On Tuesday, after meeting with President Buhari in Abuja, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, announced his resignation from the ruling APC, he did not state his new party, but the governor made it clear that he would be seeking reelection.
Given the fact that the Nigerian Constitution did not give room for an independent candidate, it is certain that Obaseki will pitch his tent with another Party. The consensus among political players is that the governor will most likely become a member of the opposition PDP.
Indeed, Obaseki has made obvious moves to the leaders of the PDP after it became clear that he will not get the chance to become the flagbearer of the APC in the Guber election later this year. However, the soundbite from the PDP will not please the governor, he has been told, quite publicly, that he will not be granted an automatic ticket to contest.
Also, some members of the Party believe Obaseki, despite being a governor, will not be an electoral asset in Edo State hence the lack of enthusiasm over his defection.
The PDP and APC are the biggest parties in Nigeria, but it is on record that elections have been won in the country by candidates not represented on both platforms, a good example is APGA which since its formation has always controlled at least one state in the South Eastern parts of Nigeria.
But decamping to APGA will not help Obaseki as the party is viewed mostly as an Igbo party by most Nigerians that are not of that ethnic extraction, however, the Labour Party is another platform that has enjoyed some measure of success in the polls, former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, was elected on that platform in his first term.
Though not as large as the APC and the PDP, the Labour Party has always been viewed as a formidable outside choice for a politician looking to branch out of the established order.
To this end, should governor Obaseki look to take the fight to his former allies in the APC by pitching his tent with the PDP, or should he use his relative advantage as a sitting governor to break out of the established order and fly the flag of another party like the Labour Party, for instance, in the governorship elections?
Let us have your views in the comment section.
Drop a Comment 📩
Say hi to 08124323608 join us on WhatsApp
Posts
0 Comments