By Seyi Babalola
A storm is brewing in the top hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP over the campaign for zoning of the party’s governorship ticket in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
The campaign for the zoning of the ticket to the Edo Central Senatorial Zone which has not completed a four year term appeared to have gained traction last year and partly led Governor Godwin Obaseki to narrow his succession plan to fellow corporate player, Asue Ighodalo who is from Ewohinmi in Edo Central.
The logic was the claim that Edo South has produced two governors in Chief Lucky Igbinedion and the outgoing, Obaseki while Edo North has produced Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Edo Central on the other hand has produced Senator Osehrienmen Osunbor whose term was, however, cut short after 20 months.
The popular agitation had been to zone the ticket to Central for equity and balance. The campaign may have partly led the outgoing governor, Obaseki to champion corporate player, Asue Ighodalo from Ewohinmi in Edo Central as his successor.
However, the argument for equity and zoning is increasingly being counterbalanced by demographics with the claim that Edo South which has 52% of the population could back another party which produces a candidate from Edo South.
Metrowatchxtra.com reports that the growing sentiment in Edo South has been fired by a petition from the influential Benin National Congress, BNC which last week complained to the Oba of Benin of the marginalisation of Edo South in political appointments and projects.
That sentiment it was gathered is making Edo Central to focus on producing the next governor of the state.
The Nigerian Tribune has meanwhile reported that party leaders who have canvassed their views on zoning among PDP governors and the Nationla Working Committee, NWC say that it would amount to political suicide to sidetrack Edo South to give the ticket to Edo Central which has about 21% of the population.
“It would therefore be suicidal for any party to zone the governorship position to Edo Central given the lopsided voter population and especially when there is no statewide consensus on such an idea,” the newspaper quoted a party source as saying.
Obaseki it was reported, is lobbying fellow governors that it would be fair to allow him produce his successor, a development that would also address the marginalisation of Edo Central.
However, influential political leaders mostly belonging to the Chief Dan Orbih led Legacy Coalition is believed to have countered that among party leaders on the claim that it would lead to the party losing the election.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, party leaders supportive of a candidate from Edo South are also of the view that zoning may not guarantee fairness as according to them, the candidate who was prevailed upon to drop his ticket for Obaseki in 2020, who also hails from Edo South, Honourable Ogbeide Ihama should be considered in the forthcoming primaries.
One of the leaders said: “Our fairness, equity, and justice should start from 2020 by rewarding Honourable Ogbeide Ihama, the man who stepped down to enable us to bring in Obaseki as a candidate in 2020.
“What the leaders told him then was that he still had age on his side. Now that he has been elected twice into the House of Representatives from Oredo Constituency, he has shown as someone in tune with the grassroots and should be considered.”
