Prof. Osunbor has selected Lucky Imasuen for the deputy governorship position under PDP.

I did not envy Prof. Osunbor during the process.It was a situation where strategic pacification played a role. The selection process was deliberate, analyzed in-depth, researched, and all inexpressively irrelevant data were considered.Yes, they were considered. Also considered were issues of competencies based on chances of winning the race. I had my leanings based on what I know of both of the final two candidates. For the interest of the people of Edo State, he must have applied a deviational mind and an exploratory approach to selecting Lucky Imasuen.

I tried numerous times to reach Prof. Osunbor during the process and failed. His line went unanswered.I ended up sending him a text message advising him to remain diligent in his selection for the interest of the people of Edo State. Regardless of how he reached his decision, I commend him.

Lucky Imasuen

I have only met him once. When Governor Lucky Igbinedion, during one of his private visit to California was at the Grand Sheraton in Sacramento, I called over to his hotel room at about 10:00 p.m. to speak with him briefly. Lucky Imasuen answered the phone and said the governor was sleeping. I remarked that it was the jetlag (Lucky Igbinedion later told me the next day that he flies a lot and was pretty much unaffected by jetlags). Mr. Imasuen was friendly, respectful in his tone and was welcoming in nature. That was my first conversation with him. I subsequently met Imasuen the next day and though I did not get to engage him as much as I would have liked due to the business of the event, I maintained a regard for him.

A long time resident of the United States, Imasuen ran under the ANPP as the governorship aspirant in Edo State in 1999. He was highly favored and was even

commended by the royal palace but lost to Lucky Igbinedion. He returned to the USA briefly and subsequently decamped to PDP after he lost the ANPP slot in 2003 to Senator Owie. He ended up in Lucky Igbinedion's cabinet. He is a risk taker and often willing to venture and had established successful independent businesses in the United States prior to his political career. I will seek his contact information and try to hold a discussion with him within the next few weeks.

Is Lucky Imasuen capable of the role and the framework designed to succeed as a deputy to Osunbor? I can't respond to this question. What I hope is that he doesn't function based solely on the law of reciprocity.The consensus based on skills is not clear at this point. What is clear is the pacification aspect. Several power players with vested interest were involved in the selection process. Reality is, Prof. Osunbor couldn't ignore these core group. As with politics in most developed countries, one must be wise in a making a selection that is embodied with a storehouse of connections to help win the actual race.Sometimes, skills and competencies alone can't do it. A concern of how the tag team can eventually overcome all rival battles for ultimate success matters much. Prof. Osunbor must have thought of these concerns when he delicately and wisely made his selection.

Prof. Osunbor should be considerate of Edo State in all. He wants to win and that means he needs the core team of people that will help him achieve that goal. As sad as it may appear, godfathers do play a role in that process. That is the nature of the political game at this point in Nigeria. We can't dispute that fact.

It is clear that Prof. Osunbor needs the core team of Anenih, Igbinedion, and others power players in Edo State to win. This new development will eliminate the likelihood of Igbinedion supporting Comrade Oshiomohle. In a long breath of reasoning, let's hope that Imasuen will help Edo State and Prof. Osunbor in creating a change.