By Gidigba Group
All is not well in the camp of Edo APC as members are currently at daggers drawn over the Edo South Senatorial situation—members of the Party has descented to a full scale 'war' since its Chairman, Jarret Tenebe disclosed in a recent interview that the Party will not honour "a serial election loser" with its Senatorial ticket.
Whereas the Party has not officially commented on the development, many APC members in Edo has however, condemned the action of their Party Chairman, calling his statement reckless and uncouth.
Although Tenebe didn't mention a particular name, political watchers however believe he may have refereed to a frontline Senatorial aspirant of the APC extraction, Pst. Osagie Ize-Iyamu—POI as he is popularly called, in brief political retrospect, contested Edo governorship in 2016 under the PDP, again in 2020, he contested under the APC, and then in 2024, he stepped down unceremoniously for Monday Okpebholo, still under the APC.
In all of these consecutive contests, the former governorship candidate and aspirant hasn't record any victory whatsoever—reason many may have concluded he was the subject of Tenebe's discussion.
Although many have come to Ize-Iyamu's defense that electoral victory is not a true test of one's political machinery—they believe the 2027 Senatorial is Ize-Iyamu's entitlement and the APC MUST gift him the ticket.
There is now a 'bloody' division within the APC in Edo State as members are largely divided over whom should be the Party's eventual candidate for the Edo South Senatorial district election.
While some are of the opinion that Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama deserves the ticket considering his proximity with Nyesom Wike, others think Ize-Iyamu is the man for the ticket having contested and lost elections severally; a handful however believe current Senator Neda Imasuen should get the ticket, despite his unprecedented failure since the last three years.
Neda Imasuen has however assured his small circle of supporters that he will get the ticket—perhaps banking on his close ties with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, he has told his supporters "no cause for alarm", even as they watch their counterparts draw 'blood'.
And as tension continue to grip supporters of various camps, the Party has declared no automatic ticket, except for only Adams Oshimhole, that every other aspirants will grace the field to test popularity—political watchers however believe that the Edo South Senatorial is a major factor that will determine the survival of the APC considering the desperation and war of words associated with the situation.
The question is what will Ize-Iyamu and his supporters do in the event he fails to secure the Senatorial ticket?
Would the governor renege on his reported promise to Wike to bestow Ogbeide-Ihama the ticket?
Would Neda Imasuen—a serving Senator watch with hands akimbo as the ticket slips off his hands despite his ties with Senate President?
However it plays out, it is said that the Edo South Senatorial ticket will puncture the APC in no small measure; that while Osagie Ize-Iyamu will be banking on his political capital, Ogbeide-Ihama looks to Wike to muscle Okpebholo to secure ticket, as Neda Imasuen will be banking on incumbency power and closeness to Senate President to fly.
And as Tenebe continue to grace interviews, disparaging aspirants, many APC members believe his statements are uncouth and antithetical to the progress of the Party in Edo, and that the Edo South senatorial ticket, if not properly administered, is one tool that will tear the APC deeply apart, cause division, disenchantment, hate and war amongst its members as we already see.
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