Horse-trading as Urhoghide joins Edo governorship race

Senator Matthew Urhoghide who represented Edo South South Senatorial District of Edo State, has declared his intention to run for the 2024 Edo governorship election.

Urhoghide made his intention known on Tuesday at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Benin City, the State Capital.

The two-term Senator announced his resignation of his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Senate on May 31, 2023, amid horse-trading.

The governorship aspirant who is yet to disclose the political party he will run during the briefing, held the Senate Committee chairman on Public. accounts twice in the red Chamber.

Urhoghide occupied the Senatorial seat on PDP platform between 2019-2023, and hails from the same Oredo Local Government Area in the same Senatorial District the incumbent Governor of the State, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

Last year, Senator Urhoghide had suffered a humiliating defeat during the 2023 Edo National Assembly Primary elections of PDP, which was won by the former Majority leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen who lost the general poll to the Candidate of Labour Party, Senator Nada Imasuen.

Recall that Governor Obaseki’s spokesman, Mr Crusoe Osagie who considered Urhoghide’s defection from PDP, took a swipe at him on African Independent Television (AIT) interview.

Mr Osagie said, “Urhoghide did two tenure at the Senate. I do not think that he does not have has too much to show for the time he spent in Senate where he spent eight years.

“These individuals — (Urhoghide, Imasuangbon and Emwanra) did not leave the party (PDP) because of their people, but for their own personal satisfaction. And that is one of the issues that the Governor consistently have with them.

Senator Urhoghide had plunged himself on the horn of dilemma when he said on Channels Television show tagged, “Politics Today”, that “The people from the legacy group are not happy with the Governor because they believe that he (Mr Godwin Obaseki) did not share power with them after he won the election. They are now holding me responsible”.