With the Edo State governor’s race scheduled for September 21, campaigning has begun, and political parties are stepping up their efforts to outplay each other and win the election.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, is nearing the end of his second and last term in office. Sixteen male and one female contender are on the list of seventeen announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the poll.
The sole female contender on the list is Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate Patience Ndidi. The front-runners are Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Asuerinme Ighodalo of the PDP.
The Edo State stage has been heating up in recent weeks, and voters are very interested in the candidates and their plans to put the state back on the path of success.
In recent weeks, major players within the political parties have realigned and aligned themselves in wait of a hot contested gubernatorial election.
The Obidient movement’s endorsement of Ighodalo’s candidacy is one aspect of the current realignment. A number of minor groups united by the desire to topple the establishment gave rise to the Obidient movement in the run-up to the general election of 2023. using Peter Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate at the time, as a conduit to express their frustrations and aspirations.
Young Nigerians mobilized around Peter Obi by holding peace marches and online campaigns, claiming they were sick of elder politicians. Obi was viewed as being younger and better capable of bringing about the necessary changes in the nation.
The movement’s effect was evident when it gave the Labour Party an incredible showing in the national parliamentary and presidential elections on February 25. As of right now, LP can claim the election of one governor, thirty-five members of the House of Representatives, and eight senators.
The group’s backing for Ighodalo, according to analysts, is noteworthy as Edo State is regarded as the movement’s foundation, and the PDP candidate would greatly benefit from good groundwork, particularly at the grassroots level.
Officials from the LP claim that more than 75% of the votes cast in the most recent presidential election came from Edo, the epicenter of the Obidient Movement.
There is a growing chorus in Edo demanding that Edo Central become the new center of power and that Governor Obaseki be replaced by a candidate from that area when his tenure ends.
Many in Edo State believe that the Obidient Movement made the correct choice in endorsing Ighodalo over Akpata, the LP candidate, despite the fact that this move surprised observers.
Since Edo South, which has the majority of the state’s voters, has ruled the state twice by the time the incumbent finishes his term and Edo North has ruled once during the Adams Oshiomhole administration, Akpata is from Edo South, and the general consensus has been that Edo Central should take over for justice and fairness.
Even though Okpebholo, the APC’s candidate, is also from Edo Central, the Obidient Movement claims to be endorsing Ighodalo’s candidacy because of his ability, competence, reputation, honesty, intelligence, and dedication to good government.
The group stated that in order to keep the thirty-year development plan of the Edo State government ongoing, Ighodalo can actualize its vision and expand on the work already done by incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Chris Nwaokobia, convener of the CountryFirst Movement and one of the leaders of the Obidient movement, in an exclusive discussion with BusinessDay claimed that Ighodalo was the most qualified candidate to transform Edo State out of all the gubernatorial contenders.
“For me supporting Asue’s candidacy is about competence to deliver, integrity, commitment for the common good of the people.
“If you were to recruit a teacher for your children and you see Asuerinme Ighodalo, Okpebholo Monday, Olumide Akpata, who would you choose out of the three?
If you were to recruit who would manage your economy, who would you recruit out of the three? If you want someone to rule your house, who will you recruit out of the three major candidates based on their qualities,” he stated.
Nwokobia went on to say that Edo Central needed to have the chance to rule this time around because other zones had previously controlled the state. He emphasized that the movement will aggressively seek to mobilize 150,000 votes, and he noted that measures were in place to actively work toward realizing the goal on his behalf.
He said, “For me, it is what works for justice, since 1999, the Edo south have ruled twice, we had the current governor, Godwin Obaseki is from Edo South and we have had Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North who ruled the state twice in Eight years.
“Before the 2023 general election, the thought was that the South East was relegated and in line with the call for justice and fairness which is why we moved to Peter Obi candidate.
“Remember PANDEF, Afenifere backed Obi candidacy because of calls for justice, fairness to South-eastern Nigeria. It would be against my conscience for me to want someone from Southern Edo State to succeed Godwin Obaseki.”
Nwokobia further stated that, “Asue’s candidacy is based on demand for capacity; it is what works for the common good and he would bring prosperity to Edo State.
“Moreover, he is the only one that has come out with a clear agenda and manifesto and it sits with me. His manifesto captures what he would be doing in Edo State for the next four years if elected the governor of the state.”
