Aspirants in battle of wits for party endorsement, tickets

As February 7 primaries draw nearer, gubernatorial aspirants in Edo and their supporters are already in the race to outsmart one another, whetting the political appetite ahead of the feisty months to the September guber poll, the reports.

Although some political watchers believe that the September 21 governorship election is going to be a straight battle between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, the performance of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections has convinced many that the contest is going be a three-horse race.

While some aspirants are campaigning that a successor to Governor Godwin Obaseki must be a “homeboy”, who understands local politics and warned against electing “technocrats” who may not be at home with the expectations and needs of the people, others see the narrative as antics of weak aspirants with intentions of denying Edo people from choosing from their “brilliant and best brains all over the world.”

Investigations revealed that PDP primaries will be keenly contested among members in Obaseki’s camp and the Legacy PDP – old members of the party that have been in a running battle with the governor. To the Legacy group, never would they allow Obaseki to anoint a candidate for the party in the forthcoming governorship election.

However, there is a semblance of unity among APC members as the former governor of the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole is calling the shots in the party. But he is not likely going to have his way if he attempts to impose a candidate on the people.

One of the leading aspirants from the PDP is the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, who has thrown his heart into the ring against the wish of the governor. His ambition has not only pitched him against Obaseki, it has made him begin a campaign against the choice of his boss. Although Obaseki has not announced his preferred candidate for the election, Shaibu has alerted people to resist any attempt to foist a “technocrat” on the people. He specifically alleged that the outgoing governor was planning to bring an outsider to Edo politics as his choice candidate.

Shaibu, who announced his intention to seek the PDP governorship ticket, boasted that he would floor whoever his principal was bringing to contest against him. He said that bringing another technocrat to become governor would result in another years of learning on the job, pointing out that as the deputy governor he stands out as the best candidate to take over in 2024.