Edo 2019: Will Esan support APC?

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki is wooing the people of Esanland to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR writes on why the district’s support is critical to the victory of the ruling party.

Since 2008 when the defunct Action Congress (AC) sacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power in Edo State, it has found it difficult to make an in-road into  Edo Central Senatorial District. Edo Central, also known as Esanland, has five local government areas. Its voting population is 14 percent of the entire votes in the state. The people have remained faithful to the PDP, even when the party lost power, both at the state and the federal levels.

Despite having the lowest voting population in the state, Esanland, before 2008, was the ‘Mecca’ where politicians went for political blessings. This was because the late Chief Anthony Anenih, former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) hails from Uromi, headquarters of Esan North East local government. The first budget of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2009 had the input of Chief Anenih before the PDP-dominated House of Assembly passed the budget.

After consolidating himself in power by deploying various tactics to sack the PDP from the House of Assembly leadership, Oshiomhole made moves to pacify Esanland by ensuring that a lawmaker, Bright Omokhodion, emerged as Speaker to balance the power equation in the state. He sunk boreholes in many communities to counter claims by the PDP government that it was impossible to get water out of the ground in Esanland. Oshiomhole also constructed roads linking many communities.

Oshiomhole got his shocker in the 2011 general elections when the people of Esanland voted massively for the PDP. The leaders of the APC begged the people to re-elect Omokhodion to enable them produce the Speaker, but the people opted for candidate of the PDP, saying they did not benefit anything from Omokhodion as Speaker. A furious Oshiomhole had to sack all political appointees from Edo Central to punish them for not reaching out to the people to guarantee electoral victory.

In the 2015 general elections and 2016 governorship election, Edo Central residents proved their unalloyed loyalty to the PDP. It was from Edo Central that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got majority of votes. In the House of Assembly polls, the APC managed to win three constituencies while all the National Assembly seats were won by candidates of the PDP.

Many reasons have been adduced for the APC’s failure to win in Esanland. Some APC leaders blamed the APC led-government for not appointing an Esan man to top political offices like the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff to the Governor or the Head of Service. They argued that the position of a Speaker that was the right of the Esans since the governor and deputy governor hail from Edo South and Edo Central respectively, is currently being held by a lawmaker, Kabiru Adjoto, from Edo North.

Analysts said the ordinary Esan man felt the APC has not treated them fairly since 2008. They said what the Esans are yet to benefit from the politics of inclusiveness promised by the APC.

In an apparent move to woo votes from Esanland, Obaseki recently honoured one of their prominent sons, the late Professor Ambrose Alli, a former governor of the defunct Bendel State between 1979 and 1983. Obaseki used the occasion to inform them that he has had audience with President Muhammadu Buhari over pleas for presidential pardon for Prof. Alli.

Obaseki said he was optimistic that at the next meeting of the Council on Prerogative of Mercy, the President will officially grant the pardon.

Obaseki disclosed that he was working with his Delta State counterpart on modalities to ensure that the pension due to Alli is paid to his widow and the family.

He said: “I had an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari while in China and discussed the issue of a presidential pardon for late Prof. Alli and the president asked me to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation. This I have done and have also written to him.”

The eldest son of the former governor, Mr.  Andrew Folorunso Alli, who is the Ezomo of Ekpoma, lamented that his late father was still termed a criminal despite his contributions to the development of Delta and Edo states and Nigeria.

Obaseki has completed the Ekpoma township roads. Recently, he appointed a prominent son of Ekpoma, Mr. Lawson Omokhodion, as the Chairman, Governing Council of the Ambrose Alli University. It was the first time an Esan man will be made Chairman of AAU Governing Council since 2008.

Some trying politicians believe that Obaseki is to woo voters in Esanland to have sympathy for the APC.

The Chairman of Esan West, Patrick Aguinede, said the PDP was a thing of the past in Edo Central, adding that the APC will achieve victory in 2019.

He said: “The APC will win in this state because the governor has performed very well. The elected chairmen are success-driven. They cannot but replicate the developmental drive of the governor. If the chairmen perform well, why will the APC not win? With the local government chairmen on ground, I see no reason why we will not win.

“The policy of ‘you must win your ward’ as introduced by Governor Obaseki is such a thing that will help us. It will be good to introduce it at the federal level. Every politician that want something in government is enjoined to win his ward. You will now see politician working hard to win elections in their ward. It has paid off very well. In the local government elections, if you did not win your ward, you have no reason to aspire. It was implemented in this contest. Many people did not make it because it shows they are not popular in their area. People are now looking inward on why they will win their ward.”

Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Paul Ohonbamu said it was an exception to the rule for the APC to win anywhere in Esanland because the place is predominantly PDP. He said the core beneficiaries of the PDP’s rule are from the zone.

His words: “Right from the beginning, Chief Tony Anenih has been empowering people along that axis whether as a Minister and those who took over from him. Those he empowered feel a sense of betrayal to go against him. He has dominated that place through and through. The thing has gone through the subconsciousness of the people.

“It is not easy to erode the dominant nature of the PDP. At a time they had the Speaker, we lost in Esanland. They had other good position but those are not the things they want. I think with hard work, more inclusive of their people and gradual shifting of ground of their psychological make up will give us victory.

“With the continous work of Governor Obaseki by proving to be a governor without boundary. He has done a lot of things in Esanland. That is why he declared state burial for Chief Anenih. It will form part of the condiment that will give greater  flavour to Anenih rite of passage from terrestial to the celestial. So many developmental projects pf Obaseki will touch their hearts to vote for the APC because they are not stones. They will vote for the APC in 2019.”

But, to the Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, “The APC have the right to say whatever they want to say but we know the reality on ground. Today, I can frankly state that the APC situation in Edo Central is worse than it was in the last election. Edo Central is one senatorial district that they have been denied everything politically.

He added: “Look at all the appointment in the state. Edo is made up of three senatorial districts and each senatorial district have been well represented by previous administrations but today under Obaseki for reasons best known to him and Oshiomhole his political godfather determine and dictates what is done under his administration. For reasons best known to Obaseki, the position of the speaker was taken away and given to Edo North.

“Edo North that had a governor for 8 years and now have the deputy governor. Is that what will make them consolidate their dream support in Edo central? That is one district they should not expect any support in the next election. It is very unfair to Edo central people. It is an insult for the APC to even consider coming to Edo Central to ask for votes.”