Barely two weeks to the governorship election in Edo state, the people of the state are yet to know the direction the pendulum will swing as regards who will win the election between the two major Contenders - Pastor Ize Iyamu of All Progressives Congress(APC) and his Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) counterpart and incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki as both are strong enough to occupy the state's number one seat on account of the numerical strength of their followers across the states which keeps a lot of political pundits in suspense as to what's likely to be the outcome of the talk of the town guber race going by the controversies that preeded the nominations of both candidates in their respectives political parties.
However, some political analysts are of the opinion that the election is most likely to be the toughest in the history of governorship elections that had ever held in Nigeria since 1999 when the country returned to civil rule as eruption of violence has become inevitable between the camps of the two political gladiators, and with APC's Iyamu having the backing of the former governor and national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomole, the battle is surely going to be tough for Governor Obaseki. And in the process, the supporters of the two arch political rivals may engage each other in free for all which if not handled properly by the security operatives in the state may truncate the poll come Saturday, September 19, 2020 as many lives and property are likely to go for it.
One of the political pundits from the state, John Osas revealed to The Message International that fear has gripped most of the people of Edo state and the traditional rulers now on account of the desperation being exhibited by the two popular candidates in the struggle for the exalted seat.
"The truth is that there's surely going to be bloodshed in the coming election in Edo state. If you had noticed since the campaign started, there have been serious campaigns of calomny and vendetta, especially between the camps of Obaseki and Ize Iyamu leading to violence on many occasions to the extent that it attracted the attention of the topmost monarch in the state, Oba of Benin, who later appealed to the two warriors to sheathe their swords in the interest of sons and daughters of Edo state they're willing to govern.
"And we're all aware of the fact that they have both swapped parties, and each of them has built formidable structures in their former parties. And no doubt, their addicted supporters would have followed them to their new parties. So, it's not certain yet whether what happened in 2016 will be repeated or Iyamu will avenge and send Obaseki packing from Edo government house. But, what is certain is that the battle is not going to be a child's play unless there's last minute God's intervention."
However, with the situation on ground now, the election may resort to do or die as predicted because the two political parties have almost equal weights. Any of them that eventually wins won't be that marginal.
Also, the former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole's factor will surely prove a point in the election because he's still being recognized by the majority of the residents of the state as a political godfather whether anybody likes it or not. And since he was the same person who produced Obaseki in 2016 before things fell apart between the duo, and centre refused to hold till date, and knowing surely he would, no doubt, be relegated to the background politically in the state should he not succeed in his bid to wrestle power from Obaseki and hand it to his present godson, Ize Iyamu, he will surely prefer to fight with the last drop of his blood to losing to his avowed enemy, Obaseki who prompted his removal from the national chair of the party before the latter defected to PDP on the platform of which he's now recontesting.
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