Ahead of the 2024 governorship race, the people of the Edo Central have started reaching out to other zones to produce the next governor of the race
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, save for the short-lived tenure of Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor, who was elected in April 2007 and sacked by the court on November 11, 2008, to pave the way for the emergence of Adams Oshiomhole, the Edo Central zone has yet to produce a governor again in the state, while stakeholders are hoping that the call will yield a favourable result.
The zone seems to have become a tool in the hand of desperate politicians to bargain for their selfish interests without considering the overall interest of the Esan people who make up the zone. The best the zone has produced is the position of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, while political parties, over the years have shunned candidates aspiring for the governorship position from the area.
Lucky Igbinedion (Edo South) and Mike Oghiadomhe (Edo North) were the governor and deputy governor respectively from 1999 to 2007. Then came Osunbor (Edo Central) and Lucky Imasuen (Edo South) as governor and deputy governor respectively in 2007 but their tenure lasted for 18 months.
Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) became the governor in 2008 and he worked with Dr Pius Odubu (Edo South) as deputy governor. In 2016, Godwin Obaseki (Edo South) emerged as the governor, while Philip Shuaibu (Edo North) became the deputy, with their tenure set to expire next year after they secured a second term victory in 2020.
To actualise this ambition, the Public Relations Officer of the Esan Okpa Initiative, Tony Iyare, who is a former Special Adviser on Media to Governor Oshiomhole, told The PUNCH that the zone was working and talking with Edo South and Edo North to ensure that they support the zone in its quest to produce the next governor of the state.
Iyare also said the socio-cultural organisation had set up a powerful 24-man Mobilisation and Contact Committee to carry out the task. He said the committee is headed by the pioneer Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mathew Egbadon. Some others are Osunbor; a frontline businessman, Leemon Ikpea; former President, of Trade Union Congress, Peter Esele; a retired Army General, Cecil Esekhaigbe; former President, of Association of Esan Professionals, Mr Efe Akhigbe; former Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Post Primary Education, Dr Roseline Okosun, and Iyare.
Iyare said, “Apart from engaging prominent leaders of the two zones, the committee is also to have sessions with leaders of political parties, particularly the major ones( the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, and Labour Party), while it is also expected to meet with traditional rulers, women, and youth organisations.
“In the strong move to put forward the best hands for the forthcoming governorship election, the zone has also listed criteria that aspirants must meet to enjoy overwhelming support. This is to ensure that only viable and capable aspirants, who will equally elicit the support of the northern and southern Senatorial zones of the state, will be endorsed to angle for the number one seat of Edo State as Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eight-year term winds down in November 2024.
“Rising from a meeting of the Esan Assembly held last weekend, under the auspices of the Esan Okpa Initiative, and attended by some Esan groups in the country and the Diaspora, the Assembly endorsed the criteria presented by a six-man sub-committee headed by an acclaimed Constitutional Law Scholar, Prof Mike Ikhariale, which makes the possession of a bachelors degree, as opposed to the constitutional provision of a secondary school certificate, as the minimum for persons of Esan extraction contesting for any political offices.
“The meeting, presided over by President of the Esan Okpa Initiative, Mathew Egbadon, also disclosed plans to engage other senatorial zones with the hope of getting them to concede the governorship ticket to persons of Esan extraction on the basis of justice, equity, and fairness.”
A notable face in the governorship race in the state for two decades, Ken Imasuagbon, backed the call and urged other zones in the state to back the aspiration of Edo Central. He said he was also championing the cause to ensure that the zones produce the next governor.
He said, “Undoubtedly, the time for the state to have a governor from Edo Central is overripe so that the state can be seen to be fair, just, and equitable. Political fairness can be done through negotiation. I am talking to groups and major stakeholders in the state.
“It is the turn of the Esan people and I am urging the political parties to zone the ticket to Esan. Within Esan, the ticket should be zoned to Agbazilo as Okpebho produced the Late Ambrose Alli, the former Governor of Bendel State, and Prof. Osunbor, while Uromi, which is under Agbazilo, has produced many political office holders. Ubiaja has also produced ministers but Ewohinmi is yet to benefit from any political arrangement in the zone.”
Imasuagbon said he was still ready to serve the state and the plan would be to work with political parties that were ready to give the ticket to Edo Central. “It is clear that the people on the street, the middle class, the major stakeholders are fully ready for the emergence of a governor from Edo Central except those who are opposing it for selfish reasons,” Imasuagbon said.
The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Peter Uwadiae, said the leadership of the party had yet to meet to take a decision on the matter but it would be fair to give Edo Central a chance in next year’s election.
Uwadiae stated, “The leadership of the party has not met on which zone the governorship ticket will go to. We still have a long way to go till 2024, though people are already agitating. We just finished an election and the party at the state level is involved in the May 29 inauguration at the national and state level.
“But when you look at the principles of equity, justice, and fairness within the political arrangement in the state, one will be tempted to say that the call is correct. However, that will be the decision that will be made by the leadership and stakeholders in the party.
“Again, we want to work within the purview of winning the election. When you look at what happened to the Peoples Democratic Party at the last presidential election, it has taught many political parties a lesson that you must listen to the yearning of the populace because they are the determinants. Winning an election depends on the electorate.
“If the call and yearning make it more desirable to zone the ticket to Edo Central, we would not hesitate to do that but that will just be one of the aspects to look at. We will also look at the political capacity and capability of whoever is coming out of that zone.
“Edo Central has only had a governor for 18 months while Edo South has done it for 16 years and Edo North had it for eight years. It means that that zone has not had a fair share so that they don’t begin to feel marginalised.”
The state PDP Secretary, Hilary Otsu, said his party was yet to take a position on the issue, adding, “As it is their agitation from all senatorial zones but the Edo Central has only had a very short spell in the government house. Edo North has done eight years, while the South has done 16.
“However it is the party’s decision and not mine. I am also not in a position to say what the party is thinking. I am sure that equity and fairness will prevail as the party will come together in the near future to take a decision.”
Chairman of the Labour Party in the state, Kelly Ogbaloi, said the capacity of the candidate would be the major consideration rather than zoning.
He said, “The Labour Party is yet to take a position on such matters. Zoning is a system of the PDP and APC. This is the first time our party will be fielding a candidate in the governorship election in the state. Our candidates were recently elected into the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly, which cut across all the senatorial districts.
“However, the LP will not be toeing the line of other parties and has yet to decide what it will do concerning next year’s election. We are looking at who can win the election and not geographical consideration. If the popular person that is capable of winning the election is from Edo Central, the ticket will go there.
“We will rather consolidate on what we have now in 2023 than begin to project on the future.”
