16th July, 2012
The Edo State 2012 governorship election has come and gone, leaving in its wake a landslide victory for Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Before the election, stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had boasted that the party and its candidate would defeat Oshiomhole. But the reverse was the case as Oshiomhole had the last laugh by roundly defeating both the political godson, Major-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd) candidate of PDP, and his political godfather, Chief Tony Anenih a.k.a. Mr. Fix It.
When the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC released the final results on Sunday, Oshiomhole won by a wide margin in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
He polled 477,478 votes or 73 per cent of the 647,698 votes cast.
His closest rival, General Airhiavbere polled 144, 235 votes. INEC had declared 630,099 votes valid and invalidated 17,599 votes. Other contestants polled a total of 8,386 votes. A total of 1,651,099 voters registered for the election.
Governor Oshiomhole took the fight to Airhiavbere by defeating him in his ward and other areas regarded as PDP stronghold, including those hitherto regarded as the political base of acclaimed godfather, Chief Anenih.
He won roundly in all the three Senatorial Districts: Edo North Senatorial District, (Oshiomhole’s base), Edo Central Senatorial District and Edo South Senatorial District. Over 50 per cent of the voters who are Bini had earlier endorsed Oshiomhole and rejected their kinsman, Airhiavbere. Their resolve reflected in the overall result as Oshiomhole swept the polls everywhere.
Addressing a large crowd who defied an early morning rain to attend a victory rally in Benin City on Sunday, Oshiomhole thanked them for turning out en masse to exercise their franchise, adding that the people have cooperated with him to send election riggers out of business in Edo state for good. The governor said the people have endorsed his programmes and his party, the ACN and promised to continue to develop the state. “I thank you for standing on your feet. We shall never go on our knees. Young ones, remember that this fight is for your tomorrow, your freedom and your right to choose those who govern you,” Oshiomhole told a jubilant crowd.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole and ACN’s victory has engendered confusion in the PDP camp. While their candidate, General Airhiavbere declined to congratulate the governor, Jonathan and the governors have sent in their messages. The President not only greeted Oshiomhole but also advised him to continue to develop the state and improve the lives of the people who through their votes have acknowledged his past work and now asked for more. In the same vein, while the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Matthew Urhoghide said in a statement that the party had accepted the result, PDP Chairman in Edo, Chief Dan Orbih told journalists that PDP had rejected the result.
National leader of ACN and former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while congratulating Oshiomhole, noted that the people of Edo state had spoken that they will never allow public mandate and their inalienable right to pick the leaders of their choice to be stolen.
—Moyo Fabiyi