Wike, Ganduje Resume 10-Month Fight In Edo

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Ten months after the Kano and Rivers State governors fought over reports of an alleged demolition of a mosque in Port-Harcourt, the two men are again poised in separate corners as they lead the campaigns of their respective parties in the Edo State governorship election.

The composition of the campaign councils by the two dominant parties, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressive Congress, APC for the Edo State governorship election indeed sets the stage for what is going to be a keenly fought battle.

The APC appointed Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje as head of its National Campaign Council.

The appointment of Ganduje may not be misplaced as he has not hidden his membership of the Adams Oshiomole faction that denied Godwin Obaseki the APC ticket.

At the height of the altercation between the two Edo sons, Ganduje said the decision of the APC to disqualify his Edo State colleague from seeking reelection on its platform was right.

He also said the ruling party would win the Edo polls without the incumbent’s efforts.

Ganduje is also an in-law to the late Abiola Ajimobi who was almost dragged from his sick bed to come and protect the interest of Oshiomhole in the now dissolved National Working Committee, NWC of the APC.

In appointing Ganduje, APC may also be wary of some of its governors who may want to sabotage the party going by claims by Obaseki that he still enjoys the support and sympathy of governors elected on the platform of the APC.

This claim may not be entirely untrue given that some of the governors and party leaders are not happy how Obaseki was treated.

The APC campaign team also has another key member of the Oshiomole group, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma as Deputy Chairman. Uzodinma is unarguably, the strongest ally of Oshiomhole’s among the APC governors.

Also in the campaign council is Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, the state neighbouring Edo State to the North.

The PDP was indeed quick to fault the appointment of the three governors saying that they were morally deficient.

On its own part, the PDP has appointed Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as Chairman of the National Campaign Council.

A political war veteran, the APC in Rivers State is still to recover from how Wike has used various machinations to remain in power and make the opposition party in the state in perpetual crisis.

Wike was among the governor’s who openly condemned how their colleague, Obaseki was treated by the APC.

He subsequently described the Nigerian Governors Forum as a toothless bulldog that lost focus on its role in defending the rule of law in the country.

Wike is a political bulldozer who withstood the federal might and is most likely to deploy this energy towards the election.

For the APC, and Oshiomole losing this election is not an option as it would set the party to oblivion in the South-South.

For Governors Ganduje and Wike, Edo State may indeed have set a stage for the two men to continue their unfinished battle over the report of ‘demolished’ mosque.

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