Politics

Edo Guber: PDP Leaders Canvass Ogbeide-Ihama As Division Erupts Over Zoning

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

By Elvis John-Agho

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 that produces a candidate from Edo South.

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 National 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.”

Related Topics:Edo 2024 Ogbeide Ihama PDP

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Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”