We will not let gov down—Hon.Shuaibu
By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City The battle for the ticket of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State ahead of the April
governorship primary of the party moved to Abuja, last Wednesday, when
the national leadership of the APC met with the aspirants. The meeting
became inevitable following the tension in Edo APC over who succeeds
Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Following the seeming preference for the
Chairman of the state government’s Economic Team, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as
the APC governorship candidate by Oshiomhole, it was learnt that some
of the aspirants started mounting pressure on the National Chairman,
Chief John Odigie Oyegun, to react on the issue, after they feared that
the primary may be manipulated in favour of Obaseki. At the Abuja
meeting, Oyegun reportedly allayed the fear of the aspirants, assuring
them that the national leadership of the party will ensure a
level-playing ground for all of them.
The National Chairman is from Edo South – where all of the APC
aspirants hail from apart from former Governor Osarhiemien Osunbor and
Barr.Ken Imasuagbon who are both from Edo Central. Meanwhile, the name
of a former President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff
Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Peter Esele, surfaced last
week as a possible aspirant of the party . Esele is also from Edo
Central. Due to his reputation in the politics of the state, Oyegun is
like a father to all and he has worked very closely with Oshiomhole
since he became the National Chairman of the APC. The question on the
lips of most people in Edo is, what is the position of Oyegun in the
Obaseki project? Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Though Sunday Vanguard gathered that there were attempts by
some Bini politicians to cause disaffection between Oshiomhole and
Oyegun shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential
election, the attempts hit the rocks after the governor and Oyegun met
on some of the issues raised. Oshiomhole was uncomfortable when he
learnt that some Bini politicians attempted to join the APC through the
back door, running to Oyegun on the grounds that he is one of their
own. It was learnt that some even went as far as advising him to take
charge of the structure of the party in Edo so that he will decide who
becomes the governor of the state.
However, the former Permanent Secretary was said to have told them
that he had more problems at the national level to contend withy; so
they should not drag him into the politics of the state. He equally
admonished them to meet with the governor or the state Chairman of the
APC if they had any issue on the running of the party or joining the
party. Sunday Vanguard gathered that when Oshiomhole and Oyegun met to
resolve Edo issues, the former reminded latter that the same Bini
politicians hovering around him were the same people fighting him a week
to the presidential election, adding that if former President Jonathan
had won, they would not have remembered that he (Oyegun) is a Bini son.
The duo agreed to be wary of such politicians who would want to hide
under ethnicity to cause disaffection between the duo. It was gathered
that both leaders laughed over the matter and resolved not to allow any
body to come between them.
However what is going to test that agreement is the issue of who
becomes the candidate of the APC at the Edo governorship poll. It is
rumoured that while the Governor prefers Obaseki, Oyegun is rooting for
the former Minister of State, Works, Engr.Chris Ogiemwonyi. But unlike
the governor who has taken pains to explain the reason why he prefers
Obaseki to others, Oyegun declared he has no preferred candidate when he
met with the aspirants in Abuja last Wednesday. Oshiomhole has been
dogged in marketing Obaseki, asserting that, just like other political
leaders have their preferred aspirants, he equally has the right to back
his choice of aspirant, assuring however that the primary will be free
and fair. And anyone who has been following Oshiomhole’s politics will
believe him when he says the primary will be free and fair.
Even politicians in the state used to make it as a mockery that
whoever he backs in any primary does not win. They cited his Chief of
Staff, Patrick Obahiagbon who ran for the senatorial primary of the
party against Samson Osagie as an example. They equally sited his Nephew
Romeo who ran for the House of Assembly seat. He rather plays politics
of conviction rather than imposition which he started. But it was learnt
however that some of the aspirants are still worried because the fear
is that the governor must have learnt from such political lessons and
may have upgraded his tactics with a view to delivering his aspirant at
the primary, particularly when he is aware that he is going to face men
with deep pockets at the field. Governorship aspirants such as
Gen.Charles Airhiavbere, who won the PDP ticket to face Oshiomhole in
2012 cannot be underestimated. Oshiomhole equally knows that his deputy
understands the internal politics of the APC and will also be a hard nut
to crack at the primaries. Ogienwonyi is today equipped with better
experiences which he is expected to unleash at the primary. Imansuagbon,
the Rice Man, has been roaring to go. These men, Sunday Vanguard
learnt, Oshiomhole is watching with keen interest.
But the only snag in the governor’s camp right now is the inability
of some of his key foot soldiers to join him in the Obaseki project.
Though Sunday Vanguard learnt that efforts are being made to oil the
Edo. In Safe Hand political machinery, led by the state former
Commissioner for Works, Osarodion Ogie Philip Shuaibu, who is now in the
House of Representatives, the idea is to stop some of the members of
the group from moving to the camps of other governorship aspirants which
may be devastating for the governor. Gov. Oshiomhole
Ogie is one of the governorship aspirants and a key Oshiomhole foot
soldier, but his followers are angry that Obaseki was preferred ahead of
their man. And if nothing urgent is done to check the exodus of members
of this group to other camps, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Pius
Odubu,a strong contender for the governorship seat, may be the
beneficiary. Odubu has been working round the clock to ensure he
clinches the ticket of the APC, knowing he is facing opposition from
his boss who has told the party he has his preferred candidate.
However, Oshiomhole is working assiduously to get his key men on track
so that he does not lose them to Odubu or Ogienwonyi. Shuaibu, who
reacted to the meeting held last week between the governor and political
leaders in the state, debunked the insinuation that members of the Edo
In Safe Hands are working against the governor’s interest just as he
vowed that the group will always work with Oshiomhole whom he
described as their father.
“People are praying that we have issues with the governor but that
will not work, no matter the situation right now. The governor is my
father, and wherever he goes I go, but he is such a great man that he
always gives you the opportunity to argue with him on issues and, at the
end of the day, whoever has the superior argument wins. And that is why
we must commend him for finding time to consult with political leaders
on who the next governor will be. But some have dissenting voices,
some have fears about certain candidates. But the general view, at the
end of the day, is that we will not rubbish the Comrade Governor. All of
us that know what the Comrade Governor has done to liberate us from
the political slavery of Edo god fathers, will not want to go back to
Egypt.
The Comrade Governor has liberalized the political space such that
the son of a farmer can now contest for the governorship of this state
without any form of intimidation. So we will definitely come to an
agreement and obviously I can tell you that, with what the Comrade
Governor has done in this state, it will be difficult for anybody to
defeat his candidate or the APC candidate. And the process of choosing
the APC candidate is what the Comrade Governor has started by consulting
with stakeholders and more meetings will come up”.
The next one month will be very interesting in the politics of the
ruling APC Edo. Oyegun’s position on the governorship candidate of the
APC will be clearer, while the cordial relationship between Oshiomhole
and his deputy, will be tested now that Odubu is determined to gun for
the APC ticket despite the seeming opposition from his boss.
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