By DADA AYOKHAI
With the sale of nomination forms closed, the countdown to the Edo PDP guber primary slated for February 22 has begun .
The PDP National leadership announced the closure of the sale of nomination forms to the aspirants for the Edo gubernatorial election slated for September 21, 2024.
At the last count, a total of eight intending aspirants picked the PDP nomination form which sold for N35m.
The nomination form itself sold for N30m, while the Expression of Interest sold for N5m, bringing the total amount to N35m
All the eight aspirants cut across the three senatorial districts of Edo State
A further breakdown of the list shows that the Edo North district produced two of the eight guber aspirants. These are the incumbent deputy governor of Edo State, Hon. Philip Shuaib, and Hajia Umoru Hadizat, a female .
Incidentally, both aspirants hail from Etsako West local government. While the deputy governor who is already having a running battle with his principal, Gov. Obaseki, hails from Jattu in the Uzairue clan, Hajia Hadizat is from Auchi, the political and administrative capital of Etsako West.
As per Hajia Hadizat, she is not a newcomer to Edo North politics. A staunch loyalist of the Chief Dan Orbih faction of the party and also a former PDP deputy national woman leader, the Auchi-born guber aspirant appears to be in the race to make a bold statement
In 2015, under the administration of the former comrade governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, now the Senator representing the Edo North in the Senate, she contested for the Etsako West chairmanship election.
Powerful forces uneasy with the prospect of a woman leading the local government in a highly conservative society ensured her candidacy did not see the light of day
The Edo South district is well-represented on the list by two influential aspirants namely, Mrs. Blessing Igbinedion, daughter of the Esama of the Benin kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, and Mr. Omoregie Ihama , a two term member of House of representatives representing Oredo federal constituency.
Making up the final list of eight are the other four guber aspirants from the Edo Central district. They include the former chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Bar. Asue Ighodalo, a former Edo APC state chairman, Mr. Anselm Usiose Ojezua, Mr. Felix Akhabue and Amb Mr. Martin Ohomoibi
Somehow, the leadership of the Edo PDP has managed to prune down the number of the guber aspirants ahead of the party’s primary
Similarly, the disquiet and rancor simmering within the ranks of the opposition APC does not apply to the PDP.
While the Edo APC is being torn apart by the tension that arose from the screening out of some influential guber aspirants, the PDP is quietly coasting home to the grand finale.
