Suleiman M. Bisalla
16 November 2008
analysis
Last week, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin upheld the judgment of the election petition tribunal which declared Comrade Adams Oshiomole as the winner of the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
In spite of the popularity of the former labour leader, those who are familiar with the political terrain in Edo State were still left asking one question: where are the Edo political godfathers? But the events that unfolded before the election last year appeared to have provided the answer- the astute labour leader had dwarfed them. But how did he achieve this and for how long can he confine them to the political purgatory?
If one talks of godfathers, Edo State is the home of many. Incidentally, the most powerful of them are all crammed in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Is it Chief Tony Anenih, retired General Samuel Ogbemudia or Chief Gabriel Igbinedion? Any one of them has the capacity to cause havoc in the party in the event of irreconcilable differences among them.
Between 1999 and 2003, the PDP had been intact at least to outside observers. But like in many states, the crisis of succession in 2007 tore apart the godfathers, whose interests ran at parallel ends. In his reaction to the Court of Appeal judgment, national chairman of the PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor confirmed the problem saying the PDP fell to Oshiomole's Action Congress (AC) due to intra-party squabble.
"It's unfortunate. The PDP National Working Committee had tried to reconcile the misunderstandings in the state. The House that is divided can never stand. But it's unfortunate," Ogbulafor said.
Many observers therefore believe that the former Labour Leader had turned out to be a beneficiary of the division in the rank of the PDP godfathers. Oshiomole who was initially in the less popular Labour Party had been wood by AC chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi to take up the governorship ticket of the party.
Though impotent against the political prowess of Chief Tony Anenih, even in Edo Central where both of them hail from, Ikimi who was one time national chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) appeared to have understood the likely damage that the division within the PDP could cause the party. Taking into cognisance the grassroots popularity of Oshiomhole as well as his mobilisation skills, Ikimi was said to have prevailed on the front runner in the race for the AC ticket, Barrister Kenneth Imasuagbon, to step down for the former labour leader. When he achieved this, the AC chieftain was also said to have worked out a deal with a faction of the PDP to achieve two things; first to win support and sponsorship for the AC candidate and second, to deal with Chief Anenih, his long time political rival.
At the heels of the campaign, there were allegations that the Oshiomhole was being sponsored and indeed having his campaign bankrolled by the former governor, Lucky Igbinedion. Though the allegations had been denied, many still believe that, if any of the Edo godfathers is still standing in Oshiomhole's government, it is probably the Igbinedions.
Like his colleagues in many PDP controlled states, former governor, Lucky Igbinedion was known to have failed to determine who succeed him in last year's election. In the build up to the polls the governor was already in serious dispute with the Anenih faction of the party and had fallen out of favour of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Therefore the national headquarters of the party then only recognised and dealt with the Anenih-led faction of the PDP.
Chief Anenih, who hails from Edo Central Senatorial district, was for many years the chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP until former President Olusegun Obasanjo upstaged him at the end of last year. But the powers he wielded for the better part of the Obasanjo administration, had earned him the maxim 'Mr. Fix it'. In his heyday, when he sneezed at the Wadata Plaza, not only party did party leaders shivered but the entire political class was sure of catching cold. He was believed to be the arrow head of PDP's winning machinery and was dreaded by many a politicians who believed they could turn white to black in the shortest possible time.
However, even though he was in the good books of the former president, Anenih could not get his preferred candidate, Mr. Odion Ugbesia, anointed for the governorship ticket. Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, who got the sympathy of Obasanjo, was said to have been recommended by the family of his late wife, Stella Obasanjo. But rather than conflict with the interest of the former president, Anenih agreed to support Osunbor on the assumption that he (Osunbor) would hand over to Ogbesia when he is through with his term(s).
But the state governor then could not just be a walk over. Lucky, the two terms governor, is son of the Bini chief and business mogul Gabriel Igbinedion. The Esama of Bini kingdom who hails from Edo South Senatorial district is well respected and was known to be responsible for reconciling the differences between Tony Anenih and retired General Samuel Ogbemudia in the build up to the 1999 general election to work for his son (Lucky) for the governorship position.
Ogbemudia who hails from Edo South was the military governor of the old Mid West State and the civilian governor of the defunct Bendel State between August and December1983. A respected elder and a close ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ogbemudia worked in unison with Chief Anenih to deliver not only Edo State to the PDP in many election but the entire South-South geo-political zone. Though both men supported Osunbor during the governorship election, they were said to have fallen apart shortly after the governor was sworn in.
For several months during the regime of Osunbor, there were rumours of a crack in the leadership of the PDP in Edo State. Sunday Trust learnt that the root of the crisis was the alleged plans by Anenih to bring back his political son, Odion Ugbesia, after the first tenure of Osunbor. In view of this, the governor had to fight for his political survival thus creating bad blood between him and Anenih.
To avert his possible exit from the government house in 2011 his disciples started setting up structures in the three senatorial districts of the state so as to check the alleged plans of the Anenih/Ugbesia faction.
The problem reared its ugly head when it was perceived that Anenih wanted Mr. Dan Orbih (Edo North) as the chairman of the party as against the earlier decision of the leadership that the position would go to Edo South. The leadership of Edo South led by Ogbemudia had rejected the plan.
Following the fresh disputes that characterised Osunbor's brief regime there were insinuations that the godfathers who helped him to power also clandestinely worked against him during his court trials. And Osunbo is now history.
But now that Oshiomhole has taken over the state, certain questions are being raised in respect of his ability to contain the godfathers, especially those who battled him in last year's election. He is from the less populated Edo North and the first person to be governor from that part of the state. It is also the area that is devoid of the kind of godfathers that litter the central and southern parts of the state. But it is to his disadvantage that at the moment, the PDP controls two thirds majority in the state House of Assembly. Out of the 24 members, the PDP has 16, many of whom were sponsored by the Anenih faction of the PDP. The AC has the remaining eight.
However, Sunday Trust learnt that those who helped the governor to power are also working to ensure that the lawmakers loyal to them team up with the AC legislators to give Oshiomole a safe sail. But how long will they sustain the romance?
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