Edo Agenda 2024: The inclusivity and spirit of “Edo-Okpamakhin.” – Godswill Inegbe’s Perspective.
The agenda of the Edo people in 2024 should be one that will be placed on the altar of egalitarianism. It’s upon this view, that Esan people are clamouring for an Edo State Agenda of fairness, equity and justice, which will guarantee peace and development. We should emulate our sister state like Delta, where power is rotated among three senatorial districts.
In my previous series of publications and interviews, I have maintained that, the quest for the next Governor of Edo state of Esan extraction in 2024, though legitimate and justifiable, must however not been seen or given ethnic coloration. But, it should rather be critique based on our political historism since the inception of this current democratic experiment in 1999.
Edo state is geographically and demographically diverse, and as such constitutes various major sub-nationalities, namely, Bini, Esan and Afemai. The Edo Agenda 2024 in my honest estimation, will serves as a vehicle for building a sustainable peaceful co-existence among these ethnic groups, as it relates to the rotation of the governorship seat in the state. This will ultimately gives a sense of belonging and ownership to the sub-nationalities, and invariably promote collective growth and development in the state.
In the past 24 years of this present democratic dispensation, the only period an Esan man occupied the office of the Governor of Edo state, was the 18 month era of Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, a professor of law, whose tenure was short-lived by a judicial pronouncement.
Despite this seemingly political imbalances and unfair political treatment towards the Esan sub-nationality, the people of Edo Central has always played a pivotal role in the political process that have produced governors from both Afamai and Bini extractions in the past years.
As we gradually prepares for Edo state governorship election in 2024, politics of inclusivity and unity of Edo people is to be treasured over political shenanigans, selfishness and tunnel vision.
*The inclusivity and the spirit of “Edo-Okpamakhin” requires political equity among the Edo sub-nationalities, because, Justice is the first condition of humanity.*
Without being presumptuous, this time, the Esan people are justifiably next on the line to produce the Chief Executive of the State come 2024. I therefore appeal to all progressive Edo people and men of goodwill across all political parties, to support a Governor of Esan extraction come 2024, based on the principle of an egalitarian society.
In the same-measure, we implore all political parties in Edo state to zone their governorship ticket to Edo Central. This will invariably throw up competent and capable candidates with measurable track record, which consequently will guide Edo people to make an informed choices.
Godswill Inegbe writes from Esanland.
