets they find themselves, everyone is battling hard to ensure that the party does not lose the State to the opposition PDP in next year’s election.

The “sins” of the Deputy Governor.

The Deputy Governor Pius Odubu is generally perceived as a very quiet and unassuming personality who stood by the Comrade Governor all through the struggle for the revalidation of the mandate in Edo State. Since assumption of office, Edo State is one of the States in Nigeria where there is cordial relationship between the Governor and his Deputy.

But beyond the cordiality that exists between the first two citizens in the State lies a much deeper political theory that is bound to uproot Odubu from his stranglehold. His godfathers, who initially nominated him for the position, have since abandoned him on the excuse that the man does not enjoy political following in the State. In the last election, they pointed to the fact that the deputy governor lost his ward to the opposition PDP, an issue that undermines his political grip of his ward and perhaps his Local Government.

In the House of Assembly election, Odubu is accused of being able to return just his candidate in the Assembly while other political factors returned nine candidates in the House of Assembly from the Edo South of the State. Aside from this, there are those who observed that rather than reach out to political players in the State to expand the frontiers of the AC Party, Dr. Odubu was accused by some political actors of being too shut-in without reaching out.

This, political observers’ see as rather counter-productive. If the State must remain with the ACN, they reasoned, the Deputy Governor must be up and doing to deliver the Southern part of the state to the party. He must be aware that the Governor enjoys massive support from the north and central parts of the state. Information available to Saturday Vanguard indicates that in a matter of weeks, the rejection of the Deputy Governor would have been a fait accompli.

The actors

Former Secretary to the Edo State Government, Pastor Ize Iyamu and currently, the National Vice Chairman of the Action Congress, is at the centre of what political watchers would rather call redemption mission. Pastor Ize Iyamu was at the centre of those whose structures the Comrade Governor used to climb to the seat. He is being supported by other political big spenders like Captain Hosa and Tunde Ayeni as well the erstwhile Governor of the State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion.

“The political reach of Pastor Ize Iyamu is deep and awesome”, according to an ACN chieftain in the state who proffered anonymity. Pastor Ize Iyamu was credited for being the brain behind the successful outcome of the nine House of Assembly members from Edo South who are presently in the House. According to political observers, in the event that the Deputy Governor is proving difficult to bend, the Assembly may choose the option of impeachment.

At present, the AC party structure in the state particularly in the Edo State axis is predominantly under the control of Pastor Ize Iyamu, who observers reasoned, might also invoke his national support to bend the Comrade Governor to accept the proposal of a change of his Deputy. From feelers reaching Saturday Vanguard, Pastor Ize Iyamu is actually not personally interested in the position but would want a situation where someone with better political clout assumes the position.

His political supporters some of whom spoke with Saturday Vanguard, are of the opinion that rather than allow someone else to grab the position, they would rather have Pastor Ize Iyamu as Deputy Governor. “He has tremendous support across the State. You know he is a grounded politician who knows how to navigate the political waters in the State. He knows people, and has a listening ear.

But as for the Deputy Governor, he only knows his immediate environment. He does not reach out”, one of the supporters of Ize Iyamu told Saturday Vanguard. When Saturday Vanguard sought to speak to Ize Iyamu, one of his aides said his boss would not want this issue to be a media affair. And that since the Governor was already aware of the desires of the party in the state, they would exploit internal mechanisms to address the issue.

On the other hand, one of Ize Iyamu’s aides confirmed to Saturday Vanguard that there are pressures being mounted on his boss to take the Deputy Governor slot so that he could deploy his political structure across the state to use during the next election when PDP is going to put all its machineries at work to ensure that the state returns to its fold. While this fight is on-going, the PDP is also waiting in the wings to reap from the rip-off.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is hanging in the balance

One thing that is sure as of now is that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole will contest next year’s election for a second term of office, but what is not certain, is whether he will be doing that with or without his present Deputy, Pius Odubu.

An aide to Comrade Oshiomhole, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on condition of anonymity said “even though the Comrade Governor might wish to sacrifice his Deputy, he would find a soft landing for him. You know, the forces against Oshiomhole are very formidable. We are battling with the PDP on the one hand and again trying to find our bearing within the forces in ACN on the other hand”.

Speaking further, he noted; “you cannot underestimate the political structure and influence of Ize Iyamu. He has people especially the grassroots and the big spenders in the state behind him, that is why it seems the Deputy Governor is alone in this battle.”

There are indications also that the Comrade Governor might trade-in the Deputy Governor in the interest of peace to reign in the state. Understanding the fact that the PDP will do all within its powers to ensure that the state returns to her, the Comrade Governor will not want to underestimate the fight from within his own party.

Suleiman Abdulmalik, one of the politicians from the Edo North Senatorial district told Saturday Vanguard that “having an Odubu as Deputy Governor will not add value to the fortunes of the party in the State.” According to him, “Comrade is a political fighter who understands the dynamics of the political equation in the state.

He cannot afford to undermine those who have electorates to deliver to him especially as he desperately needs his second term to complete the good work he has started. Rather than make this appear like a friction within the party, I expect the party to sit back and call all concerned to address this issue once and for all. It is not about individuals but the party,” he concluded.

Weeks ahead

“It is almost certain that Odubu will be changed” declared Musa Ibrahim and “ it is almost a concluded deal that Ize Iyamu will be nominated to replace him.” If that happens, according to Musa Ibrahim, who is also a member of the ACN in the state, “that puts the political strength of the Comrade Governor on a better pedestal.

“An Oshiomhole-Iyamu ticket will be much stronger than an Oshiomhole-Odubu ticket”, he spoke further, saying that “the people are wiser now and would not want to take anything for granted.” With pressures reportedly mounting on Iyamu to take the slot, the weeks ahead might unveil the true state of the political undercurrents that are presently playing out in Edo State.

Getting Iyamu on board will also mean getting on board those big political spenders who appear not to be comfortable with Comrade Oshiomhole’s approach thus far. Iyamu, according to those who know him will be able to consolidate on his present political outreach to help the Comrade Governor get elected for a second term.

But if in the final analysis things remain as they are, Musa Ibrahim stated; “winning the election will be like the tale of the biblical camel passing through the eyes of the needle. Elections are not easily contested and won just like that. A lot comes into play, that is why, the Comrade Governor, might just accede to the quest of this formidable force to ensure he sails through the tide”. The weeks ahead will determine the swing of the pendulum.

The Deputy Governor is also reportedly fighting back and might consider the option of joining the PDP if the party and the Comrade Governor decide to abandon him mid-stream. This move Musa Ibrahim declared “would not add any political value to the PDP. It should not be a matter of self and self alone. It should be about the ideological base of the party and the need to help the State move forward. Where are those who left the ACN to join the PDP?”he queried.