By Austin Isikhuemen
It is absolutely absurd to hear politicians and their hirelings mouth this pedestrian argument that only a homeboy deserves to be Edo State Governor in November 2024. By this what they are saying is that the very best candidate with demonstrated capacity, competence, track record, integrity and capability should not be voted for because his mother is Yoruba! They want someone, who, though is bereft of the required attributes, character and track record for such a high office, would do their bidding. A very crude, intellectual-bereft argument and a tribal-line thinking with possibilities of ethnic-based retaliatory consequences in the future.
A friend who was in the political trenches with us for Obaseki in 2020 who happens to be from Edo South is suddenly propounding this facile ethnic bigot-coloured argument, conveniently forgetting that a man born of Edo State mother is the current Governor of Oyo State! His Excellency, Governor Makinde was born by a Benin woman who departed mother earth a couple of years ago – may her soul rest in peace. The Yorubas never referred to his mother’s origin when he was voted twice as Governor of the Yoruba heartland! This ethnic bating must stop!