Governor Godwin Obaseki’s political misfortunes continue to unfold as he embarrassingly lost his own backyard, Oredo Local Government Area, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent Edo State governorship election.
Yes, the same local government where Obaseki reigns supreme, or so we thought, has now flipped to the opposition. Clearly, even the people who should know him best have had enough.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wasted no time in delivering the verdict, announcing in Benin City, the state capital, that APC’s Senator Monday Okpebholo stormed to victory with 30,780 votes. Not that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, didn’t try, he scraped together 24,938 votes, but clearly, the people of Oredo weren’t buying what Obaseki’s party was selling.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata barely made a dent with just 5,389 votes. It seems the much-hyped “third force” couldn’t force its way into relevance, at least not in Oredo.
So, what does this all mean? For one, it’s a slap in the face for Obaseki, who has now been publicly snubbed by his own people. Maybe it’s a referendum on his governance, or perhaps a sign that the APC’s stronghold is growing stronger. Either way, losing your local government in an election is about as humiliating as it gets in Nigerian politics.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear, Obaseki is going to have a hard time explaining this one away. With the APC gaining ground in Edo State.
