Esanland Will Witness True Representation, Most Electorates Agree
The core difference between democracy as a system of government and other systems is that the electorates use their votes, as power, to elect their desired representatives who they know will serve their best interest while in office.
And part of the process to get to this position according to the Electoral Act 2022 is the conduct of party primaries where aspirants go to the field to test their popularities within the party. And these party primaries, no matter how freely conducted, must be monitored by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC. It is only this monitoring that gives the exercise validity.
In 2022, the PDP conducted its party primaries, including those for senatorial districts and Dr (Arc) Michael Oziegbe Onolememen CON won convincingly. This primary was ably witnessed and monitored by INEC as stated in the 2022 Electoral Act.
The electorates in Esanland are not oblivious to his track record as a true son of Esan of whom they are proud. The Adolor of Uromi Kingdom was the Executive Director (Project Mgt.) Petroleum Trust (Special) Fund between April 2000 – Oct 2000. Among his duties was the supervision of the National Health & Educational Institutions Rehabilitation Programme, consultancy Services,
National Bulk Power Supply Project, dredging of the Lower River Niger, and Special Projects across the board.
From the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, he became the Honourable Minister of State, Nigerian Ministry of Defence, between Jan 2007 – May 2007. His duties, among others, were the supervision of Military Training Institutions; Supervision of the Nigerian Airforce, Chairman, of Defence Health Maintenance Ltd.,
Co-Chairman, US DoD – Nigerian Ministry of Defence Collaboration on HIV/AIDS, and assisting the Honourable Minister of Defence in the running of the Ministry of Defence.
From the Ministry of Defense, he went on to become the Honourable Minister, of the Federal Ministry of Works, between 2011 and 2015. His duty included but was not limited to Planning, Designing, Construction, Maintenance and Project Management of the National Road Network in Nigeria; Policy formulation as a Cabinet Minister and Member of the Federal Executive Council.
No doubt, with this wealth of experience within government circles, several of the Esan electorates are very sure that the Adolor of Uromi Kingdom is the best candidate to represent the Central Senatorial District in the Red Chambers.
Most of them, are willing to overwhelmingly give him their votes in the February general elections. According to several electorates interviewed, they had this to say; “you don’t easily get a politician with this wealth of experience. And you don’t need any divinity to tell you he is the best for the leadership the people of Esanland need at this moment.
From time immemorial, the homogeneous people of Esan derive their leadership from the political sector, and that is why we are routing for Chief Mike Onolememen to go to the Senate to represent us.”
Oluwabamidele Elempe is a special assistant on media and publicity to Arc Mike Onolememen