Gladiators jostling to pick the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State will today know their fate today. Although, 12 of them were cleared for the primaries but one of them, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has stepped down at the last minute, Daily Trust Saturday reports
The 11 out of the 12 aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) cleared for today's primary election are wooing delegates in a bid to secure the ticket of the party for the September 21 governorship election.
Daily Trust Saturday learnt that 29 aspirants initially indicated interest in contesting for the ticket, but some dropped their ambitions, while the party's National Gubernatorial Aspirants Screening Committee, led by Prof Taoheed Adedoja, cleared 12 aspirants for the primary slated for February 17.
The cleared aspirants include Gideon Ikhine; former minister of state for national economic planning, Clem Agba; former deputy governor, Lucky Imasuen; former APC governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu; senator representing Edo Central, Monday Okpebholo, and the member representing Etsako federal constituency, Anamero Dekeri;
Others are the immediate past state chairman of the party, Colonel David Imuse (retd); former zonal organising secretary (South-South), Dr Blessing Agbohmere; former Governor Oserheimen Osunbor; member representing Ovia South/West-Ovia North/East federal constituency, Dennis Idahosa; the immediate past permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, and a former executive director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Major-General Charles Airhiavbere(retd).
According to pundits, some of the aspirants are pretenders who are out to add to the growing number of aspirants and test their popularity.
They added that some were out to only make noise and use the aspirant's status to negotiate for cash or position while pretending to step down for a serious contender.
Prince Clem Agba
Prince Agba from Uzanu, Etsako East Local Government Area, was the minister of budget and national planning under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was a commissioner during the eight years of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Pundits said he had experience, capacity and goodwill, having worked under Oshiomhole and Buhari for 12 years. He promised to develop the state if elected, but the comment by the Oba of Benin that he didn't attract projects to the Edo South senatorial district during his stint as a minister is seen as a dent to his ambition.
Dekeri Anamero
Anamero is a member of the House of Representatives for Etsako federal constituency. He is a successful businessman and a philanthropist who has impacted the people through his foundation. He is believed to have the financial muscle to win the primary but may lack the popularity to win the election. He is seen as an inexperienced politician as a first timer in the House of Representatives and may not have the requisite political structure.
Prof Oserheimen Osunbor
Prof Osunbor from Iruekpen, Edo Central, is no doubt one of the most experienced aspirants of the party, having been in the Senate for eight years before he was elected governor in 2007. He was governor for 18 months before he was sacked by the court. Pundits say he has the legislative and executive experience and capacity to navigate but lacks the financial muscle to prosecute elections. The odds may favour him to get the APC ticket if his district is considered in view of the clamour for a power shift. However, it is believed that he lacks political structure in the state.
Dr Ernest Umakhihe Afolabi
Dr Afolabi is among the last aspirants to join the race on the APC platform. He is the immediate past permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Umakhihe joined the race with a promise of fresh hope; and he has the support of his people. But his district may work against him as the party is said to be considering aspirants from Edo South and Edo Central.
Dennis Idahosa
Idahosa from the Edo South Senatorial district is a two-time member of the House of Representatives for Ovia federal constituency. He is believed to have the backing of some APC stakeholders in the state. Pundits said winning the House of Reps and State Assembly for the APC gave him an edge over other aspirants and would work in his favour. He is a youth and grassroots politician, and this may give him an edge over other aspirants.
Charles Airhiavbere
Airhiavbere is a retired chief accountant of the Nigerian Army. The immediate past executive director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contested the governorship election in 2012 but lost to Oshiomhole.
Sen Monday Okpebholo
Okpebholo, also known as Akpakomiza, is the senator representing Edo Central District. He is the first politician to dethrone the PDP in Edo Central district by defeating former Senator Clifford Ordia. He is believed to be in the good books of party leaders in the state. He is said to have the financial strength to prosecute elections, but his first foray into politics was the senatorial election. Observers said he is not very outspoken and lacks the political spread to win an election.
David Imuse
Imuse is a retired army officer and the immediate state chairman of the APC. One of his major weaknesses was that under his tenure as APC chairman, the party went into slumber and couldn't provide vibrant opposition. He is also seen as a tight-fisted leader during his tenure, and this may work against him in the primary.
Lucky Imasuen
Imasuen is a former deputy governor of the state during the 18 months of Prof Osubor. Despite being a former deputy governor, he is believed to have the backing of Benin elders. However, he is not known to have the requisite political structure.
Dr Blessing Agbohmere
He is the immediate past zonal organising secretary (South-South) and from Senator Oshiomhole's district. He is a young politician and many believe he is in the race to test his popularity.
Gideon Ikhine
Ikhine is from Esan West Local Government. He was the PDP director- general for the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2020 when he left the APC. Gideon decamped to the APC last year.
He promised good governance, but pundits said he is not grounded within the APC structure to win the ticket.
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Daily Trust Saturday reports that earlier in the week, the acting chairman of the APC in the state, Jarret Tenebe, assured of a level playing field for aspirants ahead of today's primary election.
He said the party did not intend to endorse any of the 12 aspirants cleared by the committee set up by the National Working Committee (NWC).
He added, "Only up-to-date financial members as at February 11, 2024 will participate in the direct gubernatorial primary election slated for February 17, 2024, in line with the party's Article 9.3."
He assured that the party would do all it could to regain the governorship of the state in this year's election.
Meanwhile, ahead of today's primary election, one of the aspirants, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has withdrawn from the governorship race of the party.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that Pastor Ize-Iyamu was among the 12 governorship aspirants cleared by the party's National Gubernatorial Aspirants Screening Committee, led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.
But addressing journalists yesterday in Benin, Ize-Iyamu said his decision to quit the race was in the interest of peace and unity of the party at the state as well as the national level.
He said his decision to join the 2024 governorship was as a result of his passion and commitment to rescuing Edo State from its current situation of decay.
Ize-Iyamu commended the efforts made by the national working committee of the party to correct the erroneous impression created by certain persons that some aspirants including himself had been disqualified from the gubernatorial contest.
