A well respected former governor in his old age is
making a bold effort to galvanise popular
movement to choose a successor to another
popular governor. Will it work?
It perhaps could be the last political standoff for
the popular former two-time governor, General
Samuel Ogbemudia.
With a reputation that still soars especially among
the elderly, the former military governor of the
former Midwest region and executive governor of
the equally defunct Bendel State is banking on
projecting a legacy that could sustain his native
Edo State in top ranking in all fields.

The stage for Ogbemudia’s coming political
exposure is the coming Edo State governorship
contest.
Ogbemudia’s concern is understandable given his
unwavering support of the outgoing governor
whose legacy he told Vanguard in an interview
should not be allowed to go to a wrong hand.
In a tone laced with irony for a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Ogbemudia had told Vanguard that
he would have supported the All Progressives
Congress, APC’s Adams Oshiomhole for a third
term if constitutional limitations had allowed for
such.
“If it were possible for a governor to get third
term, nobody would have bothered to look for
another person else, but because of constitutional
provision, we will have to look for someone that
will take over from him and continue where he
left and that means that all Edo people must
speak with one voice,” Ogbemudia had said.
With a third term for Oshiomole not in the cards,
Ogbemudia and some associates from across the
state are from tomorrow formally commencing
the search for a successor to the outgoing
governor with the launch of the Edo Mass
Movement, EMM. The EMM is a body that is being
promoted principally with the good name of the
former governor.
With structures around the state, the body
according to a working document obtained by
Vanguard intends to “be largely politically active
but lean not to any partisan sentiments.”
The body would, however, shed itself of its non-
partisan posture “when a person with a proven
track record of achievement aspires for political
office and he or she is able to command the
support of the Movement as to necessitate a
direct intervention to get him or her elected or
appointed as the case may be.”
Ahead of the formal launch of the body,
Ogbemudia has made consultations with major
stakeholders across the state and reportedly with
the outgoing governor on the issue.

Though the EMM is being projected as a non-
partisan platform to realise the best interests of
the Edo man after Oshiomole’s exit, many in
Ogbemudia’s own party, the PDP are not just only
uncomfortable with it, but hostile towards the
venture. They see it as a platform to consolidate
what they perceive as the illicit political
relationship between Ogbemudia and Oshiomole.
Ahead of the launch, a number of PDP chieftains
including serving and former officers of the party
claimed ignorance. Even the highest elected
political office holder from Ogbemudia’s Edo
South Senatorial District, Senator Matthew
Uroghide claimed ignorance of the launch
yesterday.
“I am not aware, I have not been informed,” the
senator said.
The seeming exclusion of the PDP from
Ogbemudia’s binoculars is reflected in the fact
that PDP leaders across the state are this
weekend involved in high-level meetings across
the three senatorial districts paying scant
attention to tomorrow’s launch.
Even within the APC itself, there is concern
among the top leadership of the project. Governor
Oshiomhole, authoritative sources told Vanguard,
was so concerned about the formal launch that
he immediately visited Ogbemudia to express his
concern about the idea of a top PDP man
searching for his successor.
The governor’s anxiety could be traceable to
suggestions that some of the prospective 2016
governorship aspirants could try to use the good
name and heritage of Governor Ogbemudia to
position themselves.
Among the leading aspirants in the APC Kenneth
Imansuagbon whose philanthropic gestures of
periodic distribution of rice among others have
won him the sobriquet, the rice man, Osarodion
Ogie, a trusted ally of the governor, Chris
Ogiewonyi, a former minister, the incumbent
deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, the immediate
past governor, Senator Osehrienmen Osunbor
and the immediate past PDP governorship
candidate, Charles Airhiavbere.
Likely contestants
In the PDP, among those who are being looked
upon to contest is Senator Ehigie Uzamere who
recently voluntarily vacated his Senate seat after
setting the record of being the first senator from
Edo South to serve two terms, Pastor Osagie Ize-
Iyamu whose ambition was recently covertly
endorsed by former Governor Lucky Igbinedion,
Chief Solomon Edebiri, and Matthew
Iduoriyekemwen, a former commissioner in the
Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Reflective of the seeming political neutrality of the
EMM, the third most dominant political party in
Edo State, the Social Democratic Party, SDP
recently offered to collaborate with the EMM in its
desire. To what extent such a collaboration would
go is, however, not known.
However, a medical doctor who is himself actively
involved in the mobilisation for the EMM was
dismissal of the suggestions that any one of the
known aspirants could hijack the movement for
his own ends.
Sources within the body claim that the EMM
could end up with a dark horse outside of the
known names that are presently in the
imagination of the electorate. Those working on
this theory believe that such a candidate would
bring his present qualification and capacities to
ride on the good name of Ogbemudia.
Nonetheless, ahead of tomorrow’s launch, a
number of the leading political players in the
state even if they put down Ogbemudia’s political
capacities are would be on the look out to
measure the success or otherwise of the launch.
How it comes out would be decisive for them.

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