Edo PDP chairmanship: It’s a two-horse race

From Osagie Otabor, Bénin

 

The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship race has been narrowed down to two contestants: Tony Aziegbemin and Chief Omi Imosili.

Others appeared to have backed out of the race, following the outcome of the PDP Ward Congresses held recently.

Those in the race were Fred Okah, Oladele Bankole-Balogun and Sylvanus Eruaga.

In a bid to unite the party ahead of the governorship election, the Edo PDP leaders have declared that there would be no zoning for party position and the governorship ticket.

This was to allow aspirants from the senatorial districts to vie for the seat as the tenure of the incumbent executives led, by Chief Dan Orbih, ends in March.

Omi Imosili

Orbih hails from Edo North and it is normal for the chairmanship position to shift to either Edo South or Edo Central. Wherever the chairman hails from would determine where the party would pick its governorship candidate.

Those who have indicated interest to contest for the PDP governorship ticket are Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Ifaluyi Isibor, Kenneth Imasuangbon and Gideon Ikhine.

The coast became clear for contestation between Aziegbemi and Omi after last Saturday’s ward congresses seemed not to favour some governorship aspirants.

The ward congresses was a proxy battle for the aspirants as they battled to ensure their preferred executives emerged.

Some aspirants kicked against the outcome of the congresses, saying it was a ploy by Orbih to foist his preferred successor and governorship candidate on the party.

Among the complaints were non-arrival of electoral officials, use of photocopies of result sheets, decision to adopt executives through consensus without elections and many others.

During the congresses, a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Sylvanus Eruaga, was beaten. In Ward Six, Oredo Local Government Area. Gunmen shot to scare PDP members away during a disagreement over the list of consensus executives.

Trouble began after some leaders produced a consensus list they had agreed on the previous night, as those opposed to the list insisted on having an election to decide. This led to skirmishes, which eventually led to gunshots.

In Ward Seven, Oredo Local Government, Okah insisted that no primary was held, as members waited till 2 pm, but did not see any electoral official.

Read Also: No violence in Edo PDP congress- Makinde

His words: “INEC officials and security personnel were present, but the party official to conduct the election did not show up. We waited from 9 am till 2 pm, but we didn’t see official. There was no primary in Ward Seven. You can see the people have left. We cannot wait till night.

“If we agreed on any list, we will read it out. We didn’t see anybody. The man to preside over the congress did not come.”

Oladele Bankole-Balogun, who later denied buying form to contest for the chairmanship, described the ward congress as a sham.

He said there were instructions to conduct parallel congresses in certain areas. He said: “Regrettably, a process that was designed to be transparent by the National Working Committee (NWC) was hijacked by few elements that are desperately seeking to convert Edo PDP into a personal property.

“Evidence of irregularities and violence against innocent party men and women are obvious in my local government area (Akoko Edo). You do not expect that a party of civilised people in the 21st century would conduct such a sham ward congress.

“Democratic elections were not conducted across the 10 wards of Akoko-Edo. Those that were courageous enough to demand compliance with the party/INEC guidelines were brutalised and others were arrested and dumped at the police station at Igarra.

“A band of merry men and jobbers who claimed to be acting the script from above turned what should have been a demonstration of our belief in democracy into a show of shame.

The gross abuse of the process is a sufficient ground for me to exit the party. In the meantime, I hope the appeal process will be transparent.”

But Imosili said the reports he got showed the congresses were peaceful. His words: “The ward congresses are going on fine. I am in Ward Two, Igueben and no issues anywhere.”

A governorship aspirant who pleaded anonymity said the whole processes were rubbish and plot by the outgoing chairman to have his way, by installing his successor.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who was mandated by the party’s national leadership to organise the congresses, blamed the opposition for sponsoring reports of violence in some wards.

Makinde said he endorsed photocopies of the result sheets before sending them to the field and that he also cross-checked with the serial numbers to ensure they are the same.

His words: “We have made a lot of progress. The electoral officers came in late because we insisted they must get to all the 192 wards. Some of the villages are across the river.

The whole exercise went on peacefully. You can see all the committee members. You can see the team collating results.

“The idea of crisis is being sponsored by the opposition to paint us in a bad light. Skirmishes are normal, but we handled all the issues. It has been a peaceful and orderly process.

All the electoral officers are here. I endorsed the photocopies of results and I am going through the serial numbers. All the aspirants are happy.”

As it stands, Imosili and Aziegbemi are the two contenders. Both of them are from Edo Central.

This, according to some leaders, showed that the PDP has tactically zoned its governorship slot to Edo South. The final outcome may result in some members defecting to other political parties.