Ahead of the 2024 governorship election in Edo State, a group, Esan New Era has called on all the political parties particularly the three major ones to cede the governorship position to the Edo Central Senatorial District which it said boasts of eminently qualified leaders.
The group said the zone has not been opportuned to govern the state since its creation except the short-lived tenure of Senator Oserheimen Osunbor who was governor for eighteen months from 2007 before he was removed by the courts.
Addressing a press conference in Benin City yesterday, general secretary of the group, Pastor Christopher Onoye, who was flanked by other leaders said the membership of the group cut across all political parties and despite the array of leaders the area has produced, they have always believed that Edo State is one as virtually all of them traced their roots from Benin City and have always taken a pan-Edo position.
Onoye said in 1998 when the 4th Republic was birthed, political leaders agreed that the governorship should start from Edo South which produced Chief Lucky Igbinedion and thereafter Osunbor but “The equation was however, interrupted with the coming into power of Adams Oshiomhole which gave the Edo North their complete rightful two tenure (eight years). Governor Adams Oshiomhole returned power back to the South in 2016 instead of Edo Central.
“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 Adam 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 though 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.
