The All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally fixed June 18, 2016 for its party primary to pick its Standard bearer for the September 10, 2016 Governorship election. Only last week, given the challenges that beguiled the party loved by all in Edo State, I called on our party leaders to mediate to stave off a major crisis as the indicators were becoming rifer by the day.
Interestingly, same day, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun inaugurated a five-member fact-finding/reconciliation committee to look into immediate and remote problems affecting the party and stakeholders in Edo State. The five-member committee is chaired by former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Other members are APC National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, Sen. Ndoma Egba, Hajiya Fatimah Mohammed and Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi. Such a prompt response from the Nationl Secretariat is good for the future and progress of Edo State.
The Joy of all party men and women is that the team arrived Benin almost immediately and went straight into business of resolving the misunderstanding real, perceived and imaginary. They met with various actors, interest groups and stakeholders within the party across board. As the chairman, of the team Prince Olagusoye Oyinlola, puts it “the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State is very important, not only to Edo people but Nigeria as a whole given the strategic position of the state in the affairs of the country.
In his words, “It is important to emphasize the fact that for us, Edo is a critical state strategically. I hope I will not be misinterpreted if I say it is also a must win state. So your job in Edo is not just to restore peace and bring normalcy, but to also come out with suggestions that will restore the party in that state, to be a dependable political fighting force and ready to win the forthcoming election.”
At the enlarged stakeholders’ meeting convened by the committee at the Government House, Benin City last Friday which was attended by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, gubernatorial aspirants, executive members of the party, and all critical stakeholders of the party across the State, it was obvious that wisdom, purposefulness, determination and patriotism reigned supreme.
Speaker after speaker were very frank, forthright and open in tackling all issues raised. They were united in their actions in various submissions. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola said, “The happening within our party for the last two, three weeks especially has attracted screaming headlines in newspapers that the national headquarters got worried and decided to put up this committee so that we can interact with all the stakeholders so that we can proffer solutions to whatever problems are confronting our party.” His opening comments were particularly interesting because most of the issues were being blown out of proportion in the media and the visit of the committee afforded the national secretariat the opportunity to see that the misunderstanding was one that was not as threatening as was being hyped.
Also, the meeting acknowledged that Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s achievement surpassed those of his predecessors, and in fact, whoever emerges as the party’s flag bearer on June 18 has a big task ahead of him as his achievements have upped the stakes for the contestants. It was such that if our constitution had provided for third term or more terms, Oshimhole would have remained the Governor of Edo State. It was therefore a common understanding among stakeholders that If we have a performing Governor who has done so much credit to the party, there was a compelling need to want to continue with the trend of achievement by making sure that the APC goes into battle united and deliver Edo State safely to the APC. The obvious reason also is that Edo is the only state that is under the control of the APC in the South-South zone, and it is an open secret that some of the governments in other states of the South-South have strategised on how to wrestle power from the APC in Edo State.
The APC is the party in power at the federal level and no state wants to risk being in opposition. Definitely Edo people are united in their hearts that Edo will remain an APC controlled state by November, even God Almighty has from His heavenly throne endorsed the State as that of APC. There is no gang-up within the Peoples Democratic Party that will change the status quo.
It is for these reasons that all party men and women agreed for a level playing ground in the upcoming primaries in order to secure victory for the party in the forthcoming governorship election. That assurance came from the National Chairman, our Comrade Governor and the state party officials and this is quite reassuring.
The peace meeting in Benin is an automatic death kneel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State. It no longer news that the Umbrella, which is the symbol of the opposition PDP is known mainly in Edo State as People Deceive People is in pitiable tartars and cannot be patched by any cobbler no matter how skilled.
Not long ago, a group within the PDP had called for the resignation of the state party chairman, Mr. Dan Orbih. Their main angst against him is that he is a habitual loser who has not been able to win any election for PDP in Edo State free, fairly and credibly till date. The major allegation against him, coming from some PDP faithful is that he was yet to give account of how about N1.7 billion provided for the state leadership as campaign grants and proceeds of sale of forms to candidates in the 2015 general election was spent. The PDP governors forum is said to be putting some money together to fund a particular PDP aspirant and later increase their funding for the party’s candidate that would eventually emerge, if they are able to agree on a candidate this time around.
The PDP which has been embroiled in major crises across the country and even Edo State leading to the factionalisation of the party at almost all levels is sure to lose again because the APC has emerged even stronger than it was in 2015 with the display of high sense of maturity and peace in resolving its internal difference. This is being followed with other efforts to consolidate on the peace process enunciated from the National Secretariat. What is also clear to all is that there is light at the end of the tunnel that at the end of the primaries, all Edo people would be presented with our choice and that person is as good as the next Governor because of our pact with the Edo people to continue massive development of the state, building on the Oshiomhole achievement.
Obviously, the Edo PDP’s umbrella is in tatters and nobody can fix it as long as Dan Orbih holds sway and looks the other way while the rain keeps drenching those who seek refuge under the umbrella. More heartwarming is the clear fact that Edo people have concluded that as far as the upcoming Governorship election is concerned, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would produce the governor and, no doubt, the comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole remains a critical deciding factor.
Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
