Esogban Of Benin, Edebiri Dies At 93

The Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edebiri is dead.

He passed on during a brief illness in a private hospital in Benin City. 

He would have been 94 on September 2.

Family members said he died at 12:20pm, noting that “he has not been too strong and we took him to the hospital a few days ago and he died this afternoon, the family will follow the protocols for the formal announcement to be made”.

The Esogban, who is next after the Iyase (prime minister) of Benin is often referred to as the Odiownere of Benin Kingdom.

His last major outing which was widely reported in the media when he participated in the March 18, 2023 governorship and State House of Assembly elections where he said the February 25 presidential election was the best since he started voting since 1951.

Edebiri had said he had never missed any election since his first vote in 1951 as a 22-year-old, “I thank God I am alive to vote in this election,” he had said.

He said, “I am here to vote as I did two weeks ago. It will interest you to know that I started voting at the age of 22 in December 1951 in the regional election to the house of assembly elections at Ibadan. We were then part of Western Region. Since then, I have not failed to vote in any election be it national or sub-nationals.

“Some of the things that happened in the last two weeks were just a fluke. Those who voted were not members of the party, they came for certain purposes to make some statements and when those statements failed, their interests died. The February 25 election was the best I have seen and taken part in since 1951.”

Edebiri, who was a journalist and a writer, in 2022 unveiled two books: “Tripod of Life: Essence of Benin Tradition and Culture” and “The Life and Times of Iyase N’Ohenmwen”  to mark his 93rd birthday where he said Nigeria derailed from the part of  development in 1979 when the leaders adopted the American presidential system of government.