NOT many in Edo State believe that the July 14 governorship election will be easy. What is more predictable is the fact that it will be a battle between the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).A taste of the 'battle' was put on display when suspected ACN thugs disrupted the official declaration of PDP governorship aspirant Kenneth Imansuangbon at the famous Urokpota Hall. The Bini regard the hall as a sacred ground and it is believed that any event in the hall ends on a positively. Other PDP aspirants made their declarations in hotels, private compounds and halls.Imasuagbon, has become a leading PDP gubernatorial aspirant and with his campaign slogan, 'IT is possible,' Imasuagbon, has drawn the people together, unfazed by the incumbency of Oshiomhole. But as the thugs scared Imasuagbon's sympathisers, the slogan changed to 'It is possible, but it would be bloody.' Despite the disruption, the declaration was hailed as a grand affair, with busloads of delegates streamed from the wards.Imansuangbon, whose campaign informally kicked off four years, when the incumbent governor was sworn in, is considered as the major obstacle for the ACN. His campaign has revitalised the PDP camp and kept the party's bid for the Government House alive. Many in the ACN see Imansuangbon, also know as the 'rice man' in all nooks and cranny of the state, as the face of the PDP campaign.However, he said, 'I have to submit myself to the party primary like the other aspirants. Whatever I have done up to this time is for the party and because I believe in the party. All these years, I have worked for the nomination and I hope that on February 25, the party members will pick a suitable candidate to oust the ACN.'Amidst concerns that the PDP leadership are looking for a candidate from Edo South, his supporters said that they are assured that the primary would not be based the principle of zoning but competence.Other parties that reckon they have a slim chance of winning the polls are already forming alliances to give the ACN and the PDP a run for their money.Recently, factions of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and Labour Party (LP) formed an alliance with Citizens Popular Party (CPP) and the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) and picked Solomon Edebiri as candidate.Edebiri who was a governorship candidate in 2007, told the Coalition that he decided to join the race, 'because PDP and ACN have failed the people of Edo. It is sad that today the infrastructure in this state are dead and unfortunately Adams Oshiomhole is doing nothing to salvage the situation.'None of the parties believe that ousting the incumbent governor Adams Oshiomhole is going to be a tea party. And while some parties are forming coalitions, observers believe that the challenge before the PDP lies on whom it picks as candidate. Without a credible and formidable candidate who will sustain the unity in the party, the election may be a walk in the park for the ACN.And ahead of the party's primary in a month's time, some stakeholders are warning that it was the internal bickering in the PDP that contributed to the party's loss of the governorship election.Presently, there are about seven aspirants bidding for the PDP ticket. They include a former aide to erstwhile president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere from Edo North. He told journalists in Benin last week that, 'I will win the primary and I will be the PDP candidate.'On why he has not flagged off formally, he said that the primary 'is a party affair but since that tradition is there, the big masquerade in my tradition does not come out first, you let those who are just joining the party who want to be known, to go first. When they finish their game, the people who have been on ground, will come out.'It is a new PDP, the political landscape has changed, people now have more access to the leadership of the party than it used to be but I am sure the PDP primary will be free and fair. The party leaders have assured on that and the members have taken it up. In taking over Osadebey Avenue, which belongs to the PDP, we must bring our best, the most qualified, the most seasoned, the most exposed to fly the flag.'The former governor, Oserheimen Osunbor, (Edo Central), through the Restoration Group 2012 joined the list of aspirants. A professor of law, he says that he has the experience of governance as former governor.The group, at a rally in Benin City said: 'The evidence of Osunbor's achievement are still there. This is the premium he brings into the PDP ticket if he is nominated to do battle with Oshiomhole.'Educationist, businessman and lawyer, Imansuagbon is from Edo Central. He already has a strong grassroots base with his welfarist agenda and interaction with the people. Apart from his annual distribution of bags of rice across the state, his philanthropy has kept his name on the lips of most people in Edo.At the launch of his campaign, Imansuagbon said that he was not born with a silver spoon but through sheer determination to excel and hard-work rose from grass to grace.'If elected Edo governor on July 14, I will restore security of lives and property across the length and breadth of the state and create an enabling environment for the acquisition of necessary training and skills so that Edo youths can benefit from a 50,000 job package,' which he said was possible in his first 100 days in office.After visiting some orphanages recently, he said that, 'I joined PDP in 2007 after I left the AC then (now ACN) because after spending my resources in funding the party Oshiomhole came from nowhere and took the ticket. Today I decided to declare my intention because the issue of taxation in the state, insecurity, destruction of houses, cancellation of contracts awarded, are all becoming alarming. These are the issues bothering our people and that is why I am very optimistic that the PDP will defeat the ACN government come 2012.'I am very emotional when it comes to service to our people. I am glad that the PDP is united now, only one congress was held recently and I can assure you that the ACN government in the state is gone.'Imansuagbon queried the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) law in the state and the execution of road projects. He accused the ACN administration of 'spending money for three roads in constructing one road in Edo.'He pledging to correct the 'wrongs' of the administration, saying: 'I will change things in Edo. We must return this state to the PDP because our people have suffered so much as a result of over taxation, increase of school fees and cosmetic actions of government.'The aspirant said promotion of civil servants and teachers, adequate compensation for victims of properties demolished by the government and the reactivation of moribund state industries would be his priority if he becomes the governor.He said he possess the credentials and the support of the party members to win the primary. A member who craves anonymity said that 'let the truth be told. Kenneth has done more for the party than any of the other aspirants. They are just coming now to seek the ticket. He has been on it for a long time and for most of us, he has kept the challenge alive since the ACN took over. When the PDP was in difficult times, Imasuagnbon put his time, energy and money to work for this party.'If there is a free and fair primary, he will win. What happens afterwards is for the party to decide. The primary should not be a time for ego to reign. If PDP must oust ACN, we must close ranks at the primary and elect someone the people have already identified with. I hear that there are moves for some of them to step down for him. That would a wise thing to do.'Also in the race is, Jacob Idinye, a journalist who recently said that with good appropriation of resources, the state can create 10,000 jobs in a month. Idinye, like Ihonvbere is from Edo North.A former instructor with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo South is also in the race. He said shortly after he visited the party secretariat to intimate the leadership about his ambition that, 'my chances are very bright, my heart is with the people and I hope to do that through the PDP ticket I am one of the foremost aspirants and I have been with the party since 1999.'The list of aspirants increased a few weeks ago when a former Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Matthew Iduoriyekemwen declared his ambition to face Oshiomhole and ACN. At an elaborate ceremony hosted for the leaders of the party Iduoriyekemwen probed the use of allocated security votes for the governor, which he put at N10 billion in the last two years and noted that despite that, security remained a challenge in the state.'He alleged that there was no transparency 'in the cosmetic beautification and renovation of roads.'Iduoriyekemwen said, 'I am a product of Edo, I am product of public school, we want to be able to lead a government that will have a stake in the state, I believe in this state, I am passionate about this state I have no other state, together we must make a change because it is not just about building new structures as public schools, what about the personnel needed to impact on the students. This we must do but first I need your support as leaders of the party to pick me as the candidate of the party and together we will take over Osadebey Avenue.
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