How Edo APC, PDP primaries were won and lost

The primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were marked with surprises as seven sitting National Assembly members lost their bids to return to the National Assembly. The members include the senator representing Edo Central, Senator Odion Ugbesia, who lost to Engr. Clifford Ordia.

Patrick Ikhariele representing Esan Centrai/EsanWest/Igueben Federal Constituency lost to Mr Joe Edionwere while Mr. Friday Itulah, the Chairman, House Committee of Power, lost to Sergius Oguns. Another House of Representatives member, representing Etsako Federal Constituency, Abubakar Momoh, who defected from the APC to the PDP, was defeated in the PDP senatorial contest in Edo North by .

MOMOH-Abubakar

Paschal Ugbome. The APC House of Reps member in Ovia Federal Constituency, Engr Isaac Osahon, lost to Charity Amanyaenvbo, while Rasaq Bello Osagie lost to the incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe.

Anyone who has been following the politics of Edo since 1999 will observe that, for the first time, the primaries of the parties represented the voice of the majority of the members. PDP held sway in state since 1999 till the coming of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in 2012, but it hardly conducted free primaries following the belief that whoever emerges will be fixed into power by all means.

But when Oshiomhole came to change the political dynamics of the state, defeating the PDP in many elections, it started occurring to the PDP that the only way to stand a chance was to embrace internal democracy. The signals came when some APC leaders, led by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, dumped the APC for the PDP. Ize-Iyamu joined the PDP with four APC lawmakers namely: Jude Ise-Idehen, Patrick Osayimwen, Friday Ogierakhi and Rasaq Momoh.

And among them, two were gunning for the House of Representatives ticket: Ise-Idehen and Osayimwen. There was this rumour then that all defected APC lawmakers had been given automatic ticket by the leadership of the PDP. But some PDP leaders said there was nothing like that, that those who defected must face the rigours of the primaries. Those who had been angling for ticket in the PDP stood their ground and insisted that they will slug it out at the primaries, that the issue of endorsement did not exist.

The old PDP aspirants matched their words with action by actually ensuring that these aspirants were defeated. Ise-Idehen, who participated in the House of Representatives PDP primaries for Ikpoba Okhai Federal Constituency, was defeated by EJ Agbonayinma while Osayimwen, who participated in the House of Reps primaries for Oredo under the PDP, was defeated by Ogbeide Ihama. Momoh, who wanted to go back to the House of Assembly to represent the people of Etsako West Constituency 1, was equally defeated by Dada Abubakar Zuberu.

Of the four, only Oguerhaki narrowly clinched the return ticket of his new party to run for the Orhiomwon South Constituency in the state House of Assembly. Unfortunately for these former APC lawmakers, they decided to go to the PDP thinking that they will receive the endorsement of their new party to achieve their ambition. But the leadership of the PDP in the state, led by Chief Dan Orbih, allowed internal democracy to triumph and the people made their choice. The agitation by a section of the leaders of the party to get automatic ticket for the lawmakers was shot down.

Similarly, in Edo Central,the third term agitation of the trio of Senator Ugbesia and two House of Reps members Itulah and Ikhariele, was punctured by the PDP delegates in that zone. Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, the Leader, allowed the popular voice of the people to prevail to avoid defeat in 2015.

PDP senatorial candidate in Edo Central, Ordia, will face Chief Francis Inegbeneki, the candidate of the APC at the polls. Inegbeneki defeated Prince Joe Okojie and Theophilus Okoh to pick the APC ticket. His emergence did not come as a surprise because it was obvious to majority of the APC leaders in the area that for them to stand a chance against the PDP, they need Inegbeneki who was Anenih’s footsoldier when he was in the PDP. He has the youths behind him and capable of picking votes even from PDP members from that zone.

While the result of the PDP senatorial ptimary in Edo North did not come as a surprise, that of the APC was shocking. In the PDP, Ugbome defeated Momoh. Others who lost to Ominimini, as Ugbome is popular called, include Chief Richard Lamai and Bobby Ikhazobor. Sadly for Momoh, who got to the House of Representatives under the APC ticket, he dumped the party for the PDP when it was clear to him that he will not get a return ticket under the APC, following the feeling that he will get the ticket under the PDP. But he met a brick wall in Ugbome who received the endorsement of majority of the leaders. Momoh is seen by many as one who is driven by ambition following the way he defects from parties. It is even being rumoured that the lawmaker and his supporters are on their way to the SDP to achieve his ambition.

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