Who are these lawyers battling for the soul of Edo?

Frontline governorship aspirants in Edo are already gearing up to battle for the tickets of their respective political parties in preparation for the forthcoming election in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed September 21, 2024, as the date for the governorship election in Edo.

According to its timetable, the electoral commission said political parties should conduct its primary poll between April 6 and 27.

With the timeframe given, residents of Edo will know the respective candidates of the various parties contesting for the gubernatorial election on or before April 27.

While several people have announced their bids to run for the state’s highest position, it is curious to note that lawyers make up the considerable share of the people seeking to replace Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent governor.

Obaseki, a financial expert, is completing his second and final term as governor of Edo on November 11 and this has ignited a race to replace him.

Interestingly, Obaseki, who was first elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) — and later on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) found himself in a difficult situation when he was seeking to be elected the second time.

A little backstory.

Adams Oshiomhole, his predecessor and the then national chair of the APC when Obaseki was seeking another term in office, was backing Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a pastor, for the office of governor.

The first time Ize-Iyamu contested against Obaseki, he was in the PDP. Keep that in mind.

However, Obaseki was disqualified from contesting APC’s ticket on grounds that he had “shady credentials”.

After that, the incumbent defected to the PDP; clinched its ticket, and went on to win a second term in office.

On the other hand, Oshiomhole was removed as APC national chair over his handling of his party’s primary elections leading up to general and off-cycle elections in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Ibikunle Amosun, a former governor of Ogun state, who failed to secure the governorship ticket for his favoured candidate, has since described the primary polls conducted under the stewardship of Oshiomhole as the “worst” in recent history.

Why was it necessary for me to highlight all of these things?

This has brought me to the conclusion that on the Edo political scene, it is not uncommon – which is thought to be a general “Nigerian thing” – for aspirants to easily defect to another party in the pursuit of their ambition.

Will the lawyers battling to govern Edo do things differently politically speaking or go with the “Nigerian thing”?

At this point, it will be expedient to see if these lawyers have anything to offer to the residents of Edo.

In the Labour Party (LP), Olumide Akpata, immediate-past president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is vying for his party’s ticket ahead of the Edo governorship election.

As NBA president, Akpata, who is from Edo south, was vocal about the need for good governance and has spoken extensively on national issues.

“There will be many surprises,” the former NBA president said in a recent interview, expressing confidence that he and his party will win September’s polls.

Asue Ighodalo, thought to be favoured by Obaseki, is a co-founder of Banwo & Ighodalo law firm. Ighodalo is from Edo Central and is believed to be a strong contender in the race for the highest seat in the land. Marcus Onobun and Clifford Ordia, former members of the national assembly and chieftains in the PDP have already shelved their governorship bids for him.

The PDP governorship aspirant said if he clinches the party’s ticket and eventually takes charge of the state, he will prioritise civil reforms and work towards attracting more investments to the state.

“I will also focus on those things that don’t appear to have worked well; infrastructure, particularly roads,” he said in a recent interview with reporters in Edo.

The only lawyer-aspirant in the APC so far, is Oserheimen Osunbor, a former governor of the state.

Osunbor’s time – May 2007 to November 2008 – as governor was cut short after Oshiomhole who contested on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) filed a petition. At the time, Osunbor was in the PDP.

The court’s decision to sack Osunbor, who is from Edo central, and return Oshiomhole was premised on alleged irregularities that marred the said election.

However, since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, no governor has been elected from the central part of the state apart from Osunbor, who spent just about 18 months in office. He is credited with having done well during his short stay in office.

At a recent meeting with his supporters, Osunbor said he has the competence to lead the party to greater heights.

Lucky Igbinedion, governor of Edo between 1999 and 2007, is from Edo south just like Obaseki.

If it were to be about zoning alone, it would be plausible to get someone from the central part to govern the state in the spirit of fairness, but I would like to think that the people of Edo are looking for competence.

While picking up his nomination forms to contest the party’s primary election, Osunbor expressed confidence that he would win the election.

“They want to see Edo state resources being used to develop the state and transform the lives of the people for the better. They are waiting to give me a resounding victory in the September 21 governorship election,” he said.

Osunbor added that he is ready to work for the “rebirth of Edo for excellence”.

On another occasion, he said: “Whether you are talking about rotation or the quality of the candidate, I am very comfortable. I should say I am more comfortable if I’m assessed, not really on the basis of where I come from but what I can bring.”

The race in the various political parties appears to be tight, but maybe among this pool of lawyers, the Edo people may have a candidate to put the state on the path of “milk and honey”.

You can reach Shibayan at [email protected]