On September 21, 2024, Edo was despatched again by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), with the conniver and conspiracy of the safety brokers to thwart the desire of the Edo individuals, pushed again the state to the election period of 2007 when PDP rigged elections towards the then Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of the ACN. It took exceptional resilience from the then-candidate of ACN – Adams Oshiomhole, to reclaim his mandate again from the PDP by way of an 18-month-long authorized battle.
Whereas initially peaceable, vote-buying and outcomes manipulation marred the September 21 Governorship Edo elections. The winners introduced by INEC had been stated to have misplaced the Edo South and Edo Central Senatorial district, profitable solely the Edo North Senatorial space. This shift in energy dynamics and magic that adopted made it clear that Edo North had emerged because the essential voting block, considerably influencing the result of the Edo elections.
Earlier than the Election, it was clear that the Election was going to be a political battle between the supreme godfather and his former godson, who emerged as a brand new godfather after falling out along with his supreme godfather and his emergency godfather from Rivers State. One other clear factor is that the previous godson who now upgraded himself to a godfather and birthed a godson, the candidate of the PDP and the left-over PDP members are going to face a formidable opposition teamed up by a number of disgruntled political enemies who’ve joined forces with the previous godfather and supreme chief along with his political get together the APC to wrestle energy from the fingers of his former godson and the PDP by all means attainable.
The political battle of their life led to the previous godson declaring, “In the event you can we die.”They set the equipment of the outstanding election instrument towards the PDP and its candidate, together with the INEC, the place the emperor introduced his cousin to guide the INEC into the Election. The Federal authorities introduced within the safety forces, together with the police and the Military, and all of the Federal massive wings of the APC to information the miraculous work of the Edo APC towards the desire and need of the Edo individuals.
In 2016, the supreme godfather invested his political capital within the political lifetime of Governor Godwin Obaseki towards all odds in Edo, and he gained. The godfather withdrew his assist after they fell out mid-road throughout his first tenure. He chased him out of their get together, the APC, which value him his sack from the APC because the chairman of the APC-controlled Federal Authorities get together in energy. The godson went along with his deputy to their opponent, PDP, to hunt refuge, the place he was accommodated and given succour alongside along with his comfort and bold deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
Within the 2020 Election, the battle turned a direct confrontation between the previous godson and the supreme chief’s energy, who was now backing his former political opponents of 2016. The Governor emerged victorious with the assistance of the willpower and resilience of the Edo individuals and their unwavering assist, regardless of the unpartisan Federal authorities’s disapproval of how the supreme godfather disqualified him from contesting underneath the APC identify and dismissed him from the get together. This victory drew a brand new pink line, and the supreme godfather was left politically humiliated, forcing him to return residence and re-energize and rebuild his political construction from his residence base for a future political battle. He contested for a political seat as a Senator within the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his senatorial zone in Edo North and gained.
Within the simply concluded Election, the battle was not a direct combat between the 2 main contestants of the APC and the PDP; it was a contest of energy over who controls Osadebey Avenue of supreme godfather and upgraded former godson. The supreme godfather candidate of the APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo, gained with the assistance of the federal authorities safety brokers and the assist of the corrupt INEC officers who had been positioned far earlier than the Election to do the bidding of the APC.
Experiences from credible worldwide and native observers revealed that the Election was largely peaceable however marred with vote-buying from each events within the eyes of safety brokers and INEC officers and alleged outcomes mutilated and manipulated in the course of the collation course of in favour of the APC candidate with the assistance of safety brokers and INEC officers, which sees the Edo North senatorial district turned the brand new voting bloc of Edo votes for whoever desires to win Edo election because the outcomes revealed the Edo North was the profitable level had been the miraculous energy of the supreme godfather present itself to say himself because the chief of Edo politics.
It’s a disgrace that those that claimed to have been champions of democracy have now come to energy and dominated the nation with the destruction of democratic rules. After twenty-five years of Nigeria’s democracy and civil rule, we’re nonetheless saying that the most effective elections ever held had been within the army period, carried out by the then Army head of State, Common Ibrahim Babangida, in 1993 and gained by Chief MKO Abiola. Since then, no polls have come close to to transparency aside from the March 2015 election that introduced the champions of democracy into energy – APC. Below the management of the APC-led Federal Authorities, Nigerian democracy is quick eroding as many Nigerians have misplaced religion within the electoral means of electing their political leaders.
The Governor has no ethical justification to say that the Election was rigged towards his get together, and neither does the PDP governors or their get together and godson as a result of he has no democratic credentials after operating a authorities for eight years with no useful Home of Meeting. What in regards to the shambolic native authorities elections carried out in latest instances, supervised by the Governor, his failure to swear in judges within the state cleared by the NJC, the unlawful impeachment of his deputy and the imposition and manipulation of his childhood pal, enterprise affiliate and political godson on the get together, skimming different contestants with out following correct democratic rules to provide their candidate for the governorship election, unfulfilled guarantees to the Edo individuals and plenty of extra are a few of his undoings that led to the gang up towards him and the left-over PDP members that went with him for the Election and had been rigged out.
His political journey has been marred by betrayal. He has didn’t handle his political fortunes and turned his again on those that helped him rise to energy, leaving a bitter style of disappointment. As the top of Governor Obaseki’s tenure involves bear, he finds himself remoted. He’s left to return to his base in Lagos alone, very similar to he arrived 16 years in the past. The friendships he constructed through the years had been purely for political gaming and features. With the sport over, everyone seems to be returning residence, together with his deputy, who abandoned his godfather to accompany him throughout their battle for a second time period bid of their political wilderness. He has since returned to his political ancestral residence and reconciled along with his supreme godfather, leaving Governor Godwin Obaseki remoted and doubtlessly ending his political profession.
Now that the lions and tigers are making ready to come back again, the supreme chief of the APC in Edo state has expressed his unwavering religion, stating that “What God can not do doesn’t exist,” This suggests that even when their candidate had been unable to have interaction in significant and public dialog with the electorates or the Edo public, he may nonetheless be Governor. It should take the PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo greater than “What God can do.”; along with all of the God of Pastor Kumuyi of Deeper Life, Dr. D. Okay. Olukoya of Mountian of Fireplace, Bishop Oyedepo of Winners, Pastor Adeboye of Redeemed, Pastor Oyakhilomen of Christ Embassy, Pastor Oshoffa of Celestial Church of Christ and plenty of extra to retrieve his mandate from the shackle of APC-led managed Federal Authorities headed by the Emilokun of my flip, contemplating the details that he has locked all of the aspects of the judiciary as I’m full in my doubt if our aunty, the brand new Chief Choose of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun will dance towards my flip.
It’s time for the candidate to point out power and resilience within the face of this momentous problem that the APC has imposed on him, his get together, the PDP and the individuals of Edo. The PDP candidate of the simply concluded Election ought to perceive that the journey of his need to Osadebey Avenue has simply begun as a result of the supreme godfather has proven him that the stroll to Osadebey Avenue is past being a childhood pal of the Governor, enterprise companion or affiliate, or chairman of a number of cooperate boards and group; that he – the supreme godfather walked to the court docket for 18 months to have the ability to declare his mandate from the PDP in 2007 governorship election in Edo state when his mandate was stolen by the identical PDP that’s crying foul immediately.
Asue, the power of your resilience and the genuineness of your declare to serve the individuals of Edo have been placed on trial with the magical outcomes and occasions which have simply occurred within the September 21 Governorship election. Many view you as a stranger and opportunist who desires to reap the benefits of the Edo individuals. Notably, the individuals of Edo voted for you and your get together, the PDP and the world is aware of that you simply and your get together gained the Election. The outcomes on the IReV portal of INEC revealed that he was clearly on the lead as much as 90% of outcomes uploaded till INEC and safety brokers collaborated with the APC to cease the collation course of abruptly with none glitches or causes and mutilate, manipulate, alter and magic the outcomes by way of the APC-miracle-network-control federal authorities to allow them to provide their need winner. In case your need for energy is private, you’ll stroll away rapidly.
Nonetheless, if not, then you’ll be ready to take an extended stroll to Osadebey Avenue, as your identify has been entrenched within the coronary heart of the Edo electorates regardless of all the percentages towards your candidacy because it’s time so that you can construct your political model and rebuild the Edo PDP and make issues occurred for your self and the get together you signify, not by way of your political mentor and ally, or enterprise companion and childhood pal of Governor Godwin Obaseki who introduced you to bear along with his baggage of adversaries.
As Nigeria nation marks 64 years because the finish of colonial rule, many Nigerians are on the road protesting towards starvation, hardship, struggling, sorry, grieve, tears and blood; the residents proceed to hunt freedom and true independence, whereas previous and current corrupt political elites have a good time the independence of exploit and plundering our commonwealth with out the interference of colonial grasp’s; we solely hope and pray that your journey to court docket might be protected and victorious as you stroll by way of a corrupt judiciary system and the mockery water of Nigeria’s political panorama.
Ahusemere Ogbeide is a Social Activist.
E-mail: [email protected]
