By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City

Only those who underrated Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s political capacity in the past seven and half years were deceived that he would lose the battle to produce the All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate. Like every other governor, Oshiomhole had a preferred candidate in the person of Godwin Obaseki, chairman of the State Economic Management Team. He was diligent in selling him first to the party delegates who had the responsibility of choosing the APC candidate, and then to the Edo public.

Ogiemwonyi and Obaseki

Ahead of the battle, he re-oiled his two political groups, the Edo Solidarity Movement (ESM) led by his Political Adviser, Charles Idahosa and the Edo in Safe Hands led by Osarodion Ogie, his political son, to deliver Obaseki. In fact, few days to the primaries, 930 members of the Edo in Safe Hands who are delegates in the APC, endorsed Obaseki at a meeting chaired by their state leader, Washington Osifo.

Apart from these groups, the governor equally deployed most of his foot soldiers such as his chief of staff, Patrick Obahiagbon, Henry Idahagbon, Rasaq Bello-Osagie, Lawrence Orka, Harrison Omagbon, Osakpanwa Eriyo, Theo Okoh, Francis Inegbeneki, Malik Afegbua, Prince Joe Okojie, Lucy Omagbon and many others in the various Local Governments to get delegates for Obaseki.

While the key aspirants were raising alarm over alleged purchase of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs), Oshiomhole sat in his office plotting the downfall of the key aspirants who were bent on inflicting defeat on Obaseki.

Twelve governorship aspirants,   Deputy Governor, Dr Pius Odubu (Okakuo), former Minister of state Works, Dr Chris Ogienwonyi, the chairman Edo state Economic and Strategic Team, Godwin Obaseki, former governor of the state, Prof. Osarhiemien Osunbor, former Commander Army Finance Corps, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, Blessing Agbomhere,   Prof. Federick Amadasun, Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula, Arch. Austin Ilenre Emuan, Comrade Peter Esele, Kenneth Imasuagbon and Mrs. Agbarha Justina all went to the battle for the APC guber ticket last Saturday.

Obaseki, Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu

It would have been fourteen, but both Don Pedro Obaseki and Omo Irabor who were earlier in the race pulled out few days to the primaries. There was so much tension in the state before the primaries and the individuals involved in the contest were probably the reason.

However, several factors gave Obaseki victory. One was the fact that Oshiomhole, having performed galvanised his political machinery for Obaseki and unleashed it on the other big aspirants.

Secondly, the name Obaseki rings a bell in Benin Kingdom, it’s one of the biggest families in the Kingdom and this Godwin, though not a politician, has equally excelled in his career as a financial expert. And that is why he has friends like Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Hakeem Bello-Osagie and others. Such a person can not be taken for granted. And in this contest, the way and manner he was taken for granted because he is not a politician gave him the upper hand as it provided him the opportunity to embark on a one-on-one campaign with the delegates while some of the established politicians dealt with the leaders.

As Oshiomhole described him, Obaseki has been the brain box of the Oshiomhole administration even though he is not heard but the masses of Edo state had felt his presence indirectly due to his strategic planning and advise on economic matters to the state government. Of course, it has helped positively, because Edo state remains one of the few states that has always paid salaries to their workers as at when due.

In September 2015, the governor met with his Deputy, Dr. Odubu and the Commissioner for Works, Osarodion Ogie, head of the Edo in Safe Hands, one of the pro-Oshiomhole groups, and informed them that he believed one of them would be able to understand their struggle in Edo State, therefore it was his wish that one of them should succeed him. His argument was that those aspirants who came from the PDP were only in the party to actualize their governorship ambitions and not for the general interest of the people of the state.

But how Governor Oshiomhole dropped Odubu and Ogie out of his plans remains one of the topical mysteries in Edo State today. Instead, he opted for Obaseki. While Ogie reluctantly pulled back after realising that there was no way or the will to fight his principal, Odubu rather, soldiered on and along the way festered one of the most sordid relationships ever between a governor and his deputy in Edo State.

It was not surprising that Odubu turned out to be the greatest challenge to Obaseki, though Ogienwonyi had the financial muscle and had some Benin elders behind him, but he was locked out in the struggle for the delegates. He did not have the grip of the delegates because he came from the PDP. In an interview with one of the aspirants, Gen. Airhiavbere, before the primaries, he lamented that one of the problems which some of them who came from the PDP faced was that it was difficult to meet with the delegates.

And the result of the primaries confirmed Airhiavbere’s fears.   Obaseki, who has been with Oshiomhole since the inception of this administration, polled 1,618   votes; Odubu came second with 471 votes, Imasuagbon 247, Ogienwonyi 137 votes, Airhiavbere 11 votes,   Arigbe Osula 10 votes, Amadasun 8 votes, Esele 8 votes while Tina, the only woman in the race got 3 votes. However, after the exercise, Ogienwonyi and Imasuagbon kicked, protesting that the exercised was rigged by Obaseki.

They called on the National leadership of the party to investigate the matter. They also called for forensic auditing of the ballot papers. But while these two protested, Osunbor, Airhiavbere, Osula, Esele and five other aspirants congratulated Obaseki and punctured the claim of the duo.

Obaseki and other leaders of the party including Ogie, immediately visited Odubu to seek his support. And Odubu a loyal party man as he has always been pledged his loyalty to the party and assured of his support for Obaseki. But while puncturing the claim by Ogienwonyi and Imasuagbon that the exercise was rigged, Airhiavbere recalled that “when twelve of us went to Abuja, we signed an agreement to support whoever wins the primaries. And now a winner has emerged, and we are bound to obey that agreement.

I do not see any rigging in this matter; the delegates have spoken loud and clear, and I think we should respect them. This is not the time to apportion blames. We should all focus on how to defeat the PDP in the coming election, though we are glad about the emergence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as their candidate. Obaseki is going to beat him silly because he has a lot of questions to answer Edo people when the time comes.

Oshiomhole, who reacted shortly after Obaseki’s victory, asserted that APC will commence campaigns for the general election in earnest. The governor said he would not lose sleep over the PDP. In his acceptance speech, Obaseki disclosed plans to bring other contestants on board, saying that the task to consolidate on the developmental efforts of the Oshiomhole administration must be a collective one