With the display of the list of candidates for the September 21, 2024, governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last weekend, voters are already thinking about which of them should earn their support.However, to many observers, the election will be an epic battle between the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Asuerimen Ighodalo and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, MICHAEL EGBEJULE, writes.

The Edo State governorship election slated for September 21, 2034 is going to be an epic battle between the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Asuerimen Ighodalo (Esq.) and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo.

There are several similarities and contrasts between the candidate of the PDP, Ighodalo (Esq) and that of the APC, Okpebholo. Both of them hail from Edo Central Senatorial District where Edo people have decided to pick their next governor from. They got their respective party tickets due to their tenacity and hard work.  Okpebholo rose to prominence from the ashes of poverty by dint of hard work and without family assistance.

He’s a successful businessman. He hails from Udomi, Irrua in Esan Central Local Council. He’s from the old Okpebholo Federal Constituency that produced former governor Ambrose Alli of the defunct Bendel State. He is said to be working with a former Minister of Works, Dr. Mike Onolememen with the understanding that if he wins the governorship election, Onolememen would be given the senatorial ticket of the APC and be supported to possibly win the election and replace him at the Senate.

Okpebholo is also said to be enjoying the support of some critical stakeholders in the state for being able to stand up to the antics of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who it was learnt, never supported his aspiration.

However, several elite in the state are said not to be too comfortable with his educational attainments. Those who hold this view this view believe that modern day governance has advanced beyond the “Apes Obey sloganeering” of the past but requires someone with high intellectual depth to be able to read and understand every memo before him, form his own opinion before getting the views of the officer in charge of the government business in reference.

But his supporters say that governance doesn’t require the person occupying the office of the governor to be an intellectual giant, arguing that he has the requisite qualifications as stipulated by the Constitution of Nigeria and so can do the work.

The Esan people in Edo Central Senatorial District are also saying that it is the turn of the old Agbazilo Federal Constituency to produce the next governor of the state. According to them, Alli had taken the turn of the old Okpebholo Federal Constituency where Okpebholo hails from when he governed Bendel State.

Ighodalo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has been an epitome of discipline, hard work and deliberate seriousness to protect the stupendous wealth he inherited from his father and grandfather. He has also through hard work created his own wealth and until his foray into politics in December 2023, was the chairman of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and several other blue chip companies. He was also on the board of several companies.

Ighodalo studied Economics from the University of Ibadan before proceeding to the London School of Economics to study Law. He was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing his Law School. He founded the law firm of Banwo and Ighodalo, a thriving law firm based in Lagos State, the commercial capital of Nigeria.

He specialises in business turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions. He is also a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), a former chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group and member of the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Fund Management Committee. A very articulate personality, Ighodalo has been able to detach himself from the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, telling the people at every given opportunity that he is a friend of the governor but they are different as human beings.

He is making consultations with the critical segments of the state and explaining his vision for the state. He has the charisma to convince people and get them to buy into whatever he intends to embark on, a trait many believe he developed while serving on the board of several companies.

A human rights activist, who prefers to remain anonymous, said he fell in love with Ighodalo during the closeout event of the European Union Agents for Citizens-driven Transformation (EU-ACT) programme in Benin City on March 14, this year. He pointed out that Ighodalo was the only governorship candidate who honoured the invitation of the British Council, organisers of the event, even when the others were duly invited, adding that he fell in love with him after listening to his remarks. He also said he would stick out his neck to mobilise members of the civil society organisations in the state to support Ighodalo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last weekend displayed the list of governorship candidates of the 17 political parties contesting the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

The Edo INEC office led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, displayed the list on the commission’s notice board and in all INEC offices across the 18 local councils of the state.

The displayed list showed that the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) Mr.  Uwaifo Osaro; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Aner Abdullai Aliu; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Azena Azemhe Friday and All Progressives Grand Alliance  (APGA), Osifo Isiah.

Others are All Peoples Movement (APM), Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster;  All Peoples Party (APP), Areleogbe  Amos Osalumese; Action Democratic Party (ADP), Akhime Kingson Afere; African Action Congress (AAC), Udoh Obersifo David and  Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.

The candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is Ighodalo Asuerinme, Boot party (BP), Osirame Edeipo; Accord Party (AP), Enabulele Bright; African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obazele Paul Agbone; Labour Party (LP), Olumide Akpata Anthony; All Progressives Congress  (APC), Okpebholo Monday;  Peoples Redemption Party  (PRP), Key Patience Ndidi and Young Progressive Party (YPP) Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan.

The commission in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, charged Nigerians to scrutinise the documents.

“Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022” the commission said.

Aside from the APC and PDP candidates, the candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Iyere, is expected to pull some weight in the election. A human rights activist and social entrepreneur, he is from Uromi in Esan South-East Local Government Area in Edo Central Senatorial District, the zone favoured by voters to produce the next governor. He was one of those who founded the Obidient movement in the state but later left the LP because of irreconcilable differences with the leadership. His exit split the group in Edo State with a faction now loyal to him and strongly supporting his aspiration.

Iyere is at home with the human rights and civil society community in the state and it is expected that he could pull a surprise if he is able to rally their support.

Although the LP is in the race, its candidate, Akpata, might not make much impact in the election because of the resolve of Edo people to pick their next governor from Edo Central Senatorial District. Akpata is from Oredo Local Council in Edo South Senatorial District just like the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Several socio-political groups that have been calling for the rotation of the governorship slot in the state like the Edo Unity Forum (EUF) are strongly against his candidacy. The group and other groups are urging Akpata to choose his running mate from Edo South Senatorial District as his party does not believe in zoning.

How this will eventually play out remains to be seen but from the look of things, the race will be narrowed to the two strongest parties in the country, the APC and PDP, when the chips are down.