Edo 2024: Zone Governorship to Edo Central, Esan New Era Urges Parties

By Lucky Isibor

Ahead the Edo State governorship election which is due in 2024, an Esan group, Esan New Era has called on all the political parties in the state to pick their gubernatorial candidates from Edo Central Senatorial District, arguing that their position is premised on equity, justice, fairness and it's right adding that as children of the same parents with Edo South and Edo North, that Edo Central Senatorial District has equal rights to the heritage of their parents, Edo State.

The group made its position known at a press conference held in Benin City on Saturday, 22 April.

In an address signed by Pastor Christopher Onoye and Valentine Uduebor, the General Secretary and Executive Organizing Secretary respectively at the press briefing with the theme: "Edo is one under Oba of Benin", the group enumerated the contributions of Esan leaders and other leaders from Edo South and Edo North Senatorial Districts to the creation of Edo State, the peaceful coexistence of her people and how they proposed a zoning arrangement for the state governorship position to accommodate the three Senatorial Districts. 

"The ESAN NEW ERA is a gathering of prominent Esan Sons and daughters drawn from the political class, academia, business and religious groups, who believe that the Edo Central Senatorial District should be given the chance to produce the next Governor of Edo State come 2024. This is not because a Governor has to come from Edo Central but because it is Fair, Just, Equitable and Right. 

"In 1990, some sons and daughters of Edo State under the guidance of our son of blessed memory, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, GCON, the then Vice President of Nigeria, came together to demand for the creation of Edo State from Bendel State. This led to the creation of Edo and Delta  States on 27th August, 1991 by General Ibrahim Babangida. 

"In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Fede public of Nigeria, 3(Three) Senatorial Districts of equal status were created i.e Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South. Admiral Augustus Aikhomu who had all the powers then, refused to bow to pressures from some quarters to take the administrative capital of the newly formed Edo State to his Senatorial zone, Edo Central, as in the case of Delta State where the administrative office was moved to Asaba in favour of his wife Mariam Babangida. 

"In 1998, when the current political dispensation kicked off, the leaders of the State under the leadership of Admiral Augustus Aikhomu GCON and the then Chief of General Staff, Admiral Mike Akhigbe GCON, Chief Tony Anenih, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, Chief MCK Obih( all of blessed memory), together with Chief Gabriel Igbinedion met to form the PDP in Edo State. Though Admiral Augustus Aikhomu and Admiral Mike Akhigbe had the powers to have favoured any of their zones, they ceded the governorship slot to Edo South that eventually produced Governor Lucky Igbinedion. It is also worthy of note that the APP under the leadership of another Esan man, Chief Tom Ikhimi, ceded their governorship candidate of the party to Lucky Imasuen also from Edo South. The understanding was that after Edo South, the governorship will go to Edo Central and then Edo North. This formula was kept in 2007 when Senator Osunbor from Edo Central emerged as the governor.

"The equation was however, interupted with the coming into power of Adams Oshiomole, which gave the Edo North their complete rightful 2 tenure (8 years). However, being law abiding people, Esan people took this in good faith. 

"Governor Adams Oshiomhole returned power back to the South in 2016 instead of Edo Central. We have also accepted this and lived peacefully within the state while contributing our quota to the development of the state in the midst of these injustices and political oppression that we have suffered". 

While noting that Edo Central has supported Edo South and Edo North Senatorial Districts to have their turns in the governance of the state, the group appealed to them to lend their support to the emergence of an Edo State Governor of Edo Central extraction.

"We are here today to remind our brothers and sisters from Edo South and Edo North, that we are all children of the same parents in Edo State with equal rights to the heritage of our parents. We are here to remind our brothers and sisters from Edo South that when their son Lucky igbinedion held the political powers in the state, Edo Central lent their support. We are here to remind our brothers and sisters from Edo North, that we Edo Central supported their son Adams Oshiomhole. We are here to remind Governor Godwin Obaseki, that, in the moment of his political turmoil, we Edo Central accepted him as our own brother thou from Edo South to continue and complete his 2nd term. 

"It is in the light of all these, that we are appealing to all the major political parties in Edo State, to Zone their 2024 governorship tickets to Edo Central Senatorial District. We assure you that we have the people with integrity, intellect and capacity to move our state forward as Governor. This is the right thing to do in the face of God and man. This will make the spirits of our late political leaders to rest in peace". 

In his contribution, a chieftain of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and an Ewohimi prince, Prince Emmanuel Odigie dueled on the homogeneity of Edo people, noting that every Edo man understands all the dialects of Edo language adding that the administrative headquarters of what is now Edo Central and Edo North was once at Ubiaja in Edo Central and appealed to every Edo man to join in the call for power shift to Edo Central.

"It's well known that Esan people migrated from Benin. We are all related, Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North, that's why you see that our tongues are almost similar; when an Esan man speaks, a Benin man understands, we understand our different dialects. Our unity predated the amalgamation of Nigeria even before the creation of Western Region. 

"Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North,  we're all one people.  Remember the administrative headquarters of Edo North and Edo Central was once in Esan, at Ubiaja, before independence. 

"As a people we've supported Edo South, we've supported Edo North; Adams Oshiomhole won the entire five LGAs in Edo Central.  He enjoyed maximum support. Igbinedion enjoyed our maximum support, John Oyegun enjoyed our maximum support from Edo Central. 

Edo State sits on a tripod, a united family, bounded in love, similarity in culture, we inter marry, we respect one another. 

"We're calling on our political leaders, our religious leaders, our Royal fathers, critical stakeholders, the press, our youths, the party leaders, the party chairmen, those who determine what happens in each political party; competence, capacity does not reside in any particular Senatorial District. 

"There are people in Edo Central that are well read, intelligent , that have the capacity, the knowledge, the competence to deliver the greater good to Edo people and to move Edo State forward.  

"We appeal to our revered royal fathers to join us in ensuring fairness, equity and justice for peaceful coexistence", Odigie appealed.

                        

Odigie also assured that Esan people are united more than ever before in their quest to get the governorship slot, adding that electoral failure is foreclosed for any political party that fails to pick an Esan governorship candidate. 

 In his contribution, a former member representing Esan Central/Esan West/ Igueben Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Gabriel Oiboh assured that there's no role an Esan man cannot play in the polity of Edo State and appealed to all the political parties to pick their gubernatorial candidates from Edo Central Senatorial District.