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. The people leaned towards progressive politics. It is the home of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Chief Dan Orbih, Philip Shaibu, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Hon Peter Akpatason, Hon Sunday Dekeri, Minister of Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh and a host of other chieftains of the APC and the PDP......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
What further endeared the people to the APC was Oshiomhole’s achievement as Governor of Edo State. Before the emergence of Oshiomhole, residents of Okpekpe and some communities were said to have been cursed to have found themselves in those communities. This was because of difficulty to get to such communities. People living in places like Udaba, Anegbette do not go home during the rainy season. There were no access road.
Oshiomhole mobilised funds and embarked on construction of roads and bridges across Edo North. He linked communities in Estako West, Estako East and Estako Central. It was the road he built that birthed the annual Okpekpe road race. Besides infrastructure, Oshiomhole empowered people through appointment. His house was opened to all and sundry.In the 2020 governorship election that gave Obaseki his second term in office, the APC won in five out of six local government areas. The party lost with a low margin in Owan West.
Some senior citizens who were at polling units in last Saturday’s governorship election said they trooped out to vote because of their love for Oshiomhole.
Mrs. Fatima Jimoh, aged 75, said she left her sick bed to vote because of her love for Oshiomhole. She was aided to the polling unit by her daughter. She said she wanted to make Oshiomhoke happy be ensuirng his party won the polls.She said, “I am not feeling well. I like Oshiomhole. I come out of illness to vote.”Besides the infrastructural development
by Oshiomhole that endeared the people, the fracas between Obaseki and his estranged Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu contributed largely to the wide margin with which the APC won in Edo North. Shaibu hails from same Estako West as Oshiomhole. His alliance with Oshiomhole against Obaseki was a boost to the APC.In 2020, Shaibu’s support for the PDP helped to reduce the votes of the APC but after he fell out with Obaseki, he reconciled with Oshiomhole and together they crushed Obaseki.The fracas between Governor Obaseki and the legacy group of EDO PDP led by Chief Orbih contributed to the PDP’s failure in the zone. Obaseki had sought refuge in the PDP after he was denied second term ticket by the APC. All efforts to reconcile Obaseki and the legacy PDP failed. The PDP chieftains loyal to Chief Orbih worked for the successes of the APC across the state.
Obaseki’s choice of replacement of Shaibu pitched some APC leaders in Edo North against him. Obaseki had picked one Godwins Omobayo from Akoko-Edo as Deputy Governor to replace Shaibu. A former Speaker of 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 of Obaseki in Edo North.
