Edo election update: Why Edo state matter to APC
Politics na game of numbers and every state dey important to any political party.
For Nigeria ruling All Progressive Congress party, di more states wey dem get to govern, di more power wey dem go fit enjoy on top different states. Until Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki bin resign from APC on June 16, 2020, di party bin dey control 21 states while opposition Peoples Democratic Party bin dey im charge of 15 states. As govnor Obaseki register as PDP member on Friday June 19, e mean say di party now get 16 states, at least till di September 19 happun. On top of dat, Edo na di only state wey APC bin fit get for South-South Nigeria afta di 2019 govornorship election for Nigeria. Lawyer and political sabi pesin Liborous Oshoma, say as long as APC remain for Edo state, e go easy for dem to get di oda south south states. "Since 2016, APC, apart from Edo state neva fit grab any oda state for di south south and as dem wan show say dem be national party wit spread across all di geographical zones, dem go also wan win di election for Edo, dat go also fit help dem enta di oil rich Niger Delta." If APC fail to win di govnorship election wey suppose happun on September 19, dat go mean say di party no get any power at all for di oil rich Niger Delta region. Anoda reason why APC want Edo na sake of di power struggle between di party national chairman Adams Oshiomhole and di govnor Godwin Obaseki. Oga Oshoma say, "for Adams Oshiomhole, govnorship election for di state go be big statement for am to stamp e authority back as many pipo dey blame say im make di party lose di state to PDP." E add say, di fact say di govnor port go PDP many pipo no happy at all as dem feel say di govnor don cari dia mandate go anoda party and dem go want am back. Plenty gbas gbos don already happun between di two inside Edo APC as di state dey prepare for election. Di gbege hot sotey e dey affect di national body of di party, and more gbege still dey road. Victor Giadom Wetin fit give APC wahala for Edo? One very strong effect of dis wahala na di fact say now di party get two acting national chairman, one wey court appoint afta e uphold Oshio Baba suspension and di oda wey di national working committee (NWC) appoint. Di two chairmen don begin dey give different order. While Victor Giadom wey court appoint say, im don cancel all decision wey Oshiomhole don make since court suspend am for March 4; Hilliard Etta wey NWC appoint say make e act as chairman to continue from wia oga Oshiomhole stop before appeal court confam im suspension on June 16. Giadom faction say dem no give instruction for di party to do primary today Monday 22 June, but Etta faction say primary must to happen today." Lawyer Oshoma say, if dem continue to dey give counter order, e go easy for "di court to say since una bin dey give directive and counter directive therefore e no clear for INEC to monitor wetin una dey do." As di ruling All Progressive Congress party do dia govnorship primary today so many gbege dey ground already wey fit affect di party chance to control di state. "If at any time di court say Giadom na di authentic acting chairman and im insist say im no go do primary witin di time of INEC guideline, e den mean say APC no get candidate. But if na otherwise den e mean say di primaries wey APC do today dey valid" na so Oga Oshoma tok.