Nigeria Decides: Why No Candidate Comes Close To Oshiomhole’s Match In Edo North Senatorial Contest

Nigeria Decides: Why No Candidate Comes Close To Oshiomhole’s Match In Edo North Senatorial Contest

Underdogs, veterans, favourites, and other terms like these are frequently used to describe participants in certain sporting events or competitions.

There are some fighters who are viewed as a god with a small g in some clash of the titans-style Roman battles, and they are unbeatable not because the judges are on their side or the crowd is chanting their names, but rather because of their antecedents.

Troy, for instance, faced no opposition; if he challenges you, think of it as your last day on earth.He was regarded as a god with a small letter g. His rivals and their supporters are well aware that they would never stand a chance against him in a contest.

They are more than veterans and favourites; they have never lost a battle. Because they have paid their dues—for instance, the training these people go through is not intended for mortals, so how can they lose—they are supreme on the battlefield.

When it comes to the senatorial race for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole perfectly embodies this description. Oshiomhole resembles a god with a small letter g, and this is due to the fact that he has paid his dues.

Some would say Oshiomhole was humiliated in the previous Edo gubernatorial election, and I would laugh at their ignorance; was Adams on the ballot? He was never humiliated because, despite the fact that their son Philip Shaibu was running on a joint ticket with Obaseki, he delivered Edo North to the APC.

Even the percentage of victory recorded by Obaseki was not different from what he used in emerging in his first term aided by Oshiomhole, Obaseki as a sitting Governor was never an underdog in that battle because he not only had the war chest, but he went to a party, the PDP, which had enormous structure across the state.

Therefore, Obaseki’s campaign for reelection wasn’t particularly impressive.  Oshiomhole still holds the title belt of undisputed champion in Edo State politics, as evidenced by his victory in his reelection bid for a second term, which he won with a score of 18 out of 18 across the LGA’s.

Look at the sorry state Obaseki has left the PDP in the state. With only a few weeks until the election, they are polarised with two factional candidates. What kind of morale boost are they sending down to their party members? Nothing but treachery and distrust among themselves is being taught to them.

A look at the current senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Sen Francis Alimikhena, who has spent eight years in the current position, is at best appalling.

His representation is seen as a huge failure that has not brought a single development to Edo North despite the huge constituency allowance in his care consistently over the years.

His membership in various committees has not resulted in a single job opportunity for his constituents, and his lack of interest in infrastructure development has earned him the moniker Senator Obioma, owing to his fondness for purchasing a few sewing machines for a few widows and thereby  converting them into mobile tailors.

Worse, the senator can hardly express himself and speak up for his constituencts and thus a hold back to national debates at the Red Chambers.

The senator’s service is itself a step backward that the good people of Edo North would not want repeated for the following four years. It appears that his protracted stay at the NASS has been motivated by a lack of alternatives.

Without a doubt, Oshiomhole’s arrival has rendered his quest for a third term impossible, because, as they say with 7up, the difference is clear.

Oshiomhole is a creative thinker, persuasive speaker, and well-known performer. In the unlikely event that Alimikhena even secures the PDP nomination, his chances of defeating Oshiomhole are one in a hundred.

Oshiomhole’s performance as governor of Edo State is still unmatched to this day, and his personal touch with his people in Edo North has tactically knocked out any aspirant in the race, regardless of political party affiliation.

Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the Chairman and CEO of Bush Radio Academy.

Source iReporteronline.