The Source Magazine Online

...News from the depth, rooted in time

		Search Fo r
		Search Fo r

HOME

ARCHIVES

SUBSCRIPTION

ADVERT RATES

ABOUT US

APRIL 9, 2007 VOL. 20. NO 26

A Curious Substitution

**President Olusegun Obasanjo**

Ijaws in Edo State dare President Olusegun Obasanjo, over the alleged substitution of a House of Representatives candidate in Ovia federal constituency
By Walid Ogunseri, Benin City
Ijaws in two local government areas of Edo State may have resolved to dare President Olusegun Obasanjo over an alleged stolen mandate belonging to the Deputy Leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Peter Ekhator, which was purportedly given to West Idahosa, a serving member of the House of Representatives as the PDP Candidate for Ovia Federal Constituency for the third term.
This is coming on the heels of reports of an alleged substitution of Ekhator as the PDP House of Representatives candidate representing Ovia Federal Constituency by President Obasanjo, allegedly as compensation for Idahosa’s support for the botched Third term project of the president.
The resolve by the Ijaw people to boycott the forthcoming elections in the two Ovia Local Governments until Ekhator’s mandate is returned, is hinged on their contention that the Ijaws have voted for West -Idahosa twice to the House of Representatives, but did not vote for him during last December’s primaries to represent their interest as PDP candidate in forthcoming elections.
According to Prince Barbs Preye Pawuru, spokeman of Edo State Ijaw Communities Development Association, “West Idahosa is supposed to represent the Niger-Delta area of Edo State in the House of Representatives, but he has not represented us well,” pointing out that he could not impress it on the National Assembly that the area he represents is the Niger Delta area of Edo State.
Continuing, Pawuru said, “No wonder President Obasanjo does not know of the existence of Gele-Gele, an oil producing community and proposed seaport in Edo State,” contending that because Idahosa has not represented the Ijaw people well, that was why they voted for Ekhator instead.
Pawuru warned: “PDP should not come to the Ijaw area to present Hon. West Idahosa. The mandate should be given back to Hon. Peter Ekhator. It is either Hon. Peter Ekhato or no House of Representatives election in the Ijaw area of Ovia North East and Ovia South-West.”
The PDP in an attempt to hold onto power in Edo State recently submitted a fresh list of substituted candidates for the Edo State House of Assembly to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state for verification.
The candidates are Amawu Osaigbovo Jacob (Uhunmwonde) replaced by Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie; Sunday Iyamu (Orhiomwon II), replaced with Moses Egherevba, Ese Arhunmwonde (Ovia-North East II) replaced by Edoba Akpitanyi and Murphy Omoruyi (Egor) replaced by Osagie Oshodin.
The Source gathered that the PDP decided to substitute these candidates because in its calculation, most of them were said to lack the political experience and financial muscle required for the contest particularly with the growing influence of the opposition and the threat which the Action Congress (AC) poses.
But what is particularly worrisome to political analysts is the way and manner the party’s leadership brought these candidates through the back -door as some of them were not even aspirants in the party primaries. For instance, Omo Egherevba did not even obtain the party form, neither was he an aspirant, but today he is to fly the party’s flag for the April general elections. Also, Idahosa, the incumbent House of Representatives member representing Ovia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Abuja, has been drafted into the race to replace Ekhator, presently the deputy house leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, in a manner that is still causing serious ripples in the two Ovia Local Government and among PDP leaders in the state.
The Source’s findings further revealed that although three aspirants, namely Ekhator, and Idahosa, two-time member of the House of Representatives and Mrs. Lucy Omagbon, a former commissioner in Governor Igbinedion’s administration actually indicated their interest to represent Ovia people at the lower house of the National Assembly as it were, however, only Ekhator showed up for the December primary, which was held at Okada and he was promptly declared the party’s candidate for the forthcoming elections.
The Source’s checks also reveal that Idahosa and Omagbon were conspicuously absent at the primaries. It was gathered that Ekhator’s candidature was duly screened and cleared by INEC but a source stated that it was while he was in the early stages of his electioneering campaigns that order came from Abuja directing that his candidature be annulled and given to Idahosa.
It was learnt that Idahosa was said to have invested huge sums of money to secure the party’s ticket during the last December’s party primary, pointing out that it was when it became clear that the elders, party leaders, especially Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia and Chief Tony Anenih were not disposed to his return that he went to Abuja to invoke the third term agreement that was said to have existed between the President and proponents of the botched third term project.
Under that agreement, the President was believed to have vowed to ensure the re-election of all those who supported the project.
Idahosa’s protest, sources said, did not go down well with the president, who was alleged to have briefed the leadership of the party in Abuja on the need to substitute Ekhator’s name with Idahosa as PDP House of Representatives candidate representing Ovia Federal Constituency.
The Source gathered that back home, earlier attempts by leaders of Edo South senatorial district of the party led by Ogbemudia to substitute names of already cleared candidates like Ekhator met a stiff resistance as angry youths stormed the venue of the meeting to abort their sinister plans.
The Source’s investigations reveal that trouble broke out when Dr. Ogbemudia allegedly announced replacements for cleared candidates including Ekhator a generally accepted grassroot politician.
It was learnt that while the meeting was yet to start, the youths numbering over 500 trooped into the venue and their actions brought the meeting to an abrupt end.
The chairman of Edo South senatorial district of the PDP and Vice Chairman of the party in Edo State, Sunny Uyigue was not happy over the said substitution of Ekhator with Idahosa and was of the view that Idahosa may have hoodwinked the leadership of the party in the State by the purported presidential endorsement and so stood his ground that Ekhator must be allowed to fly the party’s ticket since he won primaries convincingly.
With the crisis enveloping the controversial mandate, Uyigue suddenly put up an advertorial in the Vanguard newspaper, reaffirming Ekhator as the only person to fly the party ticket for Ovia federal constituency.
In the said advert, over 60 leaders of Ovia South west and Ovia North east led by Uyigue signed, but leaders like Ogbemudia dismissed it as a mere bluff.
On the day the PDP held its rally at Okada, the youths carried placards chantting songs all over the place and calling for the restoration of Ekhator’s mandate.
It was further learnt that PDP Ovia North east Chapter has resolved to reject the candidacy of Idahosa. The reason being that Idahosa should not reap where he did not sow. They have, therefore, resolved to resist his endorsement including boycotting all party activities.
When contacted, Ekhator said that he has a stake in the struggle, adding that the people would decide in as much as they have voted for a representative at the primaries.
Ekhator stated that he will not take any violent step, pointing out that the war is still on. According to him, “ we have objected to that and the two local government areas are saying they will not vote unless this mandate is given back to me”.
He explained that the problem is political and so would be solved politically. “The people should decide who will represent them”, he said adding that it is very wrong for someone to sit in one place and decide who will represent a particular place without the people having a say regarding who is to represent them”.
Speaking on the conduct of the leaders of the party, Ekhator said they believe too that they are obeying order but whether that order is genuine or not is what he doesn’t know.
Several attempts made by The Source to get the views of Idahosa on the alleged substitution proved abortive as he was said to have gone out for electioneering campaign.