Political
parties participating in the September 10 governorship election in Edo State
have employed various strategies in their electioneering campaign in the bid to
woo voters to their side and emerge victorious in the election.
Nineteen political parties are contesting the governorship seat in the election. The parties are; the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), United Peoples Party (UNPP), Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Kowa Party, United Peoples Congress (UPC), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) among others.
Nineteen political parties are contesting the governorship seat in the election. The parties are; the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), United Peoples Party (UNPP), Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Kowa Party, United Peoples Congress (UPC), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) among others.
Pundits
believe that among the 19 political parties fielding candidates for the
election, only three - PDP, APC and APGA are strong enough to make impact in
the election.
They argue that some are in the governorship race to test their popularity while their candidates are believed to be there just to improve their Curriculum Vitae and also use it to bargain for position from any of the strong parties that may seek collaboration.
Interestingly, about 28 days to the election, only five political parties namely - APC, PDP, KOWA, UNPP and APGA have flagged-off campaigns for the election while the remaining are yet to flag-off.
Among the three strong parties, the APC has Godwin Obaseki as its governorship candidate and Hon Philip Shuaibu as running mate, PDP has Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as guber candidate and John Yakubu as running mate, while APGA has Osaro Onaiwu as governorship candidate and Mrs. Gladys Oyemen as running mate.
As the parties criss-cross the length and breadth of the state canvassing for vote, the most prominent issues remain continuity and consolidation, change the change and job creation.
While the APC tailored its campaign towards continuity, consolidation and job creation, the PDP harps on change the change, job creation and making a difference in the areas that have been neglected by the APC.
Meanwhile, the PDP had ruled the state for 10 years with former governors Lucky Igbinedion and Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor before he was sacked by the election Appeal Court, while the APC is completing its eight years with Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
But pundits also believed that party’s performances and records of achievements during their tenures and what the parties would offer if given the mandate would go a long in determining who occupies the Osadebe Avenue.
Sadly, according to pundits, the campaigns are not issues based but that of hate, name calling and character assassination which according to them may not guide the electorate to vote wisely.
This is peculiar to all the political parties who have flagged off their campaign except APGA, which only flagged off penultimate weekend.
Stakeholders are worried that the hate campaign if not checked could create fear and apprehension in the minds of the electorate, leading to voter apathy and low turnout during the election.
Speaking at one of the campaign rallies in Edo South Senatorial District, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the election is between one party that had performed in its eight years tenure and the other which spent 10 years with nothing to show for it.
“APC is a party of development; we have built roads, schools, hospitals among others across the state. Godwin Obaseki is going to start from where we stopped and take development of the state to the next level. Edo State should vote for development, continuity and consolidation and not treasury looters.
“In Benin alone, we constructed a six-lane airport road, Akpakpava, Sapele, Ugbowo, New Mission, New Lagos, Siloko, Oba market roads among others. Schools were rehabilitated and new ones built, erosion problems were solved even at Teachers’ House where PDP claimed ‘Mami water’ was responsible for the erosion there but APC sacked the ‘Mami water’. These were replicated in all parts of the state,” he said.
In one of the rallies in Edo Central, Oshiomhole claimed that the APC had done more for Esan people than Chief Tony Anenih and the PDP.
He described Anenih as a selfish politician who only caters for himself and his immediate family members to the detriment of the majority of Esan people.
“Our achievements in Edo Central include 113 primary schools, 29 secondary schools all wearing red roof, a brand new General Hospital, roads across Esanland, water projects in virtually all areas in Edo Central. How many schools did PDP do? Zero. We don’t deceive people. Your party, the APC, has performed and it will continue to perform.
“When I came in, for twelve years arrears of pensions and gratuities of pensioners were not paid. Today, we have reduced it to three years and before I leave office, we will pay them. Nobody knows the problem of pensioners than myself because the Union of Pensioners was one of our strongest affiliates.
“If PDP had paid the gratuities of those they sacked, I wouldn’t have paid one kobo, but for twelve years, nobody was paid. Never forget that they dismissed between 5,000 and 7,000 civil servants in 2000. They sacked all the permanent secretaries in 2000 and did not pay them any gratuity,” he added.
The APC candidate, Godwin Obaseki, urged the people to vote for him so as to build on the legacies and foundation for solid development already laid by Governor Oshiomhole.
He said the cardinal point of his administration if elected would be job creation, industries, infrastructural development and empowerment among others.
He assured that within four years of his administration, he would create over 200,000 jobs through agriculture, entrepreneurship, technical and vocational skill acquisition.
The PDP on their part promised to change the change and bring good governance to the state through job creation and developing areas that have been neglected by Governor Oshiomhole.
Speaking in one of the rallies, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, promised to ensure that local government areas in the state are granted autonomy to enable them perform their constitutional responsibilities.
He said the financial crisis facing local government areas in Edo State was as a result of tampering with their funds from the federation account by the government of Oshiomhole.
“Local government councils in Edo State cannot pay salaries of their workers because the state government tampers with their allocations. I am assuring you that if I am elected as governor, I will not touch allocations meant for council and I will ensure autonomy so that councils can function.
“The councils are bereft of social amenities such as good roads, schools, potable water among others. My government would build primary healthcare centres, promote tourism and industries, employ teachers and pay bursary and scholarships to students,” he assured.
Ize-Iyamu said the APC has failed Edo people by breeding unemployment and not establishing industries for the teeming youths, noting that PDP is the only alternative and solution to APC’s bad governance in the state.
“I have a clear agenda for Edo people. I assure you that when PDP comes into power; your children wouldn’t need to worry about school fees. Students will get bursary and scholarship and brilliant children would not be deprived of education because their parents are poor. We would provide employment for youths,” he stated.
Also, a former Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, at the Uromi rally, accused Oshiomhole of marginalising Esan land and its people.
Anenih said Esan people will resist the continued domination by Oshiomhole in the September 10 election by overwhelmingly voting for the PDP and restoring the region’s lost glory.
He alleged that Governor Oshiomhole had refused to pay the counterpart funding of N300 million needed to complete the Ugbalo Waterworks after he had made the federal government commit the sum of N1.2 billion to the project.
“Today, there is no water in Esan land. I pleaded with the president then to give us water and he awarded a contract of N1.2 billion for Ugbalo Waterworks. Oshiomhole was asked to pay the counterpart funding of about N300 million, till today he has refused to provide the money. That is why the water scheme has not been completed. He does not want us (Esans) to have water.”
“Ize-Iyamu is a man that is anointed, believes in God and knows what Edo people want. I appeal to you. It will be my pride, my joy that I attend his swearing-in ceremony,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, said Oshiomhole has only succeeded in bringing division to the state by only developing his own community and neglectling others.
Orbih however urged the electorate to reject Obaseki, who worked with Governor Oshiomhole in the last eight years to bring hardship to the people of the state, saying that if you vote for Obaseki, you have voted for the third term of Oshiomhole.
The governorship candidate of APGA, Osaro Onaiwu, promised to bring Anambra style of governance to Edo State.
Speaking during the campaign flag-off, he said Oshiomhole has done well but he is the solution to the poor governance in the state and that if elected, would take the state to a level that in a very short time it would be the envy of other states.
“If elected I would make sure that workers and pensioners are paid as and when due, build roads, and implement the Anambra agriculture blueprint for the benefit of Edo people,” he enthused.
However, despite the hate campaign by both political parties, only the September 10 election would tell which party would occupy Osadebe Avenue.
They argue that some are in the governorship race to test their popularity while their candidates are believed to be there just to improve their Curriculum Vitae and also use it to bargain for position from any of the strong parties that may seek collaboration.
Interestingly, about 28 days to the election, only five political parties namely - APC, PDP, KOWA, UNPP and APGA have flagged-off campaigns for the election while the remaining are yet to flag-off.
Among the three strong parties, the APC has Godwin Obaseki as its governorship candidate and Hon Philip Shuaibu as running mate, PDP has Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as guber candidate and John Yakubu as running mate, while APGA has Osaro Onaiwu as governorship candidate and Mrs. Gladys Oyemen as running mate.
As the parties criss-cross the length and breadth of the state canvassing for vote, the most prominent issues remain continuity and consolidation, change the change and job creation.
While the APC tailored its campaign towards continuity, consolidation and job creation, the PDP harps on change the change, job creation and making a difference in the areas that have been neglected by the APC.
Meanwhile, the PDP had ruled the state for 10 years with former governors Lucky Igbinedion and Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor before he was sacked by the election Appeal Court, while the APC is completing its eight years with Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
But pundits also believed that party’s performances and records of achievements during their tenures and what the parties would offer if given the mandate would go a long in determining who occupies the Osadebe Avenue.
Sadly, according to pundits, the campaigns are not issues based but that of hate, name calling and character assassination which according to them may not guide the electorate to vote wisely.
This is peculiar to all the political parties who have flagged off their campaign except APGA, which only flagged off penultimate weekend.
Stakeholders are worried that the hate campaign if not checked could create fear and apprehension in the minds of the electorate, leading to voter apathy and low turnout during the election.
Speaking at one of the campaign rallies in Edo South Senatorial District, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the election is between one party that had performed in its eight years tenure and the other which spent 10 years with nothing to show for it.
“APC is a party of development; we have built roads, schools, hospitals among others across the state. Godwin Obaseki is going to start from where we stopped and take development of the state to the next level. Edo State should vote for development, continuity and consolidation and not treasury looters.
“In Benin alone, we constructed a six-lane airport road, Akpakpava, Sapele, Ugbowo, New Mission, New Lagos, Siloko, Oba market roads among others. Schools were rehabilitated and new ones built, erosion problems were solved even at Teachers’ House where PDP claimed ‘Mami water’ was responsible for the erosion there but APC sacked the ‘Mami water’. These were replicated in all parts of the state,” he said.
In one of the rallies in Edo Central, Oshiomhole claimed that the APC had done more for Esan people than Chief Tony Anenih and the PDP.
He described Anenih as a selfish politician who only caters for himself and his immediate family members to the detriment of the majority of Esan people.
“Our achievements in Edo Central include 113 primary schools, 29 secondary schools all wearing red roof, a brand new General Hospital, roads across Esanland, water projects in virtually all areas in Edo Central. How many schools did PDP do? Zero. We don’t deceive people. Your party, the APC, has performed and it will continue to perform.
“When I came in, for twelve years arrears of pensions and gratuities of pensioners were not paid. Today, we have reduced it to three years and before I leave office, we will pay them. Nobody knows the problem of pensioners than myself because the Union of Pensioners was one of our strongest affiliates.
“If PDP had paid the gratuities of those they sacked, I wouldn’t have paid one kobo, but for twelve years, nobody was paid. Never forget that they dismissed between 5,000 and 7,000 civil servants in 2000. They sacked all the permanent secretaries in 2000 and did not pay them any gratuity,” he added.
The APC candidate, Godwin Obaseki, urged the people to vote for him so as to build on the legacies and foundation for solid development already laid by Governor Oshiomhole.
He said the cardinal point of his administration if elected would be job creation, industries, infrastructural development and empowerment among others.
He assured that within four years of his administration, he would create over 200,000 jobs through agriculture, entrepreneurship, technical and vocational skill acquisition.
The PDP on their part promised to change the change and bring good governance to the state through job creation and developing areas that have been neglected by Governor Oshiomhole.
Speaking in one of the rallies, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, promised to ensure that local government areas in the state are granted autonomy to enable them perform their constitutional responsibilities.
He said the financial crisis facing local government areas in Edo State was as a result of tampering with their funds from the federation account by the government of Oshiomhole.
“Local government councils in Edo State cannot pay salaries of their workers because the state government tampers with their allocations. I am assuring you that if I am elected as governor, I will not touch allocations meant for council and I will ensure autonomy so that councils can function.
“The councils are bereft of social amenities such as good roads, schools, potable water among others. My government would build primary healthcare centres, promote tourism and industries, employ teachers and pay bursary and scholarships to students,” he assured.
Ize-Iyamu said the APC has failed Edo people by breeding unemployment and not establishing industries for the teeming youths, noting that PDP is the only alternative and solution to APC’s bad governance in the state.
“I have a clear agenda for Edo people. I assure you that when PDP comes into power; your children wouldn’t need to worry about school fees. Students will get bursary and scholarship and brilliant children would not be deprived of education because their parents are poor. We would provide employment for youths,” he stated.
Also, a former Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, at the Uromi rally, accused Oshiomhole of marginalising Esan land and its people.
Anenih said Esan people will resist the continued domination by Oshiomhole in the September 10 election by overwhelmingly voting for the PDP and restoring the region’s lost glory.
He alleged that Governor Oshiomhole had refused to pay the counterpart funding of N300 million needed to complete the Ugbalo Waterworks after he had made the federal government commit the sum of N1.2 billion to the project.
“Today, there is no water in Esan land. I pleaded with the president then to give us water and he awarded a contract of N1.2 billion for Ugbalo Waterworks. Oshiomhole was asked to pay the counterpart funding of about N300 million, till today he has refused to provide the money. That is why the water scheme has not been completed. He does not want us (Esans) to have water.”
“Ize-Iyamu is a man that is anointed, believes in God and knows what Edo people want. I appeal to you. It will be my pride, my joy that I attend his swearing-in ceremony,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, said Oshiomhole has only succeeded in bringing division to the state by only developing his own community and neglectling others.
Orbih however urged the electorate to reject Obaseki, who worked with Governor Oshiomhole in the last eight years to bring hardship to the people of the state, saying that if you vote for Obaseki, you have voted for the third term of Oshiomhole.
The governorship candidate of APGA, Osaro Onaiwu, promised to bring Anambra style of governance to Edo State.
Speaking during the campaign flag-off, he said Oshiomhole has done well but he is the solution to the poor governance in the state and that if elected, would take the state to a level that in a very short time it would be the envy of other states.
“If elected I would make sure that workers and pensioners are paid as and when due, build roads, and implement the Anambra agriculture blueprint for the benefit of Edo people,” he enthused.
However, despite the hate campaign by both political parties, only the September 10 election would tell which party would occupy Osadebe Avenue.
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