And a school of thought has argued profusely that gone is the era of ‘eat and quench’ in politics; that a PDP administration with a clergy man in the saddle will want to upgrade from where Adams Oshiomhole stops on November 12, 2016, saying PDP has simply learnt their lesson. Well, placing both Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Godwin Obaseki side by side on the platform of experience, political maturity and the will to brace the odds of everyday running of government, many public commentators have given it to the clergyman. In politics, they say anything can happen, even in our clime we have seen instances where individuals who never stood for election becoming automatic executive governors, via the rulings of the nation’s Supreme Court.
Pebbles with Igbotako Nowinta
On September 10, 2016, the electorate in Edo State were denied the wonderful opportunity to choose the Governor that will pilot the affairs of the ‘heart-beat of the nation,’ when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suddenly postponed the election date.
In shifting the date of the 2016 Gubernatorial Election in Edo State to September 28th, 2016, citing security reasons, INEC simply succeeded in frustrating many prospective voters who had waited impatiently to pick the next Governor of their State.
Even the security reasons adduced by INEC for the election date shift for more two weeks did not go down well with many citizens in Edo state, who felt there was no need for that action.
Many prospective voters were of the opinion that the INEC allegedly danced into the concocted ‘security theory’ scripted by one of the leading political parties in the state, that for obvious reasons wanted the elections postponed in order to perfect its strategies for winning the election.
Now that the said election is only hours away, the question agitating the minds of curious indigenes and non-indigenes within and outside the state is unarguably this: who is the next governor of Edo State?
Leading the pack of personalities and political parties that have been duly cleared by INEC to contest the Election are Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
We equally have pretenders like Osaro Onaiwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Adviser Shedrach Nowamagbe of the United Progressive Party (UPP), etc.
Looking critically at the two most viable and visible candidates with torrential followership and party structures in all the eighteen local government areas of Edo State, come November 12, 2016, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu or Godwin Obaseki would be sworn in as the next state Governor.
Godwin Obaseki who came from the political blues has the powerful backing of the sitting Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.
And Adams Oshiomhole by his actions since he succeeded to foist Obaseki on the APC in the State via the party’s controversial primary election is desperate to politically father the next governor of Edo State.
Oshiomhole and the business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (who introduced Obaseki to Oshiomhole) are allegedly said to be going broke to financially and physically ensure that Godwin Obaseki wins the election.
In a country or state like Edo, where the influence of money over good conscience or positive choice is heavy the highest bidder in this election might just have their ways!
That is not to say that some of the remarkable achievements recorded by Adams Oshiomhole will not speak in favor of Godwin Obaseki on election day.
However, Adams Oshiomhole has stepped on toes in the course of his almost eight years in office that will equally stand as an obstacle to the realization of the Godwin Obaseki governorship aspiration.
Therefore, the biggest hurdle for Godwin Obaseki is the fact that he does not have any political history except his so called eight years romance with Adams Oshiomhole as head of his economic team.
Many political commentators have argued that a man who could not sustain ten thousand jobs for eight years cannot provide two hundred thousand jobs if given the mandate; that is talking about one of Godwin Obaseki’s campaign promises.
Many prospective voters mostly within the civil society movement in Edo State have allegedly concluded plans to disgrace and humiliate Adams Oshiomhole for taking over the much hated crown of political godfatherism which he (Oshiomhole) fought vehemently while climbing the ladder to supreme political power in Edo State.
The chunk of the civil society now see Adams Oshiomhole as a political chameleon who wants to have his ‘third term in office’ by his choice of Obaseki and his close cousin, Philip Shuaibu as his running mate.
Looking at Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP. The man is a former Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff under the civilian administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
Because he is perceived to be very close to the influential political power house of Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, who is equally a king pin of the PDP, many voters resent Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
It is the view of this school of thought that giving the mandate to Pastor Ize-Iyamu is like returning political power to the Igbinedions who tasted power between 1999 and 2007.
And voters equally feel that the PDP administration under Lucky Igbinedion failed to deliver democratic dividends for eight years in office.
Now, Pastor Ize-Iyamu has been campaigning with the ‘simple agenda’ round the clock and nooks of Edo State that certainly it will not be business as usual again; that he will make the much needed difference as the next governor of Edo State.
And a school of thought has argued profusely that gone is the era of ‘eat and quench’ in politics; that a PDP administration with a clergy man in the saddle will want to upgrade from where Adams Oshiomhole stops on November 12, 2016, saying PDP has simply learnt their lesson.
Well, placing both Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Godwin Obaseki side by side on the platform of experience, political maturity and the will to brace the odds of everyday running of government, many public commentators have given it to the clergyman.
In politics, they say anything can happen, even in our clime we have seen instances where individuals who never stood for election becoming automatic executive governors, via the rulings of the nation’s Supreme Court.
INEC has said that everything humanly possible has been put in place to ensure a hitch free exercise on September 28, 2016.
In urging all security personnel to conduct themselves transparently and decently, all eligible voters must try at all cost to elect the man who will be sworn in as the next Governor of Edo State come November 12, 2016, without being cajoled, or browbeaten by any paid party agent or thug.
Nowinta wrote: Where we are – A call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria.
