Oshiomhole, Alimikhena, others slug it out in Edo senatorial battle

With just a few weeks to the 2023 general election, ADEYINKA ADEDIPE examines the political scenes in Edo State, weighing major senatorial seats flag bearers’ strengths and weaknesses, as well as that of their political parties

With the governorship election not taking place in Edo State in 2023, the biggest battle in the state’s political space will be among gladiators who are hoping to represent the electorate in the Senate.

Already, the standard bearers of the major political parties are campaigning in the hopes of persuading voters to vote for them.

From Edo North to Edo Central and Edo South, the campaign train is already moving at high speed, with candidates letting the people into their manifestos and showing them what they stand to benefit if they (the candidates) are voted into office.

Advertisement

A campaign is a capital-intensive endeavour, but the candidates have been wise so far and are not throwing money at voters to gain their support. Time will tell if this money-saving technique will remain the same as the election draws near.

With the Peoples Democratic Party in the state yet to close ranks and the acrimony in the party not abating with cases still in court to decide who represents the party at the election, it is clear that the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party’s candidates might become big beneficiaries of the PDP imbroglio.

Presently, candidates loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki are listed on the INEC website, but candidates in Dan Orbih’s camp are waiting to take over in the event of a favourable court decision. Whichever camp gets the final nod, the political space in the state will witness a lot of intrigue in the coming days.

However, the battle is expected to be intense in Edo North, where two-term governors on the platform of the APC, Adam Oshiomhole and Sen. Francis Alimikhena, who is in Governor Obaseki’s PDP camp, are expected to slug it out. Both belonged to the APC. In 2014, Oshiomhole backed Alimikhena in the APC primaries to beat then-Senator Domingo Obende.

However, Obaseki and Oshiomhole had irreconcilable differences before the 2020 governorship election in the state, which led to the exit of the former from the APC to the PDP, a platform on which he got reelected as the governor of the state. Alimikhena, who by now had become a staunch supporter of Obaseki, remained in the APC.

After testing the waters, Oshiomhole declared his intention to vie for the senatorial tickets in Edo North, which automatically became a threat to the ambition of Alimikhena, who after a while joined Governor Obaseki in the PDP after accusing APC party leaders in Edo North of working against him. At the APC primaries, Alimikhena was credited with four votes, with the aggrieved Senator debunking the claim that he took part in the primaries and saying the APC was out to trash him.

Oshiomhole has an advantage over the PDP candidate in the upcoming election because he led his people to victory in five of Edo North’s six local governments when Obaseki was elected governor in 2020. The former APC National Chairman is a household name, and it will take a big change in the political dynamics in Edo North to beat him in the election.

Oshiomhole, who did so much developmental work in Edo North while he was governor, is the favourite in this contest, while Alimikhena will be hoping to upset Oshiomhole despite being the incumbent. The Senator will not go down without a fight, and his men are also drumming up support for him to ensure he returns to the Green Chamber. The serving senator will fancy his chances of returning to the Senate but he will come up against a political heavyweight (Oshiomhole) in the contest, while Pascal Ugbome, who belongs to Orbih’s faction, cannot be ruled out as he awaits verdicts in some pending court cases.

Anslem Eragbe, the Labour Party’s flag bearer in the zone, is the dark horse and will have to be at his political best to beat Oshiomhole, Alimikhena, and Ugbome to the ticket. He is consulting and meeting with people at the grassroots in the hope that he can win their votes. He should also be able to ride on the Obidient Movement, which is spreading like wildfire. Whatever the outcome of the election is, this will be a good testing ground for Eragbe.

In the Edo South, Matthew Iduoriyekenmwen of the PDP, who is in the governor’s camp and the party’s candidate as of today, seems to be making the biggest impact on the campaign train. He is always meeting people in his constituency, both at his residence and on the campaign trail. He visits wards and local governments to see the voters. He is not waiting for court decisions before selling his candidature to the people of the constituency. He has been a PDP member since its inception and was a majority leader in the Edo State House of Assembly.

He was also an NDDC commissioner, representing Edo State. He defeated incumbent Matthew Urhoghide in a close contest in the primary election, while the other primary, done by Orbih’s faction, threw up Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who close associates say is waiting for the final court judgement before embarking on campaigning.

Oil mogul, Valentine Asuen holds the APC ticket. He defeated a former deputy governor of the state, Lucky Imasuen, in the primaries. He is new on the political turf and he has conducted his campaign in a manner that leaves associates and opponents alike wondering what he has up his sleeve. However, Asuen has been able to endear himself to people at the grassroots. He also has the strong backing of the youth leader of the party, Tony Adun, who is a strong mobiliser.

However, the LP candidate, Neda Imasuen, cannot be counted out. Imasuen was between 2014 and 2015 the legislative consultant for the World Bank Project, which collaborated with SEEFOR, Asaba, and Delta State in the development of the Single Treasury Account Policy.

Until his resignation to run for the senate to represent Edo South Senatorial District, Barrister Imasuen was Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Matthew Urhoghide. In addition to the experience garnered in his consulting engagements, he acquired more insights into the functioning and formulation of policies, legislation, and programmes as they interact with people in their affairs.

He is hoping that the ideology of change will win him the election. However, he has a big battle in his hands if he hopes to win the election and will surely need to go beyond the “change” mantra to coast to victory. What is certain is that an imminent battle is in the offing in this zone.

Edo Central APC candidate Monday Okpebholo is new to the political turf but he has always helped his constituency while he was in the private sector. He is not fidgeting over the fact that he is new, as he hopes to beat seasoned campaigners in the election.

He can be described as Edo Central’s “Mr Infrastructure,” as he hopes to carry out projects that will have an impact on the lives of the people if he gets elected. He is passionate about providing clean water and road infrastructure to the people. He says these are some of the things that propelled him into running for the Senate under the platform of the APC.

He also expressed dismay that those who have represented Esanland in the recent past, both in elective and appointed positions, have failed the people, greatly assuring that the National Assembly would be a platform for him to provide more infrastructure to the people in the region. Okpebholo may capitalise on the PDP situation to become victorious.

Incumbent PDP senator, Clifford Ordia, who is in the Obaseki camp, is seeking a second term in the hallowed chamber in Edo Central. He was a proven businessman in Port Harcourt in 2014 when he came to seek an elective post in Edo. He won, served his term, and his people gave him another four years in 2019. He is seeking another term in the Senate, but that ambition may be halted by the internal wrangling in the party, as Arch Mike Onolememen, who won the primaries in the other faction, is also waiting to take over in case the court gives his camp the nod to do so.

The LP candidate, Chris Omofonwam, completes the list of prominent candidates seeking election to the Senate.