By Gabriel Enogholase
EDO CentralEDO Central Senatorial district of Edo State since the advent of the current nascent democracy in 1999 has always rotated political offices among the old Agbazilo and Okpebho local governments which today constitutes five local governments, that is, Esan North- East, Esan South- East, Esan- West, Esan Central and Igueben to ensure that unity and peace prevails among the Esan people.
And at the same time, they did not forbid individuals aspiring for elective positions from testing their popularity at the primaries of the party.
It was this zonal arrangement that saw Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor representing the senatorial zone from 1999 – 2007 as the seat was zoned to old Okpebho local government. And in the House of Representatives, the two seats allocated to Edo Central Senatorial zone were occupied by Hon. Tony Aziegbemi who represented Esan North-East/Esan South- East and Hon. Gabriel Oiboh for Esan-West/Esan Central/Igueben. While Hon Aziegbemi hails from Esan
Hon Itulah
South- East, Hon Oiboh is from Esan Central.
However, that zonal and rotational agreement by the founding fathers of the PDP aimed at fostering peace and unity is what is now brewing crisis in the party. The three Esan lawmakers in the National Assembly Senator Odion Ugbesia, Hon. Friday Itulah and Hon. Patrick Ikhariale are now insisting that the zoning formula adopted by the party and which hitherto had favoured them in the past must be jettisoned. They have vowed not to recognise the arrangement and insisted that they must go for the party’s primaries.
Rotational formula
The argument that the zoning/rotational formula must be thrown overboard by the party was sequel to a statement endorsed by the PDP Edo Central senatorial Zonal secretary, Mr Richard Okosun at the end of the caucus meeting held at Uromi on 12, September 2014 affirming the zoning of the elective positions. Details of the zoning arrangement show that the senatorial seat was zoned to the old Okpebho Local Government Area as against old Agbazilo where the incumbent Senator Ugbesia hails from. In the Esan Central/West/Igueben Constituency, either of Esan West or Igueben was asked to produce the candidate of the party, thereby killing the aspiration of Hon Ikhariale, who is from Esan Central. And Esan South East to produce the next House of Representatives candidate as against Esan North East where Hon Friday Itulah hails from.
To douse the storm that was already gathering following the decision of the PDP in the area, Chief Dan Orbih and his party executives visited the Edo Central Senatorial Zonal office at Uromi on Sunday, 21, September 2014 where he made the declaration that the party recognises zoning adding that whoever wanted to contest against the arrangement was free to test their popularity in the primaries.
Reacting to Orbih’s visit, Senator Ugbesia told newsmen that, “the state executive decision on the zoning is what we expected. What we are saying is that everybody should be given a level playing field. So that is what the party has provided and I am very happy. It is my constitutional right to seek the third, fourth, fifth election. There is no tenure limit in legislative arm.”
Engr. Clifford Ordia the Senatorial aspirant from the old Okpebho power bloc also welcomed the decision of the state PDP executive on the issue saying he was ready for the primaries.
Rep. Itulah Friday, who represents Esan North- East and Esan South- East and one of the lawmakers angling to come back to the House of Representatives on his part also welcomed the decision saying:
“The highest organ of the party State Executive Committee led by the chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, who has come with members of his committee to address everybody. He told us the party position, and the summary of all he has said is that it is the primary that will determine who will represent the party.”
And as for Barrister Segius Ogun who is contesting for the House of Representatives seat for Esan North-East/Esan South – East federal constituency, he said, “The party chairman read the constitution and stated categorically that the party will zone and will respect zoning. But, however, that should not stop anybody from coming out to contest. They want to come out, that have always been the case.”
Senator Osunbor
“Twice the National Leader has spoken to us and he brought out references through the days of Obasanjo how people contested with him, even when they knew it was zoned to the South, Rimi and others came out, but the party will always support where they have zoned it to. I think that is what Orbih, the state chairman told us today. There has always been zoning, from 1999, Osunbor went for 8years, our amiable Senator Odion Ugbesia, did not collect the form to go to the Senate; he was pushing for the governorship but when he did not get it, another aspirant from Okpebho, got the ticket in the name of Engineer Clifford Ordia. They took it from Ordia and gave it to Senator Ugbesia, so, that it can be zoned. That is how it has been in Agbazilo for the past 8 years. So naturally it should go back to Okpebho.”
Meanwhile, the PDP in Esan land are waiting anxiously as to whether the issue of zoning or the ambitions of the three lawmakers who are insisting that they must run for the primaries come November will make or mar the fortunes of the party in the area.
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