The Senate contests in Edo

 

AS the race for 2015 general election enters the finishing lane, the battle is between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state.

THE fight in the SouthIN Edo South senatorial district, popularly known as the Bini speaking area, the inclinations of the incumbent senator, Senator Ehigie Uzamere are yet to be fathomed as he weighs the options of the governorship and an unprecedented third term in the Senate.

Those who want to take Uzamere’s job on the side of the PDP include the incumbent Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Edo state, Pharm. Matthew Urghoghide, Mr Victor Edos Ebomoyi, Barr. Ehioge West-Idahosa. On the APC side, are the incumbent Minority Whip in the House of Representatives, Mr Samson Osagie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Patrick Obahiagbon (Igodomigodo) and House of Representatives member Jim Adun.

Sympathy of many

On the PDP side, it was learnt that majority of the state Executive of the party is rooting for Urhoghide who lost out in the primaries when he was in the APC to Uzamere. And he enjoys the sympathy of many who believe that he deserves the ticket due to what happened when he was in the APC.

Ebomoyi is one person who has been in the PDP since 1999 and if the party wants to go according to Chief Tony Anenih’s philosophy of loyalty to the party, he might pick the ticket.

But the factional war between loyalists of Chief Anenih and that of the former chief of staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadohme will be rekindled when the primaries commences. Ebomoyi is a close associate of Oghiadohme. West Idahosa recently dumped the APC for the PDP and his fresh return may not have boosted his chances.

Vanguard learnt that the PDP leadership is determined not to gamble by giving the ticket to new comers to avoid the sort of crisis which was experienced in the APC.

Urhoghide stands a better chance to emerge as PDP senatorial candidate in the South. Ebomoyi is also a strong aspirant but the internal politics of the PDP may not be favourable to him.

In the APC, the battle is between Samson Osagie and Obahiagbon. Both of them are experienced lawmakers having grown from the state House of Assembly to the National Assembly.

It is still unclear who will emerge between them. But what is clear is that Osagie commenced campaigns immediately after Uzamere left the APC for the PDP. And he has represented his party APC well at the National Assembly.

bahiagbon, who is respected within the APC for his continued loyalty to the party even after he lost out in the primaries of the party in 2011 to Rasaq Bello Osagie, has remained a strong pillar in the Oshiomhole administration.

The tussle in Edo North

Edo North senatorial district, where Governor Oshiomhole hails from is the only area where the APC presently has a senator, in the person of Deacon Domingo Obende.

Domingo is gunning for a second term but he is currently facing stiff challenges from the incumbent secretary to the state government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere and Chief Francis Alimekhena while in the PDP, the battle is among the quartet of Barr. Paschal Ugbome, Chief Richard Lamai, Bobby Ikhazobor and Abubakar Momoh.

Domingo being the only remaining APC senator after Senator Uzamere left the party for the PDP, has some sympathy within the ranks of the party, even though there have been mutterings that he neglected the people after he won the senatorial election a situation some said gave way for the emergence of people like Ihonvbere and Alimekhena.

He is from Owan axis. Alimekhena is from the same Esako like Oshiomhole and the argument of the Etsako people who have dominated the Senate and other political appointments allocated to the region is that Oshiomhole will leave by 2016, hence their need of the Senate seat. Domingo is from Akoko Edo axis and they were marginalized in the politics of Edo state before the coming of Oshiomhole.

For the PDP, Ugbome stands tall among other aspirants. He is from Etsako and as a former lawmaker in the state House of Assembly and chairman of his Etsako Central Local Government, he is popular among his people.

Strong contender

He is expected to be backed by the PDP hierarchy for the senate. Momoh is also a strong contender but he will face the challenge of being a new comer in the party. He recently left the APC on whose platform he won election to the House of Representative seat for the PDP. Lamai is an experienced politician who may also count on his father’s heritage as a former senator and connection with Chief EK Clark for the PDP ticket.

For the APC the influence of Oshiomhhole would count much in determining the ticket while for the PDP, the influence of its state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih would also determine to a large extent who gets the PDP ticket.

But beneath all these, one factor that could weigh in is the issue of power shift. The Etsako speaking area has produced the majority of the past senators for Edo North including Senators Lamai, Franca Afegbua and Victor Oyofo. Senator Yisa Braimah was the first to represent the Owan speaking area but his ambition for the second term was cut short with the election of Senator Domingo from Akoko-Edo