Race for Edo Government House: The Leading Aspirants

Does Asue Have The Magic?

Naturally, as Governor Obaseki’s candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo (PDP) emerges as one of the leading candidates. Asue ticks the boxes for equity (he is from Edo Central) and incumbency. A technocrat, he is a businessman and immediate past chairman of Nigerian Breweries, from which he resigned in December to pursue the campaign.

A well-hewn corporate lawyer, Asue hails from Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East LGA of Edo State and comes with an intimidating resume in the business world. He trained under the well-known corporate law guru Chris Ogunbanjo and co-founded the law firm of Banwo-and-Ighodalo, a corporate and commercial law practice in Nigeria specialising in advising major corporations on Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy & Natural Resources, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Securitization and Project Finance. He is the chairman of Sterling Bank, Director, NSIA – Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Chairman NESG – Nigeria Economic Summit Group and Chairman of Alaghodaro (Edo State Investment Summit) set up by Governor Obaseki in 2017. Before then he was a member of the Edo State Economic Advisory team to Governor Oshiomhole which was chaired by Obaseki. In trying to back Asue Ighodalo, Governor Obaseki is pushing the narrative of continuity and the shift to technocrats at the commanding heights of the state administration.

Asue Ighodalo’s resignation from Nigerian Breweries was announced as filing on the stock exchange, a requirement for listed companies. The statement read: The chairman informed the board today of his decision to offer himself for public service. As a result, he will be resigning from the Board and as the chairman of the board on the 31st of December 2023 to enable him devote his full attention to the new cause.”

To those who support his candidacy, choosing Asue as Governor will ensure that Edo State does not go the wrong path, as one supporter out it. According to him, “the wrong choice could mean a journey down a regrettable path, marked by retrogression, degeneration and missed opportunities, especially given the remarkable strides and progress that have been recorded in the State over the past decade. It is noteworthy that this progress has been marked by a remarkable journey with economic revolution in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and the creative industry, among others. One in which the decline in education has been put to a halt and the State transformed into one of Africa’s accelerator States in education, as well as a seismic shift from a civil service State to one attracting billions of dollars of investments from the private sector.”

Indeed Asue, who is not a politician, will have to campaign on Obaseki’s records. The governor says that he has laid a solid foundation for Edo State and points to projects in energy, industry and commerce that his administration has attracted over the last seven years. With the political structure of the PDP under the control of Governor Obaseki, Asue may well be in a good position to pick the PDP ticket. If he does and goes on to win, Edo State will have followed the trajectory laid down by Oshiomhole when he, an outsider, contested and won. He continued this by bringing in Obaseki as a technocrat who would move the state forward. Now, Asue is being pushed as a technocrat to stabilise and up-scale the economic gains of the Obaseki regime.

Asue Ighodalo, 64, attended King’s College Lagos. He obtained B.Sc degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1981, an LL.B from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1984) and a B.L from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos (1985). His corporate law partnership, Banwo and Ighodalo, is consistently ranked as a leading Nigerian law firm in the areas of Capital Markets, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions. His core areas of practice include Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy; Natural Resources, Mergers; Acquisitions, Banking; Securitization and Project Finance.

While he is hailed as technocrat, his opponents say he is out of touch with the people Edo State, an outsider who doesn’t even speak the language, pointing to a viral video where he was addressing some Esan people through an interpreter. There is some resentment that Obaseki is bringing his Lagos friends to takeover Edo State. However, Asue is on firm ground with incumbency on his side.

Will Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Be 3rd Time Lucky?

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (APC) has become something of a constant in Edo State politics. A politician fully on ground in Edo State, he has declared his interest in the race, saying that he is the man to beat. On Wednesday, December 27, he made his declaration to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. If he gets it, it will be the third time in a row that he will be on the ballot. In 2016 he was the candidate of the PDP and lost to Obaseki, a political neophyte brought by the then incumbent governor, Oshiomhole. When Obaseki was chased out of the APC following his disagreement with Oshiomhole, he moved to the PDP to contest in the 2020 election. The very popular Ize-Iyamu moved in the opposite direction and was recruited by Oshiomhole to dislodge Obaseki, but by then the neophyte had become a guru and posted a landslide victory in an election that was pitched as a referendum on godfather politics.

Of that 2020 election which he lost, Ize-Iyamu said the APC was sabotaged by its leaders outside the state. This time around he promised that the party would win with him as the candidate.

Declaring his intent when he met with party executives at the party secretariat in Benin, Ize-Iyamu praised the state party leader, Oshiomhole, and declared: “Next year is critical. We’ll be going into elections again. By September, there will be an election for the office of the governor and by November, the new governor will be sworn in. That is why our party must do everything possible to ensure that we win that election. All the work you have done so far, all the dedication, the commitment of our members, everything will be nothing if, by next year, we are not in the government house. When you look at the calibre of people here, you ask ‘How can APC be in a position?’ It was a mistake. It was an error and by the grace of God, it will not repeat itself. That election must be won.

“We did not win that (2020) election not because our party was not on the ground, not because the candidate, my humble self, was unpopular. We lost that election because our leaders outside the states chose to work against us. That is the truth. Some of our governors chose to work against our party.”

“Somebody told me today, I didn’t even know before; one of our APC governors brought money to be given to the deputy governor. So they took it to my running mate Gani Audu. And the man said ‘Oga, the governor said before I give you I should call him to talk to you’. So he called and Gani took the phone and the APC governor asked ‘Is that Philip?’ He said ‘No, this is Gani Audu’. And he (the governor) shouted ‘Gani who? Please give the phone back to him’ And the man collected the money and said it was a mistake. By the grace of God, affliction will not rise in this election. We will win,”

Ize-Iyamu hails from Edo South and by going into the race clearly disparages whatever arguments there are for power shift. But he is not the only one, some of the big names in the race are not from Edo Central such as the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

Ize-Iyamu was born in Benin and attended Edo College after which he studied Law at the University of Benin where he graduated with an LL.B (Hons) and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where he was awarded the Bachelor of Law (BL) qualification and called to the Bar in 1987. He is a businessman. He is also a politician with a sturdy pedigree. He wss Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Edo state government between 1999 and 2007 under Governor Lucky Igbinedion. He left the PDP to join the Action Congress of Nigeria and was National Vice Chairman, South-South zone. In 2012 he was appointed Director General of Adams Oshiomhole’s 2nd term Campaign Organisation and three years later returned to the PDP as Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation in Edo State. He was the gubernatorial candidate of the Edo state People’s Democratic Party for the 2016 Edo state gubernatorial election and of the APC in the 2020 gubernatorial election.

Shaibu Bites The Bullet

After all the threats and humiliation by the governor’s men, Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu (PDP) picks up the gauntlet and announces that he’s in the race, but what are his chances or is he playing a spoiler’s role?

An alleged “unfair appropriation” in the Edo State 2024 budget, attributed to the political rift between the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, sparked heated debate at the state House of Assembly just before Christmas. The problem was that of the billion naira budget, only N345 million was allocated to the Deputy Governor’s office, compared to N19 billion for the Governor’s office, N13 billion for that of the Speaker, N18 billion for the Secretary to the State Government’s office, and N969 million for the Head of Service. The Meagre allocation was interpreted by those sympathetic to Shaibu as yet another sign of the denigration of his office and to starve him of funds for his governorship campaign. The allocation in 2023 was N1.3 billion for overhead expenditure. The Deputy Governor claimed that his office has not received any allocation for the past six months. Explaining why, Shaibu said: “You know there is tension between the governor and me. And for six months, there has been no allocation to my office. So, whatever I am doing is contributions from friends and my goodwill; and I am still standing very strong.”

According to a newspaper which reported the House of Assembly executive session that ratified the budget proposal, a source said the atmosphere was tense as some lawmakers viewed the allocations as unfair and said do. One said: “This feels like another executive attempt to punish Shaibu financially and frustrate his ambitions. Governor Obaseki seems to forget that while Shaibu is an individual, the Deputy Governor’s office remains an institution”. Another said: “He (Obaseki) may think he’s gained an advantage now, but it could ultimately backfire”.

Since early 2023 Obaseki and Shaibu have been at loggerheads over the deputy governor’s plan to run for the governorship against the agenda of the governor to draft in another candidate.

In deciding to contest the PDP ticket, Shaibu said in his televised declaration that: “When Edo was created in 1991, our brilliant leaders, fully aware of our ancestors’ destiny, named us the heartbeat of the nation. That was not an ordinary slogan. It was a call to destiny. One that we must collectively achieve. As your deputy governor in the last seven years, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our amiable governor, his excellency, governor Godwin Obaseki, to lay a solid foundation for the progress in Edo state. Under our administration, we have seen remarkable achievements and milestones but there’s still much work to be done.

“I’m aware of the needs by the greater Edo people for a more inclusive government; a government of Edo people, by Edo people, and for Edo people. A government of individuals who have been there and know the pains and wishes of an average Edolite. Since my foray into politics, three decades ago, I have lived among you. You have loved me as your own son. I felt your pain at close quarters; sat with the elders to benefit from their wealth of wisdom. Led the youths in many struggles for their rights, visibility and freedom. Learnt the intricacies of modern governance and built adequate service capacity. After all, I be original Edo son. One hundred percent home boy. This is why today, I stand before you with great conviction and resolve as I declare my intention to run for the office of the governor of Edo state under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming 2024 elections.”

While Shaibu plays up his street credibility, his Achilles heel is the fact that he hails from Edo North and from Oshiomhole’s own area. Given that Oshiomhole spent eight years in office, can Shaibu sell his ambition as justified? Also important is how he hopes to navigate the Obaseki roadblock in PDP. This is why some analysts feel that his declaration is to play a spoiler’s role in the PDP for the benefit of the APC.

Shaibu attended Saudana Memorial Secondary School, Kawo Kaduna and the University of Jos where he obtained Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He also holds an MBA from the University of Benin. Shaibu was the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) between 2000 and 2001. His political career in 2003 when he contested elections into the Edo State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost. In 2007 as an acolyte of Oshiomhole he contested and won the election to represent Etsako West Constituency at the Edo State House of Assembly under the banner of the Action Congress (AC). He was elected as the majority leader on 24 February 2010 and in 2015, contested and won the Etsako Federal constituency House of Representatives seat on the platform of the APC. One year later he joined the Obaseki APC governorship ticket and was elected deputy governor. He was reelected to the same office in 2020 on the PDP ticket.

Can Osunbor Make A Return?

Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor, now of the APC, was declared governor after the 2007 election which he contested in the PDP platform. and ruled for some months before the courts declared Oshiomhole, the ACN candidate in that election challenged the declaration and won. Osunbor was subsequently removed from office. Since then he had tried to return to government house Benin and will fancy his chances now.

Announcing his intention to vie for the APC ticket, Osunbor said: “I have the experience and integrity, having been in the office as governor for a short time. I will deliver good governance if given the ticket and win the election.” Speaking of the state of governance under Obaseki, Osunbor said: “The state is currently suffering from bad roads and non-availability of other amenities. If given the opportunity to serve again, I will make sure that all these amenities are available. I have been there before and I have a lot to offer and I promise Edo people that I will do a lot to better their lots.” Osunbor made the declaration early December at the state party Secretariat.

If there is one thing going for Osunbor, it is his experience and the fact that he is from Edo Central. Those may however not be in contention when the APC decides on the candidate because it will need a flag bearer who can beat the PDP. Osunbor will have to convince the party that he has the wherewithal to do this.

At 72, the professor of Law will be about the oldest aspirant. He was born on 5 October 1951 in Iruekpen, Esan West Local Government Area and attended Anglican Grammar School Ujoelen Ekpoma from 1963 to 1968 and then obtained his HSC at Holy Trinity Grammar School Sabongidaa-Ora. He went on to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1971 with a Foundation Scholarship and graduated with a First Class Honours LL.B degree in 1975. He was the Orator of the 1975 Graduands of the University of Nigeria. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1975 and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1976. During his National Youth Service (1976 to 1977) he was lecturer in Law, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna and taught Company Law, Commercial Law and General Principies of Law. He was appointed Lecturer II, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos in 1981, Professor of Law in 1990, and Dean, Faculty of Law (1996-1999).

On the return of civil rule in 1999, Professor Osunbor was elected Senator for Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, Nigeria on the PDP platform and reelected to a second term in 2003, before he won the governorship ticket of the party and was subsequently declared governor.

In May 2023, a political pressure group called Better Edo Forum led by State Coordinator and Secretary, Odion James and Osaro Idemudia, respectively, had urged Osunbor to join the race because of his past records. According to the group, “Osunbor can best be described as a workaholic who did everything humanly possible to change the fortune of our dear State from the very sorry state he met a badly govern State. 2024 governorship election offered yet another opportunity for the loyal, dedicated APC leader and former governor to deliver on his plans for the Edo people”.