Why Edo state Election na three-horse race
Eligible voters for Edo state, southern Nigeria go enta polls on Saturday, 21 September to elect a new govnor, wey go take ova from di incumbent govnor, Godwin Obaseki, wey go complete im statutory eight-year tenure by 12 November, 2024.
Di Independent National Election Commission (Inec), Nigeria electoral body bin confam say more dan two million pipo don collect dia Permanent Voters Card (PVC), wey show dia readiness to participate for dis election.
Di gubernatorial election wey be one of di off-cycle elections for 2024, go take place across di 18 local goment area for di state.
Electorates don dey ginger for dis election, security operatives say dem ready and di electoral body don begin distribute sensitive materials ahead of di govnorship election.
Di campaign for di number one seat for di state dey hot as 17 political parties dey eye di seat. However, kontri pipo focus na majorly on only three parties, di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and di Labour Party (LP) and dia candidates.
Before now, na two political parties dey mostly dominate Edo politics, di ruling PDP and di opposition APC, but di upcoming election dey ready to feature fresh candidates, and dis go bring new angle for di state political landscape.
Also, di 2024 election go dey interesting as e go bring back di rivalry between two former allies govnor Godwin Obaseki and im predecessor, Adams Oshiomole, wey now be senator and dey represent Edo North senatorial district for di National Assembly under di platform of di APC.
History of election for Edo state
Since Nigeria return to democracy for 1999, di kontri dey witness plenty drama wen e come to election mata, especially wen e come to which party and who dey contest for power. Edo state don also get dia own share of di drama.
For 1999, di state first gubernatorial election bin see di emergence of Lucky Igbinedion, wey win under di platform of di People’s Democratic Party (PDP), e defeat Dan Orbih of di All People’s Party (APP).
Di allegations of corruption against Igbinedion by di time e finish im second term for 2007 bin contribute to di protest vote against di ruling PDP.
Di 2007 polls na one of di toughest gubernatorial elections for di state, according to observers. Apart from di cases of violence dem record, various conflicting results spread, some say na di PDP candidate, Oserheimen Osunbor win di election, odas say na di Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Adams Oshiomole wey also be one time Nigeria Labour Congress president win.
Di electoral body however declare PDP as di winner of di election wit 329, 740 votes against ACN, 197, 472 votes.
E no end for dia as ACN drag di mata go court. For 2008, di Edo state gubernatorial election tribunal declare Oshiomole winner of di 14 April, 2007 govnorship election.
For inside one six-hour judgment, di tribunal bin order say make Inec withdraw di Certificate of Return dem give Oserheimen Osunbor and hand am ova to di former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president.
For 2012, Oshiomole bin contest again, but by dis time di ACN don merge wit CPC and some faction of ANPP to form di All Progressives Congress. Under di platform of di APC, Oshiomole win di gubernatorial election for im second term for office.
Di former labour union leader bin record landslide victory wit 477,478 votes to defeat five oda candidates for di election; di closest rival, Maj Gen Charles Airhiavbere of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bin get 144, 235 votes.
For di 2016 gubernatorial election, Oshiomole bin play major role for di election wey see to di victory of Godwin Obaseki for di polls.
E no only handpick Obaseki as di flag-bearer of di APC, e bin also campaign for am well-well. Oshiomole later become di National Chairman of di All Progressives Congress.
Obaseki victory bin dey very tight as e win wit 319,483 votes ahead of Osagie Ize-Iyamu of di PDP wey gada 253, 173 votes.
However, shortly afta e become Edo state govnor, di political marriage between Obaseki and Oshiomole begin dey sour.
Di rift bin first start as small issue but e become obvious for 2019 and later grow worse until dia final divorce for 2022.
Di mata make Oshiomole lose im seat as di national chairman of di APC and di disqualification of Obaseki to seek re-election under di platform di APC. Obaseki later join di opposition PDP, e contest for di 2024 gubernatorial election and e win.
Who be di candidates
Eighteen political parties dey juggle to lead di southern state. But kontri pipo get interest for three of di candidates, di PDP, APC and Labour Party candidtates.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - Asue Ighodalo
Asuerinme Ighodalo na di candidate of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for dis govnorship election.
Ighodalo na Economist, Lawyer and politician wey dem born for July 1959 from Okaigben, Ewohimi, for Esan South East local govment of Edo State.
Di 64-year-old don engage for many capital markets and don also practice for areas wey dey related to Corporate and Commercial law
Asue, as dem dey fondly call am na previous chairman of Sterling Bank and e also fserve on di economic team of former govnor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as well as for di current Govnor Godwin Obaseki.
Inside exclusive interview with BBC Pidgin bifor di election, Ighodalo tok about im plan, dream and reason for deciding to leave di corporate world to try for di race of who go be Edo state next govnor.
Ighodalo get di blessing of di current state Govnor, Godwin Obaseki to contest over di Deputy Govnor Philip Shaibu wey even cause kasala for di state, but e tell BBC Pidgin say im no get any political godfather.
"E clear for my mind say I fit work for di pipo of Edo state, to comot our state from poverty, to move us to state wia pipo get, wia everybody get," Asue tok.
All Progressives Congress (APC) - Monday Okpebholo
Monday Okpebholo beat 11 oda aspirants wit 12,433 votes to emerge as candidate of di APC for di 21 September election.
Okpebolo na politician wey dem born for Udomi area of Esan Central in 1970 and e grow to become a business man bifor im join politics.
Di 53-year-old Okpebolo serve as a senator under di APC for 2023 afta e win as senator representing Edo central senatorial district.
For im interview wit BBC Pidgin, Okpebolo say e go tackle insecurity both manually and wit technology if e win.
"I wan become govnor of Edo state becos Edo never dey marginalised as im dey like dis bifor." E tok.
For dis election, one pesin wey don make headline well-well say e dey defend Okpebolo na di former govnor of di state and APC leader Adams Oshiomhole.
Labour Party (LP) - Olumide Akpata
For Friday 23 February, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata bin score 316 votes to win di Labour Party (LP) govnorship ticket for Edo State.
From law to politics, na so di tori of Akpata take waka.
Dem born am for 1972 and e grow for hood wia e begin im journey for law profession.
Dem call Akpata to di Nigerian Bar for December, 1993 from wia e later setup and grow Templars to become full-service law company.
Di 51-year-old na former President of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as e don practice law for over three decades and e tok say e dey motivated to be govnor becos of im desire to impact more pipo
Akpata follow BBC Pidgin tok on ontop issue of corruption wia e stand say e no go tolerate any form of mago-mago
"Di first tin na leadership by example. Oyinbo say na wetin be di tone at di top? I be Benin man, I no be thief, di tin I value di most na my name. Wen di pipo wey dey di system know say oga no be thief, I get zero tolerance for corruption," E say dem go adjust.
