Monday Osaigbovo

The political atmosphere in Edo South Senatorial District is heating up and gathering feverish momentum. Who gets the Senatorial ticket is the main focus. Senator Mathew Urhoghide is going for his third term, while some are pushing for Rt. Hon. Ogbiede-Ihama to leap from the House of Representives position which he currently occupies now as a second termer and going for Senate. There is Dr. Ese Stephen Owie, the former Edo State internal revenue Czar under Comrade Oshiomhole. His capacity and competence on thematic issues bothering the Senatorial district has been the talk of the town. He is being considered as one the most viable political minds vying for the Edo South Senatorial District Senate position because of his intellectual capacity and his understanding of the South Senatorial District and its numerous surmountable challenges. Others vying too are Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and Hon. Willie Ogbeide. This are basically the few members of PDP that had shown interest in the senate position.

As for Senator Mathew Urhoghide, his quest is going to be met with a lot of brickwalls. First, he is a second term senator and there have been widespread political freezing breeze blowing from North through the Central to the South trying to freeze those going for more than 2 terms. Secondly, in the PDP crisis, he has taken sides with the governor against the popular side loyal to Chief Dan Orbih. And from observation, he seem to be in crossroads as he now talks mostly from both sides of his mouth with a high level of inconsistency.

He was recently quoted to have said the PDP ticket was worthless before the governor came to power, on seeing the anger from the people across the state, he recounted his words, and thereafter, went to sign an empty vexatious letter which was countered by a group under the auspices of PDP. And thirdly, he is running under the Oredo LGA and there have been growing clamour that the senatorial ticket should be zoned to another LGA that make up the tripod of the senatorial district. So even the focused attention towards him, his candidacy may end after the primaries, as it is very likely.

Rt. Hon. Ogbiede-Ihama is a vibrant young man that is sellable having won the House of Representatives ticket twice in the district, which had never been done before. He is a known loyalist to Chief Dan Orbih and might be a focus of negative attention from the governor’s camp just like Senator Mathew Urhoghide will be from the Chief Dan Orbih’s camp. Secondly, replacing an Oredo man with another Oredo man at the senate immediately might face an upheaval task as the other two LGAs that make up the tripod have been shouting about the sacrosanctity of zoning. However, Rt. Hon Ogbiede-Ihama is a good sell as he seems to be liked by his constituents, which is the most important factor in winning elections.

Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen candidacy might not fly in this present PDP. In 2016, after he lost to Pastor Izi-Iyamu during the gubernatorial primaries, he left the party. He would later collaborate with Sen. Al Mudu Sheriff, now back to APC, to try to hijack and destroy the PDP then through series of illegalities, anti-party activities and court cases. It took the tenacity of Governors Wike and Fayose, as well as other critical stakeholders to wrestle PDP from their destructive claws. Everyone knew the spoiler position Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen played then in the saga before decamping to APC. And again, when the APC in Edo State was embroiled in the imbrioglio between the Obaseki camp and that of Oshiomhole, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen actively played sinister roles as allegedly directed by both Governor Obaseki and Bar Anselm Ojizua. He did decamp with the governor to PDP when the governor was denied the APC ticket. And as a matter of fact, when his posters were displayed on different social platforms, many PDP members rebuked those who took such jobs upon themselves. He was called a serial defector, and some said the legacy PDP are not comfortable with such individuals! He can have his turn in another party some alluded. Some attempted to write his enterprising history under PDP. They said he became house member under PDP, NDDC board member under PDP and so many other goodwill.

The legacy PDP are not going to support defectors anymore others said with vehemence. They said he should have stayed in PDP when the party had issues and help resolve them rather than crosscarpeting at will. That is the right thing to do, most of them said, and added that indiscipline must stop in PDP henceforth. One other aggrieved member said let him go to a smaller party like SDP or AA to test his popularity and not the party he once fought against. It’s time we stopped rewarding individuals who have brought disrepute to the party with our ticket’s. Let him sell himself in other party. I couldn’t agree less as a PDP member.

And for Hon. Willie Ogbeide, he has little or no change in getting the ticket as he is unknown to members of PDP in Edo South Senatorial District.

The party is left to consider a young, vibrant and resourceful individual who has something new to offer both the party and the senatorial district. There should be a deliberate systemic attempt to do away with politicians like Senator Mathew Urhoghide and Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen from PDP. They form a carbuncle on the body of the party even though they have profited from the party immensely. A new order must be pursued with the young professionals who will be able to succeed in developing ideologies away from these crops of political entrepreneurs. As the party goes into the primaries, the delegates must make conscious effort not to be swayed by money, but stand with those who will not fail the party.