GUBER ELECTIONS SHIFT ATTENTION TO SOUTH-SOUTH IN 2012

By NBF News

By Jimitota Onoyume
POLITICAL attention will focus on three states in the Niger Delta region in 2012 because of the governorship election slated for Bayelsa, Edo and Cross Rivers states. Already, tension is mounting in these states. In Bayelsa and Cross Rivers states, more of the battle to clinch the number one seat have been revolving around key players within the ruling Peoples Democratic party.

It is a different ball game in Edo state where governor Adams Oshiomole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN is to slog it out with the Peoples Democratic Party and a coalition of some other parties operating under the aegis of Coalition of Progressive Political Parties.

The parties in the coalition are the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Peoples Progressive Party, PPP, Labour Party, LP, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. Chairman, Citizens Popular Party in Edo state, Prince Roy Orhihonwo Uwagboi also indicated the interest of his party to join the coalition.

Interestingly, all parties in the governorship race in Edo state have seemingly agreed that the election would not be a do or die affair but rather campaigns should be issue based.

On its part, the coalition had its rally weekend at Oba Akenzua hall in Benin City where its governorship aspirants and other leaders of the coalition took turns to explain to the mammoth crowd why there should be a change in the political leadership of the state.

Chief Solomon Edebiri, one of the aspirants decried the absence of industries in the state to address the mountain of youth unemployment in the area. He said it was worrisome that even Edo line that was an employer of labour in the state was recently shut down by the government.

South South leaders
He said in the past, Benin was noted among other things for its contribution in the agric sector of national life but that rice farms and other areas that gave it this pride were no longer being encouraged.

Some of the moribund companies he listed were Okpela cement factory, Agbede wareke farm, Edo line, Urhonigbe rubber factory, etc. He also accused the government of over taxation . He assured that when he comes on board, he would tackle most of the problems plaguing the ancient city.

A former Chief of Staff during the reign of deposed governor Oserheimen Osunbor, Hon Isaiah Osifo, who is Secretary of the coalition said the government of Adams Oshiomhole had long disconnected with the people of the state.

He said the governor was busy pursuing beautification programmes leaving out empowerment of farmers and other key sectors of the economy. He also spoke on what he termed collapse of security in the state,saying a government that would guarantee security of lives and properties should be encouraged to come on board.

On his part, Chairman, Citizens Popular party, Prince Roy Orhihonwo Uwaigboi said it was regrettable that as labour leader, Oshiomole resisted hike in the pump price of petroleum product but shockingly, he was among those drumming support for the removal of fuel subsidy, a development he viewed as a radical disconnect from the people.

Chairman of the rally, Barrister Lawson Osagie and the National Coordinator Akoko Edo Progressives, Mr Agbaje Adeoye in their separate comments called for a stronger bond among members of the coalition just as they assured their unalloyed support for it.

Earlier in his remark, Chairman of the Coalition, Comrade Godwin Erhahon said more parties had shown interest to join the coalition. He accused the government of not being transparent. Continuing, he said he was shocked when he read in the papers that the governor supported removal of subsidy, describing it as the height of betrayal.

Erhahon said the governor had been exploring all means to engineer a crack within the rank of the coalition but they had always resisted every move. He enjoined the people of the state to rally round Solomon Edebiri.

Meantime, governor Oshiomhole at an event in Benin city where he declared his intention for a second term on the same day of the rally and on the platform of his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, dismissed allegations levelled against his administration by opponents.