Edo 2024: How Obaseki’s Anointed Candidate Can Win Free And Fair

It is no longer news that Governor Obaseki’s anointed candidate is Asue Ighodalo Esq, a man whose profile towers above that of Obaseki himself.

He sits on several boards of reputable companies and organizations and has connections with captains of industries like Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Pascal Dozie and several others.

However, his forerunner, Obaseki, for the position of governor of Edo State has issues that might truncate this vision if these issues are not addressed immediately – in matters of weeks and months. 

First, Obaseki does not have the required population to win any such election conducted at that level in Edo State. He left All Progressive Congress, APC, in 2020 with just a handful of followers while the majority stayed behind with the party.

This was evident in the keenly contested election even when he won. As a matter of fact, he won that election with the existing structure of Chief Dan Orbih’s formidable Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which was poised to do battle with APC before the ticket was traded off by some Abuja politicians for cups of mint tea.

And again, the sentiment of ‘no to godfatherism’ worked. Even some of those who came with Obaseki to join PDP left back to APC after the protracted war between his group and that of Chief Orbih after the 2020 gubernatorial victory was taking too long to settle.

So for Obaseki’s Asue to fly through the haze, he will need to go back to discuss behind close windows and doors with Chief Dan to bring back his group. Will Chief agree to such a negotiation after he was betrayed? Let us confirm from Senator Ugbesia who seems to be close to Obaseki and Chief Dan Orbih.

Secondly, to court the Edo North people where APC is the known party in every nook and cranny, Obaseki will need to restore his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, back to the government house, allow him run the sports ministry as well as the Internally Generated Revenue, as it once was. In addition to this, he must finish the construction of the Edo North Cargo Aiport, ENCA, between now and December or latest January, before the primaries.

Not only these, he must be able to rehabilitate the state roads leading from Akoko-Edo through Owan to Esan and Benin. This will complement the alternatives to Federal Roads he promised to construct recently. This will help in campaigns so that while those who are sympathetic to the Federal Government will be plying their ruined roads, the indigenes of the state will be using the alternative concrete roads from Lagos Road to Abuja, to Auchi, to Akoko-Edo, to Uromi and to everywhere. APC members will not however be banned from using these roads nor will any minister, especially Umahi.

All schools in Owan, Etsako, Akoko-Edo will be renovated; no more the EdoBest propaganda or heaping the blame on Salami of SUBEB. There will be recruitment of needed teachers in all schools as well. The idea of buying Tablets for teachers and students to show off will be renounced openly. 

Again, since the people of Edo North are predominantly farmers, the Sobe Farms should be revived immediately with irrigation facilities through a world-class dam. This should be replicated in Estako and Akoko-Edo, and should be immediate – no promises. Hinterland roads to farms must be tarred concretely so that food security can be addressed with alacrity. 

On the issue of security, it is now that Obaseki must make use of the accumulated security votes which is alleged to be about 500 million Naira monthly. Vigilantes must be recruited with sophisticated weapons, vehicles, and communication gadgets. Their salaries should be pegged at least 120 thousand per person or more just like mercenaries are being paid anywhere in the world. All the swamps, plains, mountains, forests, streets, villages, highways…must be flooded with these vigilantes to smoke out these criminal elements. 

The people of Esan, where Asue Ighodalo is from, will be easy to assuage since he is their kindred blood and spirit. Within now and December, the governor can make water, which is one of their major challenges, available everywhere in the Central Senatorial District. As in Edo North, security should be enhanced. Killer herders must be flushed out. Most of those moribund industries must be revived. Cassava, fruit, and other industries must be set to work immediately so that the teaming youth can get jobs. Ambrose Ali University must be empowered to function like other universities. All the politics of special interventions must be discounted. There should be rapid infrastructural development there, employment of lecturers, and then allow the university to run optimally. 

A lot of villages in Esan have very bad roads. These must be addressed now the rains are going with concrete nylon tars. Farmers must be funded from the loans that were procured from the Central Bank of Nigeria and others years back. It doesn’t matter if the funds have been diverted for other uses. Schools and hospitals are really in bad shape there, they are either ruined or like poultry farms. 

For the South, much needs to be done. First, the Gelegele River Port must become functional before December so that natives who are shipping their goods from the diaspora can use the port. It will be cheaper for them. Before this is done, the Ekenwan Road leading to the port must first be rehabilitated. The last we saw of it was not a development that soothed the eyes. Charity begins at home. You cannot tell me you have billions in your coffers without having shoes on. 

Secondly, the Benin Industrial Park, the proposed park which was supposed to be the biggest in West Africa, must be fast-tracked. If it remains in its Sehel Savannah forest state it was the last time it was shown on Facebook, the electorates wont be happy to vote for the candidate of Obaseki, even if it is not going to be Asue. Within the next three months, that park should be fully functional. 

Very importantly, the Benin flood must be addressed immediately. The victims of this manageable phenomenon are also voters. The water storm project must be activated and expanded to be able to address the annual flooding in Benin City. While this is being addressed, inner city roads must be either be constructed or rehabilitated with concrete, not those that contractors were doing before that are being washed away by mere subtle rainfall.

It is also necessary for the governor to think outside the box with flyovers to address the growing traffic in Benin City. He can take a cue from Wike and Umahi, as well as Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. No doubt, mono-rail within the state will help if this can be done before January. Passengers who cannot afford flights from Benin to Auchi can use the rail to connect any part of the state. 

In Benin City, accommodation is becoming a problem as the city is growing exponentially. Massive low-cost estates can help to address this immediately. Much has not been heard of the famed Emotan Gardens. 

Lastly, the governor can use the template used by Nyesom Wike during the general election. Over 300,000 thousand residents should be employed as SAs and SSAs for the sole purpose of delivering their units, wards and Local Government Areas, LGAs. For example, each of the proposed 300,000 aides will be able to influence at least 3 voters. That will be a massive addition to what is already on the ground in the LGAs councils as chairmen, councillors, supervisory councillors and aides. 

This I think is the most potent winning formula for the primaries and the election proper.

Dele wrote from Edo State

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