Next Saturday’s (August 16) elections in Ovia federal constituency and Edo Central senatorial district will be the first set of elections in the state since Governor Monday Okpeholo assumed office on November 12, 2024.
Expectedly, all eyes are on the governor, a protege of late Tony Anenih, (a former PDP national leader from the same constituency), to lead his party, APC, to victory.
For the governor however, the by-elections would be not just about winning but how. The outcomes would be about defeating the opposition but convincing APC leaders, especially in Abuja, that he can deliver on a promise of 2.5 million votes from the state in 2027.
Bracing for a tough Edo Central by-election
Edo Central has always been a PDP stronghold in the state, thanks to the late Anenih.
This showed in the 2024 governorship election which was largely between Okpebholo and the PDP’s, Barrister Asue Iguodalo.
Interestingly, Okpebholo and Iguodalo are from Edo Central. The contest was a fierce contest, more so in Edo Central.
Of the five local governments in the senatorial district, Okpebholo won two while Iguodalo, got three.
Okpeholo however won the state election which was upheld by the judiciary, signalling APC’s return to ruling status in a state under PDP rule for four years in the second term of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
But with his frequent promise to deliver 2.5 Edo votes to President Tinubu in his re-election bid come 2027 on the line the task is heavy.
LEADERSHIP Weekend checks reveal that Okpeholo has seemingly ‘relocated’ to Edo Central, his Senatorial District ahead of the election.
Sources at the Government House, Osadebey Avenue in Benin City, confirm that activities at the state’s seat of power have slowed down as the governor and his political machinery have shifted focus to Edo Central to intensify grassroots mobilisation.
Further checks revealed that the governor has been personally involved in all the campaign events for the senatorial election.
The by-election is widely regarded as a litmus test for Governor Okpebholo’s popularity and political influence in his senatorial zone, especially following the 2024 governorship election in which the PDP won three of the five local governments in the senatorial district.
Edo Central has been a PDP stronghold and a major challenge for the APC to penetrate. Okpebholo had defied the odds by winning the Senate seat in 2023 under the APC. However, he lost the zone to the PDP in the 2024 governorship election.
In the upcoming by-election, Hon. Joe Ikpea of the APC will face Prince Joe Okojie of the PDP in a fierce contest.
Despite APC’s control of key political structures in the district, PDP retains significant grassroots support, making the outcome unpredictable.
Okpebholo, however, has been confident that APC will win the by-election. Speaking at a party campaign, he said, “This is a test for 2027. I can tell you that 2027 is sure. Before then, there will be no opposition in Edo State anymore as all will join the APC because of the developmental achievements in the state.”
He also declared that his party would sweep the entire 51 wards across the five local government areas that make up the senatorial district. “Hon. Joseph Ikpea will take over from me in the Senate,” he affirmed.
The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Paul Ohombamu, said the governor has not abandoned governance for politics adding that he is executing both as expected of him.
The commissioner told LEADERSHIP that the governor has been flagging off projects across the three senatorial districts in the state.
He however said the by-election in Edo senatorial district is a done deal, adding that the opposition PDP only exists in name.
“You see the chances of APC are very bright. PDP only exists in name. Okpeholo has done a lot and that is why more people are decamping to the APC on a daily basis.
“The governor has endeared himself to the people. Recently, the only house of Representative member, Hon Marcus Onobun joined the APC.
“Politics and governance run pari-passu and there is no way you can separate the two. To answer your question, the governor is working,” he said.
The odds, intrigues
The mass defection of PDP and LP members into the ruling party strengthens APC for victory in the forthcoming election.
Still, PDP and its candidate in Edo Central would rely on the performance of the party in the 2024 governorship election.
They are also strongly pushing the debate on zoning and insisting on strict adherence to the rotation of the senatorial seat among the five local government areas that make up Edo Central Senatorial district.
But PDP is not alone in the call for Esan North East to produce the next senator. Last week, the Labour Party national chairman, Julius Abure, joined the agitation when he declared at a flag off that “It is the turn of Uromi to produce the next senator” noting that other local government areas in the zone have already taken their turn.
Records shows that Esan North East Local Government Area with it administrative headquarters in Udomi where the PDP candidate, Hon Joe Okojie, hails from remains the only LGA yet produce a senator if the unwritten agreement of rotation of political seat between the (Okpeholo and Agbazillo) is anything to go by.
The proponents of rotation of senatorial seat majorly of PDP and Labour Party members had argued that the incumbent governor is also a beneficiary of rotation of political office among the three major ethnic tribes in the state, the Bini’s Esan and the Afemai’s as far the governorship election was concerned.
Esan North East Local Government is said to control over 60 percent of the total votes in the entire Edo Central are playing up the sentiment to woo voters ahead of the next week Saturday by election.
A stakeholder in the senatorial district, Mike Enahoro, while responding to the agitation fairness, equity and justice argued: “For too long, the people of Uromi/Uzea have been marginalized and overlooked in the political landscape of Edo State. Despite their significant contributions to the region’s growth and development, they have been denied their rightful place in the Senate. The upcoming bye election presents a rare opportunity for the people of Uromi/Uzea to assert their influence and claim their rightful place in the National Assembly.
“This is not about any individual, including Okojie, or any particular political party, including PDP. It’s about the collective aspirations and interests of the people of Uromi/Uzea and Esan North East. It’s about ensuring that their voices are heard, and their concerns are addressed at the highest levels of government.
He further posted, “ The people of Uromi/Uzea have a unique cultural heritage, economic strengths, and social dynamics that deserve representation and advocacy at the national level. They have a right to expect that their interests will be protected and promoted by their elected representatives.
“In this election, the people of Uromi/Uzea must come together and assert their influence. They must put aside individual differences and party affiliations and unite behind a common cause: ensuring that the Senate seat is won by a candidate who truly represents their interests.
“The stakes are high, and the opportunity is ripe. The people of Uromi/Uzea and Esan North East must seize this moment to shape their future and determine their destiny. By uniting behind a candidate who understands their concerns and aspirations, they can ensure that their voices are heard and their interests are represented.”
Also, the PDP governorship candidate, Ighodalo, would be expected to show leadership for the party going into the by-election. This election could serve as a rebound for his likely 2028 bid.
The governor and APC gladiators are banking on the party’s fortunes in the last election and the governor’s developmental strides in winning the by -elections.
Okpeholo, on his part is not taking any chances. He has literally ‘relocated’ to his hometown, a move analyst considered as strategic.
More so, the PDP has never been more split in Edo State in recent years. With the Dan Orbih group still aligned with Okpebholo, the APC’s chances seem brighter. The Orbih led group had fallen out with Obaseki-led PDP and worked for Okpebholo during the governorship eleczlaat year.
Nevertheless, some pundits are not quick to buy APC’s optimism ahead of the polls. They believe the ruling party still has a herculean task ahead.
One of such analysts in the state, Odion Iguodalo, said “Yes, the political bigwigs are now with the governor and the ruling party but the governor needs to take the message directly to the people because some leaders are aggrieved over the way and manner the candidate emerged. The governor needs to reach out to them before they will do damage.
“The governor is trying in the area of infrastructure but he should also spread it to other communities in Edo State and not in his Udomi community alone because the people are feeling marginalised,” he said.
Ovia contest a done deal?
In Ovia Federal Constituency, the by-Election can be said to be a done deal with the combined forces of the youthful Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, who had won election in the constituency and the candidate, a former House of Representatives member, Hon Omosede Igbinedion.
At a rally in Ovia federal constituency, Idahosa had told party supporters that the election is for the people to show capacity and posited that the promise to deliver 2.5 million votes to Tinubu in 2027 starts with August 16 by-Election.
“This is not a normal election, it is an election to show capacity. The results you give to Omosede unlocks the key to accessing the dividends of democracy.
“The margin of victory is important. This is why we are all here to convince you to ensure that we get at least 70 percent votes from the registered voters in this area,” he stated.
By next week, the outcome of the Edo Central by-election and Ovia federal Constituency would set the tone for whether or not the governor can deliver on the promise of votes he has made ahead of the 2027 general elections.
