Edo election 2024: Main reasons why APC defeated PDP, number 4 will shock you

2 months ago 39

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics and elections in Nigeria.

Benin City, Edo state - The Edo governorship election has come and gone, with Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, adjudged the winner.

As announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okpebholo acquired the highest number of votes.

Legit.ng highlights some of the things that propelled the APC to victory over the ruling administration.

1) Adams Oshiomhole factor

Had the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP's) Ighodalo won, the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki, would have emerged as the new godfather of Edo politics, thereby relegating Senator Adams Oshiomhole to the background.

Indeed, Oshiomhole played his role as the leader of the APC campaign. He was arguably more visible in the campaign than his party’s candidate. He also took bullets for Okpebholo.

At a point, stoked perhaps the biggest controversy when he called Obaseki and his wife, Betsy, childless. Oshiomhole was defending Okpebholo after Obaseki’s wife said only the PDP candidate has a wife.

It is noteworthy that Oshiomhole has always been a winner. In 2018, the former labour leader was elected as the APC national chairman. Earlier, he was governor of Edo state, from 2008 to 2016.

Presently, the 72-year-old serves as the federal lawmaker representing the Edo North senatorial district since his election in February 2023.

2) Edo North's advantage

The victory of the APC at the polls was largely made possible with huge votes from the six local government areas of Edo North senatorial senatorial district. The APC won in all the six local government areas.

Edo North has always been the stronghold of the APC. It is the home of popular APC chieftains like Oshiomhole, Philip Shaibu, Abubakar Momoh, and a host of others.

3) Obaseki's feud with Phillip Shaibu

More than any other individual, reinstated deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu, saw the 2024 election as a means to settle scores with Obaseki. It is the succession battle that tore Obaseki and Shaibu apart.

Obaseki’s choice of replacement for Shaibu pitched some APC leaders in Edo North against him. The incumbent governor had picked one Godwins Omobayo from Akoko-Edo as deputy governor to replace Shaibu. A former Speaker of the Edo state house of assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, sided with Obaseki against Oshiomhole and Shaibu. He returned to the APC after Obaseki refused to pick him as deputy governor.

Besides Adjoto, Senator Francis Alimekhena and many PDP chieftains returned to the APC. They aligned with Oshiomhole to ensure defeat for Obaseki's party.

While Obaseki lost Oredo, his LGA, to the APC, Shaibu not only won his polling unit, ward and LGA, but he delivered a high number of votes to the APC from a single polling unit. APC got 1,138 votes where Shaibu voted; PDP managed to secure just 24 votes.

4) Federal might

Just as the popular media entrepreneur and PDP chieftain. Dele Momodu, explained, federal might was apparently deployed in Edo.

Momodu commented on a special operation codenamed 'Oga (subtly referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) wants it.'

He wrote on Sunday, September 22:

"OGA not only wants it, OGA needs it, like oxygen for survival. The acolytes are desperate to deceive OGA, that all is well and he can count on them to deliver any state in future elections, despite their abysmally despicable performances in power."