Resolving The Issues Around Edo 2024 Governorship Election (III): Osagie Ize-Iyamu Again? 

Another thing I warned about was the resort to tribal bigotry, demagogue and filibuster by some politicians from Edo Central Senatorial district in their unholy and puerile quest to disqualify aspirants from other Senatorial districts from the Edo Governorship race, laboriously calling on the major political Parties to restrict the aspiration to Edo Central.

For clarity, I wish to quote a paragraph from the earlier part of this essay thus:

“The consideration  of who should be the next Governor of Edo State must go far beyond the mudanity of tribe and tongue: Edo is one. We cannot afford to sacrifice excellence and capacity on the altar of tribe and tongue. I have often told some of our Esan brethren who have been pushing a vexing tribal agenda that they call Esan agenda that they insult Esan aspirants by the tribal campaign.  There are many brilliant Esan people who can effectively be Edo Governor and who should be allowed to campaign on their own personal merit and be seen based on what they can offer,instead of being seen as opportunistic and selfish. Prof. Ambrose Alli, from Emaudo in Ekpoma became Governor of Bendel State in 1979 without the campaign of a tribal or ethnic agenda.  Same for Prof. Oserhieme Osunbor. “

In the same vein, will it be right for a person from Etsako East Local Government Area to show unbridled interest in the APC Governorship ticket when the current Minister representing Edo State at the federal executive Council is from Etsako East Local Government Area?

There is a growing unease among Edo people, especially among Owan and Akoko Edo people in same Edo North as Etsako, about the temerity of our Etsako brethren to want to appropriate every political office to themselves since Com. Adams Oshiomhole became Governor till date. For the avoidance of doubts, when Oshiomhole was Governor, Alimikhena from Etsako East became senator representing Edo North, instead of a more rounded Prof. Julius Ihonvbere. In 2016, Philip Shaibu from Etsako West was nominated as running mate to Godwin Obaseki and became Deputy Governor . Thereafter, Com. Adams Oshiomhole from same Etsako West and same ward 10 as Shaibu, became National Chairman of APC , while Prince Clem Agba of Etsako East became Minister incharge of Budget and National Planning.

While not begrudging Etsako people for their good political fortunes arising from Adams Oshiomhole Governorship of Edo State that they did not initially appropriate, one cannot but feel a sense of dejavu, knowing that same things happened with our Esan brethren when Chief Tony Anenih was in the National limelight and the Esans had total dominance of federal appointments, having five Ministers within 14 years, coupled with many other federal appointments, many of which were deliberately not publicised, so as not to annoy other Edos.

Many Edos and other keen watchers of Edo politics are of the considered view that it would be the ultimate act of rudeness for any aspirant from Etsako to ask to be the Governor of Edo State at this time after one of them just served out a term as Minister and another from same Local Government took over. One of such Edos is no less a person than the Edo APC leader and senator representing Edo North, Com. Adams Oshiomhole.  Oshiomhole publicly deprecated moves by his Etsako kinsmen to be Edo Governor at this time, clearly showing that he’s beyond being an Etsako champion, but that he’s the authentic Edo political leader, across Parties.

This third epistle of my intervention under the above heading is to quiz the entrance of Osagie Ize-Iyamu into the fray of the Edo 2024 Governorship election. I read in a social media group where someone noted that Ize-Iyamu had contested too many times and that he should go and rest. I was surprised, because, to my knowledge, Ize-Iyamu had only contested two times, and both as Governorship candidate of major political Parties.

In Nigeria, we have had other people who had contested multiple times and finally won in their 3rd, 4th and even 5th attempts. It took the great Abraham Lincoln the 5th attempt before he could win election. The present Oyo Governor tried four times before he could win election.  For buhari, it was at the fourth attempt that he won. Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State tried three times before he finally won; the examples are endless; for man like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu,  who has a long and pleasant history with Edo, dating back from his forebears like Ododo, who was a friend of then Prince Ogun and later Oba Ewuare The great; to Odia, who was invited from Iguododo to become an Adviser to Oba Osemwende and later became Iyasere of Benin, to Izevbizua and most recently Osayande, who was Esogban of Benin and friend of Oba Erediauwa, his two previous inability to be declared winner is down to Edo people and the crab mindset of some Edo politicians,  not him. A man who has consistently shown seriousness in making Edo truly great as Governor of the State ought to be rallied around by all and not vilified. POI has been the only Governorship candidate in Edo State in this dispensation with a documented masterplan for Edo State with his SIMPLE  agenda.  He is not an accidental Governorship aspirant; he has, like Obafemi Awolowo, planned for this for the greater part of his life.

Who else can be Governor of Edo State that would be able to assemble all Edos, irrespective of Parties, tribe, class, creed and religion, and also provide the necessary leadership to make Edo truly great again? It is hard to find anyone among the others who have shown interest in the office.

A man who was instrumental to making others achieve their aim in politics should in turn be supported and not derided. Ize-Iyamu has worked for Lucky Igbinedion,  he has worked for Adams Oshiomhole,  he encouraged Dennis Idahosa ( DENCO) to join politics and mentored him earlier, he encouraged Prince Clem Agba not to resign from Adams Oshiomhole’s Government when he wanted to resign, but to work to stabilise the government and make it suceed, he ensured Col. David Imuse returned as Chairman of Edo APC. If this man had provided leadership to ensure the success of others in their endeavours,  it would only be proper and fitting for these others to reciprocate his good gesture.

Mentioning Dennis Idahosa,  a man graciously elected by the good people of Ovia federal constituency to represent them in the National Assembly few months ago, his Oshiomhole sack letter now circulated by Prince Clem Agba supporters,  where the Edo State Government under Adams Oshiomhole’s Governorship clearly stated that they were terminating his appointment as Commissioner because of his links with fraud in Canada and Europe, would be damning and APC members cannot afford to take chances with such a letter in public circulation

Most Edos know that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu will make a great Governor and leader of Edo,  but I think those who have opposed him in the past have done so because of a latent fear that their relevance will diminish with Ize-Iyamu as Governor.  Nothing though can be farther from the truth than this. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is a man of candour who believes in giving honour to who honour is due, not given to frivolities and vendettas. Ize-Iyamu will provide political leadership that would shine light on Edo State and make every Edo greater. I advise that we forget selfish interests to focus on the interests of Edo at this time.

TO BE CONTD.