Ahead of the July 14, 2012 governorship election in Edo State, the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, appears set to benefit from the disquiet in the ranks of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
Oshiomhole, who will be seeking a second term mandate on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, has commenced paying private visits to some of the aggrieved aspirants of the PDP that lost in the primaries of the party held on Saturday.
Sources said that the Edo State governor has visited at least two of the PDP aspirants.
In the primaries of the PDP held on Saturday, a retired Army general, Charles Airihiavbere, emerged as the party’s candidate.
However, the four other contestants for the ticket of the party have expressed displeasure about the process that produced Airihiavbere.
Airhiavbere polled 403 votes to beat four other aspirants.
The defeated aspirants were Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon (178 votes); former governor, Prof. Oseriehmen Osunbor (22 votes); Matthew Iduoriyekemwen (94 votes); and former Special Adviser on Project Monitoring to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who polled 24 votes.
Even before the end of the proccedings at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, where the primaries was held, three of the aspirants had walked out.
Oshiomhole, in what some have described as a deft political move, paid a private visit to Imasuagbon in his residence on Aiguobasimi Crescent, Benin City, in company with the state Chairman of the ACN, Mr. Thomas Okosun.
The governor was reported to have driven himself in a black BMW Jeep with registration number AH 798 AGD.
He was dressed in his traditional white French suit Khaki.
He reportedly spent about 40 minutes in a private discussion with the embittered Imasuagbon.
Oshiomhole was seen hugging Imasuagbon shortly before driving out.
On sighting newsmen, Oshiomhole said: “You did not see me, I did not see you.”
Imasuagbon, speaking on the visit of the governor, said it was a private one to his family and that the it had nothing to do with his joining the ACN, adding: “We are taking legal action to stop him (Airihiavbere).”
His grouse was that the retired army General was not ‘fit’ to contest any public office based on the circumstances surrounding his retirement from the Nigeria Army as Director of Finance.
Iduoriyekemwen’s Campaign Director, Jarret Tenebe, also hinted that they were contemplating legal action.
Tenebe said in a telephone interview: “The processes contravened the party’s constitution. We are not satisfied.
“We are weighing the options and what our next move will be.
“In a matter of days, we’ll take a firm position.”