As a critical stakeholder in the Edo project, I always feel a compelling need to lend my voice to the direction the Edo Nation should go per time.
I am of the Oloke family of Benin. Though from the centre of Benin City, but due to progressive migrations over the decades and centuries, I find myself in Uhunmwode local government area, precisely Obazagbon, in Ugieghudu Village.
From my personal research, my family had earlier lived in Ugbiyaya, later Ehor before moving to Ugieghudu in precolonial times. My hamlet of Obazagbon is a boundary community, sharing boundary with Urohi and Ugiogba, both in Esan West. In short, growing up, when we visited the village on holidays, Ebele, another Esan community,now in Igueben local government area, was like our go to urban centre in Obazagbon. Till date, members of Obazagbon are more connected to Ugiogba,Ogwa and Ebelle than Ehor, our local government headquarters, which is similar distance near or far and with comparable urbanization.
I made the above preliminary point to show that I have a high level of affinity with Esan and that all Edo tribes are one, bringing me to why the next Edo Governor must be Esan from Edo central senatorial district.
The major interest for Edo people generally is that the next Edo Governor must be Esan from Edo Central Senatorial district. Edo people are essentially one people by ethnic grouping through history, culture, language and eternal bond. We believe in fairness, equity, correctness and justice. This is why, I believe, Edo people on the streets of Benin City, Igara, Auchi, Uromi, Ehor etc, hold the strong view that the next Edo Governor must be Esan.
Today, the two major Parties in Nigeria have presented two Esans as their candidates for this election, but it could have very much not be so if the leader of Edo APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had his way.
We all know how much Oshiomhole detests Esan. He has shown this over the years till date and has never done much to hide this obsessive hatred for Esan people, the tribe of his late wife and mother of his children.
We saw how Oshiomhole hounded Esan Elder statesmen like Chief Tony Anenih and Chief Tom Ikimi; We saw how he failed for eight years to do anything in Esan. Apart from just one road connecting Ebhohinmi, where his late wife hailed from, and some other Esan communities, that he tarred, Oshiomhole did nothing in Esan; we saw how he tried to destroy The Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma with all sorts of policies, culminating in the creation of another university for Edo state at Iyamho, Oshiomhole’s village, to further atrophy the State’s university at Ekpoma, that was already in an unhealthy state.
To take Oshiomhole’s hatred further, he not only worked to ensure an Esan candidate did not emerge as APC candidate earlier this year, he went on a tangent on National TV in a bizarre show of animosity and bitterness, to disparage Esan and Esan people, that they could not win Governorship election in Edo state and therefore did not deserve the ticket of a major political party. That they were a minority. He could not control his rage. He wanted another Benin man to take over from a Benin man. Oshiomhole forgot an Esan had earlier been Governor of the old Bendel state that had far more population and political intrigues. He also forgot he too was from a minority area and it did not stop him from being Governor.
ESAN MUST SHOW GRATITUDE TO GODWIN OBASEKI.
When Godwin Obaseki was going through his bitter travails in the hands of Oshiomhole in 2020, it was to Esan people he turned for succour. He first sought refuge in the PDP, which is the spiritual and traditional political party of the Esan people. Thereafter, he had a meeting with Esan people and promised them that if they supported and voted him for a second term, he would support an Esan to succeed him as Governor. Godwin Obaseki not only fulfilled this promise, he ensured the person was a pristine candidate who was prepared and ready to be Governor of Edo state. Obaseki’s choice of an Esan in the person of Asuerinme Ighodalo one hundred percent determined the U-turn made by the APC in handling their ticket to an Esan. Before then, their leading aspirants were Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Denis Idahosa, both from Edo south.
It would therefore be sad, showing a lack of integrity, putting it mildly, for Esan to choose to support and validate Adams Oshiomhole, a man who has always shown open hatred for them and fought naked to stop the governorship from going to Esan, over Godwin Obaseki, a man who has shown respect for them and ensured the governorship is going to Esan.
BETWEEN ASUE IGHODALO AND MONDAY OKPEBHOLO
In a proper society, this is an unfair contest. Personally, I hold competence, character and personality over tribe and tongue. It matters to me not where anyone comes from if they can get the job done. How many of us would employ a bungling idiot because they are from our tribe and speak same language as us? So why do we fight naked to ensure the man from same village as us, etc, superintend over us as President or Governor?
Not to belabour the issue, I agree that the next Edo Governor should be from Edo Central to ensure the cord that bind Edo people for hundreds of years remain strong. Many people probably do not know that the ancient Benin Empire was supported to be great by all Edo tribes,including Esans, who also contributed soldiers to the Benin Army in furtherance of the course of extending the empire. So to ensure all Edo tribes feel part and parcel of the Edo project, it was essential the other Edo tribes conceded the 2024 Governorship to Esan at this time so we can be properly galvanised to face the future together.
Who is the one to lead us into this future? A prowl of leopards led by a sheep will meet a certain disastrous end. The next Edo Governor must be a man who shows he is prepared and would be ready to hit the ground running from the first day. We cannot afford to have a Governor that would be led by others. The Edo Governor must show that he knows where he is going by showing us where he is coming from and where he is today.
The next Governor of Edo State should be a man who commands respect across the State. He must be a person that is able to connect with the entire State and has broad knowledge of the various demographics making up the State.
Monday Okpebholo is showing that he is another Buhari and Tinubu all over again. He’s being shielded from the media the way Tinubu and Buhari were shielded. He’s making unbelievable gaffes like Tinubu and Buhari. He’s showing an unbelievable emptiness, intellectual lassitude and tribal bigotry like Buhari. Few days ago, he confessed that he deactivated his WhatsApp to avoid insults,just like Tinubu did before 2023 election. ”
Esan people must wake up, stand up to reject this Buhari and Tinubu look alike that the APC is once again trying to foist on us. If he resembles Buhari and Tinubu, he would certainly give same results like them.
Apart from the obvious show of bungling incompetence Monday Okpebholo keep showing, what I find most numbing, annoying and insidious is the presentation of the APC ticket, having a serving senator as Governorship candidate and a serving member of the House of Reps as his deputy. They started their campaign for Governor just after their elections into the National Assembly, before they were inaugurated to represent their various constituent and district in the National Assembly. I found this totally disrespectful to members of their constituencies and District . The APC by this, have yet again clearly showed that they have no focus and that they do not rate Edo people at all. This recklessness must be checked and Edo people must ask questions. You had barely spent two months as a Senator or a Member of the House of Representatives and you started distracting yourself with personal gubernatorial ambitions, when there is nothing the people can use to rate your performance as a legislator, just because you can throw money around, hire hatchet men and praise singers ?
What has the APC candidate, senator Monday Okpebholo done in the senate that should make Edo people reward him with the Governorship of the state? Many times, I see him fidgeting while trying to address basic questions. He is 52 but his hands shake while holding the microphone, his posture unstable, walking around the podium like a primary school pupil in a debate session, showing zero self confidence. What is even worse is his lack of cognition and understanding of even basic issues. A candidate for governorship of Edo state that did not know the difference between a museum and a zoo will be an embarrassment to Edo people; his government would be rudderless,leaving Edo people a lot poorer and and much more disillusioned. How can he sit with foreign investors and negotiate on our behalf ? He has sufficiently shown that he would sign our future away and sell us to slavery to foreign countries if he is Governor.
So to be Governor of Edo state, a candidate must show capacity and personality . He must show that he understands the issues and he is able to profer solutions in a cost effective manner.
Asue Ighodalo has clearly shown he is this candidate. The fecundity of his mind and his show of understanding of the issues are endearing. His history as a top level commercial lawyer, investment banker, policy creator, entrepreneur and business leader are resume needed to be governor of Edo state at this time. Contrast these with that of Monday Okpebholo, who cannot show any record of work and business, who cannot show any history of a valid source of wealth, then the decision ought to be made a lot easier.
The Esan people must beware of the wiles of Adams oshiomhole, who looms like darkness, waiting to take their joy away. Their future surely lies with an Ighodalo Governorship, who will be his own man, not an Okpebholo governorship, who will have a coterie of Edo south and Edo north political hyenas asphyxiating him.
Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie, Managing Partner Noah Attorneys and Spokesman Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie Campaign, writes from Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, Nigeria.
dogbegie@gmail.com