2015: Lamai Leads Other Aspirants For Edo North

Few months to the conduct of the February, 2015 General Elections in the country, aspirants with various political interest are already charging the political atmosphere with various political activities. While some are still consulting with relevant stakeholders, others are already holding nocturnal meetings trying to chore-up their support base ahead of the polls.

In the same vein, some are still scheming and counter scheming for one elective post or the other. But, one state that is drawing national attention is Edo State. It is drawing attention because it's the home state of the Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, the performing Minister of Works who is also among the face of the Jonathan's Transformation Agenda, Architect Mike Onolememen among others.

Edo North Senatorial District which is also catching attention is the home of former Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, the current state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Osi Orbih and the State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Be that as it may be, various candidates are already showing interest to contest the Edo North Senatorial District Election next year. They are; Francis Alimhikhena, Domingo Obende, Julius Ihonvbere, Abubakar Momoh, Chief Richard Oshiokhai Lamai and Pascal Ugbome. Among these aspirants, three are from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), while the remaining three are from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Those contesting on the platform of APC are the outgoing Senator Domingo Obende, Mr. Francis Alimhikhena and Professor Julius Ihonvbere, while those contesting on the platform of the PDP are; the National Coordinator of PDP Project Reloaded, Chief Richard Lamai, Mr. Pascal Ugbome and Mr. Abubakar Momoh who defected from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Francis Alimhikhena is a retired military officer. The electorates say he is in the race for the third time. He has vied for the post before on the platform of the PDP but was unsuccessful at the primary election. This time, he is a force to reckon with in the coming APC Senatorial Primaries because of the wealth of experience he is bringing in to the race. Outside the experience, some of the voters interviewed said he has structures on ground that would deliver the APC ticket to him. But, critics say he does not have the needed war chest to execute the campaigns to the latter. They also raise eyebrow about his democratic ability, saying as a retired military officer, he lacks some of the basic ethos of democracy in modern times.

Senator Domingo Obende is currently the Senator representing the zone in the National Assembly. He is in the field again campaigning for re-election next year. Some of his scorecards include the sponsoring of some Christian and Muslim faithful to pilgrims, organising skills acquisition training programmes for his people, digging of boreholes and provision of hand pumps for his constituent. The achievement he most brandishes before his audience is the sponsoring of the bill prohibiting same sex marriage in Nigeria which is now law.

However, critics are of the opinion that most of the achievements he lay claims to are found within his Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, one of the six L.G.A's that make up Edo North Senatorial District. They complain that he is inaccessible and as a result, they are expressing unwillingness to support him for a second term. Some however questioned the qualities of the projects executed by his contractors. While some hardliners accuse of him of only keying in to popular sentiments expressed by Nigerians against same sex marriage, others says that the Senator melted away when his service was most needed during the 2014 floods which ravaged some parts of the Edo North Senatorial District which he represents especially Akoko Edo. Besides, he has other formidable contestants in the APC to contend with.

Julius Ihonvbere is currently the Secretary to Edo State Government. He also served as a Special Adviser on Project Monitoring and Evaluation to former President Olusengun Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007. He was also an activist during his school days, where he was actively involved in student's unionism. The politician from Owan was once a lecturer in the tertiary institution and is currently vying for Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However critics say he is a two-face Janus politician with penchant for cross carpeting. They say, he was in the PDP before, but, when he could not clinch the PDP gubernatorial ticket to contest against Governor Adam Oshiomhole in the 2012 gubernatorial election held in the state, he defected to then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now APC. He does not enjoythe home support of his people in Owan Local Government, because they are complaining of not benefiting anything from him since he has been in government. They say there are many potholes on the road to his village. A middle aged man from the community says, apart from his inability to attract social amenities to them, he has never assisted anybody outside his immediate family to secure gainful employment both at the Federal and the state level. Besides, he has Senator Domingo Obende and Mr. Francis Alimhikhena to confront.

Abubakar Momoh is an engineer and he is currently representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. His political progression is largely due to luck. First, he became a Supervisory Councillor from where he later became a substantive Councillor. Thereafter, he became the Chairman of his Etsako East Local Government; from there he served two terms of 8 years at the state House of Assembly. From there, he was elected in to the House of Representatives in 2003. The luck mystery around him was however demystified in 2007 when Hon., Abasi Braimah defeated him and stopped his re-election. When Adams Oshiomhole became governor of the state through the instrumentality of the judiciary, he defected to the defunct ACN, now APC where he relied on power of incumbency to get elected in to the House of Representatives. Now, he is contesting for Senate on the platform of the PDP. From every indication, he is only banking on luck because he has no

structure in the PDP that will deliver the party's ticket to him, this is because the people he left forlorn when they needed him are not ready to dash him their votes. Also, Stakeholders from the area are accusing him of playing divisive ethnic politics. They say the most annoying aspect is the fact that his performance in the National Assembly is below expectation. A part from that, party leaders in the zone have already zoned the Senatorial seat to Etsako Central whereas he is from Etsako East.

Besides that, opinion leaders in the zone are not happy with him because of the way he treated Hon. Abasi Braimah when he defeated him in 2007. They said, he strangulated the tenor of Braimah in the House through a long-drawn legal battle. Though, he has defected to the PDP from the APC, but party leaders still believe that his spirit is still in the APC where he was a staunch and card carrying member.Since party leaders have decided to stick to the zoning arrangement which has zoned the position to Etsako Central, the only L.G.A, that have never produced any representation in the National Assembly since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 199, he is technically out of the game.

Chief Richard Lamai is the National Coordinator of PDP Project Reloaded, a foremost socio-political organisation approved and endorsed by the National Secretariat of the PDP for the purpose of showcasing, promoting and defending the PDP-led Federal Government as well as the President Good Luck Jonathan's Transformation Agenda. He is also a protégé of an influential elder statesman, High Chief Edwin Clark. Besides that, he is a member of the Congress for Equality and Change. In fact, outside politics where he is a member of the prestigious South-South Elders and Leaders Forum (SSELF), founding member of the very respected South-South People's Assembly (SSPA), the mother of the current South-South Presidency, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Niger Project, Co-convener of the famous Door to Door Project, one of the leading socio-political organisations that spearheaded the Good Luck/Sambo Presidential Campaign in the 2011 Presidential Election,

Board member of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre and Associate, Chattered Institute of Local Government Administration, he is also a businessman with diverse interest in tourism and hospitality, oil and gas, property development among other sectors of the national economy.“Emike Foundation” is the Non Governmental Organisation through which he renders his philanthropic services. The foundation is a social security safety net that is involved in charity works and the economic empowerment of the less privileged. The work of the organisation include but not limited to the provision of interest free loan schemes, rural electrification projects, school building and renovation projects, water projects, scholarship awards and medic treatments schemes for the poor just to mention but a few.

However, given the amount time he devotes to President Jonathan's cause and his re-election bid, critics are of the opinion that it may slightly affect him. But they are quick to point out that the zoning arrangement favours him because he is from Etsako Central Local Government Area where the party has zoned the position to.

Nevertheless, the general feeling of the people is that, this son of late Senator Ekpemoriri A. Lamai must have learnt enough from his late father which has shaped his world view and that made him to throw his hat in to the Senatorial race.

One remarkable factor that keeps working in his favour is his humility and accessibility. Those interviewed are of the opinion that, though, he is from aristocratic family, but he has never allowed that to influence his relationship with people. This is why those very close to him call him Senator of the people.

Similarly, one of his supporters interviewed said: “A part from running a charity organisation, businesses he has interests in are among the biggest employer of labour. This is why he won the Betty Harrison Gold Medal Award as the Best Minority Business Employer.” The general believe of the people is that, being a member of the inner caucus of President Jonathan's Government which made the President to describe him as the “Youngest Elder”, he would use his influence as well as connections to attract federal presence and federal appointments to the people. In spite of all these, those interviewed said they are rooting for him because he is a man who knows how to translate dreams to realities.

Pascal Ugbome is a politician, a lawyer, a friend and business associate of Chief Richard Lamai when they both lived in Lagos. He is the former chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Council between 2004 and 2007. Before then, he was an elected member of the Edo State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003, where he represented Etsako Central.

However, critics say he was the only local government chairman that was not returned during the era of former governor Lucy Igbinedion as a result of non-performance and unfulfilled promises. Those interviewed said he can't readily point to any achievement to his credit during his tenor as chairman. They say he is stingy and has no discernible loyalty to persons or causes. He lacks requisite national connection needed for negotiation at the National Assembly. He does not have the required war chest to drive his campaigns. While some described him as a local politician without national exposure and contacts, others say his greatest weakness is contacts and mobilisation.

Written by Comrade Edwin Uhara
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