Rapfreak:
Can PDP rise again in Edo?

By SureNaija.com

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State,
once a strong political institution, has in the last
seven years suffered a self-induced dwindling of
fortunes. The July 14, 2012 governorship election
defeat in all the 18 local government areas may well have signalled the death of the party in the state.

It would be helpful for a fuller and better
understanding of how and why the party in Edo
State came to this sorry state. After the unfortunate
and ill-advised annulment of the June 12, 1993
presidential election won by late M.K.O. Abiola , an
Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan was put in place by Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida in August 1993. It had lasted barely
three months when it was overthrown in
November of the same year by Gen. Sani Abacha.
Abacha promptly dissolved all political structures in
the country including the two political parties of SDP and NRC, the National Assembly, state assemblies
and governments.

His attempt at giving the nation a democratic
government led to the formation of political parties
that later became known as the five leprous fingers.
The idea to transform self from military head of
state to a democratically elected president reared its
head at this time. The subsequent death in 1998 of Gen. Abacha and the ascendancy to leadership by
Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar thereafter paved the
way for the resumption of full political activities with
the announcement of a transition time table to end
with presidential elections in 1999. It was,
therefore, in 1998 that several political players dubbed old and new breed politicians held
meetings that culminated in the formation and
registration of several political parties prominent
amongst which are PDP, ANPP, AD, ACN, APGA and
LP. In Edo State, prominent political figures teamed
up in Edo Solidarity Movement (ESM) to scout for a national party which they believed could win
elections. These figures include Chief Tony Anenih,
Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion,
Chief Tom Ikimi , Chief J.B. Momoh and a host of
vothers.

The alliances formed before and after this
consultative meeting led to the three major political
gladiators in the state, Chief Anenih, Dr. Ogbemudia
and Chief Igbinedion, teaming up in the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP. This simple fact of these
leaders who had previously held sway in different parties joining forces in the same party gave the
PDP an edge. In the 1999 elections, the PDP
performed so well that it appeared it was the only
party that contested elections in the state. In the
heat of the 2004 diabolical plan of President
Olusegun Obasanjo to secure an illegal third tenure, the then leadership of the party, with active support
of the now chairman of the Board of Trustees
(BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, hatched a membership
re-registration scheme designed to deregister all
those who were perceived not to support the self
perpetuation plan of Obasanjo.

More than half of the members of the party were
thus shut out. One other factor w that has torn
things apart for the PDP in the state is the fortuitous
emergence of Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as
governor, having won the gubernatorial election of
April 2007 on the platform of ACN. The woes of the PDP have since then multiplied beyond manageable
proportions with the Oshiomhole administrations
transparently committed and systematic application
of tate resources to better the lives of the people. In
six years, the Comrade Oshiomholeadministration
has done what two successive PDP governments could not do in 10 years while in power in the state.
Every aspect of governance has been affected
positively.

The present administration has constructed,
reconstructed and rehabilitated more than 50 inter
and intra-city roads most of them complete with
covered side drains, walkways and street lights;
primary and secondary schools have been
reconstructed and furnished; healthcare centres have been built and renovated; 100 new buses
have been acquired and running; thousands of
youths have been employed.

The woeful failure of the PDP 0at the 2012
governorship and 2013 local government council
elections must be seen as punishment for its
misrule of the past.what two successive PDP
governments could not do in 10 years while in
power in the state. Every aspect of governance has been affected positively. The present administration
has constructed, reconstructed and rehabilitated
more than 50 inter and intra-city roads most of
them complete with covered side drains, walkways
and street lights; primary and secondary schools
have been reconstructed and furnished; healthcare centres have been built and renovated; 100 new
buses have been acquired and running; thousands
of youths have been employed.

The woeful failure of the PDP at the 2012
governorship and 2013 local government council
elections must be seen as punishment for its
misrule of the past.

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