BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

There are accusations and counter accusations of marginalisation of the Edo Central by the All Progressive Congress and Peoples Democratic Party. And in the centre of this are governor Adams Oshiomhole and PDP chieftain, Chief Anenih.

*Gov. Oshiomhole and Chief Anenih

The APC last week flagged off their campaign for Godwin Obaseki’s race for the September 10 governorship election in Edo state. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had penultimate week flagged off its campaign and embarked on senatorial campaigns since then. However, Obaseki’s campaign flag off was like a carnival and even despite the rains the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was full to its capacity. And on that day, some PDP leaders with many of their supporters from Edo South Senatorial district defected to APC.

They were led by Chief Samson Esemuede. Esemuede was the founding chairman of Oredo PDP, former council chairman when Oredo was one Local Government and a close political ally to the former chairman Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih. Other top PDP leaders who defected included the former chairman of Ovia North East, Osaigbovo, former council chairman Ovia South West Faustin Ovieroba and many others. While the PDP in the state is factionalized as a result of the ongoing war between the Ahmed Makarfi led faction and that of Ali Modu Sheriff, Governor Adams Oshiomhole was able to bring together all aggrieved party leaders prior to the flag off of Obaseki’s campaign.

Two of the APC aspirants, Dr Chris Ogienwonyi and Kenneth Imasuagbon who were earlier aggrieved, had to sheath their sword and urged their followers to work for Obaseki. Deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu (Okakuo) was equally seated at the Stadium to give support to Obaseki. The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, led other national leaders of the party to the event, while the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, led the twelve APC governors who graced the occasion.

The difference between APC and PDP in Edo is clear – Oyegun

Chairman of APC Odigie-Oyegun

While handing over the APC flag to Obaseki and his running mate Philip Shuaibu, Chief Oyegun noted that the party’s candidate was an accomplished technocrat who has all it takes to take the state to the next level. Addressing the crowd, Oyegun said “you all must have heard what our governor said, that Godwin is the brain box of his administration. So we need to vote for him so that he can continue where Oshiomhole stopped. Edo state cannot go back to Egypt and we must not be deceived by the antics of the PDP.

We saw their ten years in Edo, we have seen Oshiomhole’s seven and half years. The difference is clear”. The Director General of the Obaseki campaign organization, Osarodion Ogie said Obaseki is “a good product for Edo people and that is why Edo people are behind him”. Governor Okorocha who reiterated that the entire APC governors are backing Obaseki, said “we have no doubt that APC has done us proud in Edo state through Governor Oshiomhole and that is why I believe, that by the Special grace of God, I will be receiving you (Obaseki) into the Progressives Governors Forum by November this year”.

Oshiomhole who was at his best, used the occasion to respond to attacks from the PDP candidate Pastor Ize-Iyamu and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, just as he expressed optimism that Obaseki would do better than he did as governor. Positing that the PDP and its candidate were no match to APC, Oshiomhole challenged Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to walk the streets of Benin with his former boss, Lucky Igbinedion and see “how many stones they will collect”. Oshiomhole said the PDP under developed the state for ten years and therefore deserve no sympathy from the people. He further urged the EFCC to prosecute Ize-Iyamu over the alleged N700million campaign fund he was allegedly said to have collected from the Jonathan administration. If Fani Kayode, Metuh and others involved in it must go in for it so should he.”

Carpeting Chief Ikimi for referring to him as “that Kukuruku boy”, Oshiomhole asserted “ I am a proud son of Kukuruku but I am glad I defeated the son of a cook politically. Ikimi is the guy Nigerians described as the area boy diplomat under Abacha. I am a kukuruku boy but he has been a serial loser politically. He has never won any election in Igueben as a leader.

Continuing he said, “ before now in this state, they would arrogantly tell you there was no vacancy at government House.   They threw billions of money dredging Ikpoba River. Yesterday I was going through their list of roads, in the books which we will publish. They did every road in Benin City. They even said in the books that they paid for the dredging of Teachers House, that they spent N1.7billion for the first phase. Any time they were broke they would say they dredged teachers’ House. Only God knows how many billions they spent. But when people ask they would say the problem of Teachers House was Mammy water. Even if we don’t punish them, God will take care of them. The children of Edo state whose funds were squandered will punish PDP, particularly when they remember that Ize-Iyamu was the one in charge then. The Bible he carried was distracting attention, those children who, under Ize-Iyamu were sitting on bare floor in all the Local Governments, will punish them because today they are 19 and half years, they will vote and vote. PDP will suffer and suffer. APC will win and win and win.

“They said Oshiomhole does not disclose the cost of my project. So they agreed there are projects. Even now that things are hard we are still working across the state. Across the 192 wards in Edo state, our schools are wearing red roof, we have made a statement that Edo is viable, but we have not finished. There are several other things to be done and that is why we cannot afford to put the gear on the reverse. That is why it is extremely important that as we celebrate what we have achieved, we rededicate ourselves in supporting a candidate of our party whom I have worked with, who was the chairman of our Economic team. He is the brain box, I am the hard ware, he is the software” he stated.

MARGINALISATION OUTRCRY GETS LOUD AS APC, PDP BATTLE FOR ESA LAND However, as the campaign hots up, the battle is shifting to Esan land as the two major political parties battle for the soul of Edo Central. Chief Anenih fired the first salvo last week when he accused Governor Oshiomhole and his APC of marginalizing his people from Esan land following the removal of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly Victor Edoror. But the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Charles Idahosa roared back, accusing Chief Anenih of marginalizing his own people. However the worst attack came from a chieftain of the PDP, Okharedia Ihimekpen, who declared that Anenih should first of all address the marginalization of the Okpebho people by the Agbazilo in Esan land, asserting that Anenih had no justification to accuse Oshiomhole. According to him, “ it is immoral for PDP to accuse Oshiomhole of marginalizing Esan people. That APC has neglected the Esans in the past seven years is a statement of fact. But the APC is not alone in the conspiracy against the Esans. The PDP and its leadership are also involved. In the firsts place, why did the leadership of the PDP zone the governorship to the South, when they knew that the Esan had been marginalized in the last eight years? Is that not conspiracy against the Esans?

Under PDP we had Prof. Osunbor as governor. Who removed him? Was Oshiomhole the one? An Esan man removed him. Prof. Ambrose Ali was a governor in this state, who conspired to remove him? These questions Chief Anneih should answer. The Esans are divided into two zones, Agbazilo and Okpebho, why are they not talking about the marginalization of Okpebho in favour of Agbazilo? Since 1999 every prominent position that has come to Esan land has gone to Agbazilo, Uromi in particular. Is that not marginalization of the Okpebho? We should tell ourselves the truth. The Esan leadership should know that the Okpebho Esans have been marginalized and that is the real marginalization.

So the marginalization of the Esans is not Oshiomhole or APC alone, PDP leadership is involved. The PDP leadership must first of all do justice to the marginalization of the Okpebho people. From 1999, all the Ministers that came to Edo state came from Uromi, starting from Anenih as Minister of Works, Dr Joseph Itoto was Minister Interior (Uromi), Austin Okojie (INEC) Uromi. Agbazilo people removed Prof Osunbor and Prof Ali from power. These two professors were from Okpebho.   Looking at other appointments, Mattew Egbadon was Executive Director NPA, the CMD of Federal University of Technology Uromi is from Uromi, Secretary of the National University Commission from Uromi, the CMD of UBTH, Prof Ibadin is from Uromi, so who is talking about marginalization?”.

Ihimekpen continued: “ When you even look at former Speakers of the state House of Assembly, starting from Mathew Egbadon, Friday Itulah, they are all from Uromi. Before we start crying out that Esans have been marginalized, charity should begin at home. The leadership of Esan land should stop marginalizing Okpebho people, he that seeks equity must come with clean hands. Let us fight the marginalization of Okpebho first by the Agbazillo. Even the Deputy governorship position that was zoned to Esan by PDP, they still cornered it and zoned to Agbazillo in the person of John Yakubu.

There is no need of playing ostrich that the Esans are being marginalized when the Agbazilo in Esan have marginalized the Okpebho people over the years and nothing has been done to address it”. Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard learnt that the leadership of the State House of Assembly has agreed to return the Speakership to Edo Central so as to restore the tripod arrangement in the state politics.