A new dawn seems to be taking over the political landscape of Edo State. STANLEY NKWOCHA, who was in the state for the poll, narrates what transpired and why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may be in for a long night rest in its battle to wrest power from Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
Gradually, states that have different election timetables as a result of the outcome and subsequent judicial battles on the 2007 elections are beginning to take their turns for the gubernatorial race, the incumbents having completed their first tenure in office respectively.
From Anambra, Adamawa, Kogi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bayelsa and now Edo, the election bells rang with delight, fanfare, and political razzmatazz.But beyond these characteristics are political discords that know no bounds.
While the political strengths that played out in some states have long been forgotten, the most recent – Edo’s, has thrown up issues, with Nigerians wondering if Adams Oshiomhole is the new king of Edo politics.
The former labour union leader has now become the toast of the people of Edo State as he sent kingpins running aground, as their defeats know no bounds.
The state INEC returning officer, who doubles as the vice chancellor of University of Benin, Professor Osayuki Oshodin, released the results to the expected jubilant crowd.?
Everything pointed towards Oshiomhole,? who in a clear-cut victory over his PDP rival, Charles Airhiavbere, took the joke further, and in a most embarrassing manner, defeated virtually all the? PDP bigwigs, including the hitherto acclaimed godfather of Edo politics, Chief Tony Anenih, in their respective electoral wards.
In a bold and emphatic victory, Oshiomhole polled 477,478 votes, leaving his closest rival, the PDP candidate, Gen Charles Airhiavbere, trailing far behind with 144,235 votes.Other parties that participated in the election polled rather paltry votes as follows: ANPP – 3,640; CPC – 2,793; LP – 604; NCP – 540 and SDMP – 807 votes.
Added to this, the former number one member quickly beat a retreat as Oshiomhole won all the 18 local government areas of the state with a landslide.
Like water being used to douse flames in a havoc –wreaking mode, Oshiomhole quietly, but in a most single manner, re-wrote the history of the politics of Edo State, sending the likes of Chief Tony Anenih on some sort of exile.
Addressing journalists at the Festival Hall in Benin, Oshiomhole described his re-election as a response of the will and wishes of Edo people and extended an olive branch to PDP candidate, Major Airhiavhere, former Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, and other candidates who contested the election.
He said: “I want to use this opportunity to extend a hand of fellowship to all the candidates because I believe that each and every one of us who participated in the election did show that we are all committed to the development of Edo State. Once you have more than one candidate you know that there won’t be a winner or a loser.
“But, really, in a democracy no one has lost because I have been elected not to govern for the good of only those who voted for me, but to provide good governance for all the people of Edo State.
“We will govern for the benefit of all our people without any discrimination; it was clear from the beginning that the only way to avoid defeat in a multi-party democracy is not to participate. I call on all of them to work with me because there is enough space for everyone
“I want to appreciate Anenih of the PDP. Many believed that the election was between him and me. I appreciate him as an elder of the state. I want to also appreciate the Oba of Benin for demonstrating that we are all his children,” he had said.
But did Oshiomhole’svictory come easy?
Willie Ekeh is a very prominent youth leader in Akpakpava, Mission road, James Watt and Dawson road axis in Benin City, the Edo State capital. Pa Willie, as he is fondly called, belongs to the progressives’ camp and a die-hard political acolyte of the Comrade Governor.
During the era of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, according to Pa Willy, walking round the state capital was a hectic task as a result of bad and disorderly roads in the state capital. Today, all that is now history.According to him? asOshiomhole has dualized and modernized all the roads in the state capital.
On Akpakpava road the governor replaced the surface drainage with an underground system with provision for pedestrians’ walkways. Same attitude has been deployed to the 18 local government areas of the state where projects are on-going.
Willie said that unlike before when governors leave the supervision of projects in the hands of their commissioners, Comrade Oshiomhole personally supervises the projects his government awards.
His words: “You will see the governor jump into gutters to check what the contractors are doing and if the drainage is too deep he will ask for ladder to go down. If what he sees did not meet the agreed specification there and then the governor will tell the contractor to effect the change or forget about the entire contract”.
Willy attributed the success of Oshiomhole to his selflessness, adding that he never surrounded? himself with the elites and high profile individuals, an attribute he said were largely responsible for the failures of former governor Igbinedion of the PDP.
“He knew the support he got from the people when his mandate was stolen before the election tribunal restored it. From every indication he made up his mind not to betray the people that stood by him during the trying period.
The result is what we are seeing all over Edo State today. Oshiomhole will only listen to you if what you have to say is for the greater benefits of the people of the state and that is why you see revered former governor of old Midwest state, Dr. Samuel OsaigbovoOgbemudia and Chief OdigieOyegun on same page with Oshiomhole.
“Throughout the past four years Oshiomhole kept the elite at arm’s length and totally aligned himself with the people. This is one governor that comes down from his vehicle to buy roasted plantain or corn in the street and wash it down with the pure water that the ordinary man is drinking.
Anytime he is moving on the street you see crowd following him. He does not need armed security bodyguards around like some governors in the past to protect him. The people are his security guards because he has positively touched their lives,” concluded Willy.
Again comes the factor of the traditional institution in Edo State, led by the Oba of Benin. Just two days to the election, in an apparent show of solidarity not minding the controversy as at the time, the traditional rulers (Enogie) from Edo South gave Oshiomhole an award as the best governor since the creation of Edo State. The Enogies were led by the Vice chairman of the council, His Royal Highness, EdowonyiOgiegbai, Enogie of Siluko.
Political pundits believe that the timing of the award (two days before election) was a signal to the people of Edo South (Binis) who their revered traditional institution has endorsed for the crucial election.
Needless to say that the Oba of Benin, had thrown caution to the wind and endorsed the candidacy of the Labour unionist, even as it became a subject of political rigmarole.
After the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor OsayukiOshodin, formally declared Oshiomhole winner of the election with a total of 477,478 votes, representing 73 per cent of the total votes cast against his closest rival, Major General Charles Airhiavbere of the Peoples Democratic Party who polled 144,235 votes, representing 22 per cent of the total votes cast, President Jonathan was one of the first Nigerians to congratulate Governor Oshiomhole on his re-election for a second term in office.
In a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, the president advised the governor-elect to accept his second term “as a fresh mandate to build on his outstanding first term performance’ and described Oshiomhole’s re-election as “an expression of the people’s desire for a continuation of his focused, purposeful and dynamic leadership.”
Sadly, in Edo all PDP chieftains, apart from the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadome lost their polling units and wards during the election, promptingPresident of the Senate, David Mark, to admit lastTuesday that the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State was a hard lesson for the PDP.
Said Mark, “I believe that the legacy all of us here would like to leave behind is that elections in this country will be free. They will be fair and they will be credible and everybody’s vote will count and they should be allowed to choose their own leaders.
No imposition of any kind whatsoever should surface any more in this country. And I think that is a hard lesson that the ruling party has learnt from the Edo election.’
For now, the PDP in Edo State has been left in a disarray, but will Chief Anenih step down and allow a re-alignment of the party as has been suggested by the stakeholders in the party and seen as a pre-requisite for PDP’s comeback? Or is Oshiomhole just too powerful for the ruling party in Edo State?
The truth, however, remains that the people’s power reigns supreme in Edo. Unlike in the past where imposition was the order of the day, it is time to start courting the people’s goodwill. Can the PDP achieve this? How long will it take? For the party, the chickens have come home to roost in Edo State. Clearly, a new ball game is in the offing.