The leadership of the Concerned Edo South Leaders’ Forum, rising from an interactive session with some frontrunners of the 2024 governorship election of Edo State slated for Saturday, September 21st, has denied rumours that it has endorsed one of them.
In a media chat, Don Pedro Obaseki, the spokesman for the group, said the main focus of the session with the candidates namely Senator Monday Okpebholo of All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Olumide Akpata kf Labour Party(LP), Dr. Isaiah Osifo of the All Progressives Alliance(APGA) and Barrister Asue Ighodalo of People’s Democratic Party(PDP) is “to be able to expouse from each of the candidates what they want to do for our people. And because of the fact that we are the barometer for deciding who rules Edo State.Â
“We’re not concerned whether the person is Esan, Etsako, Benin etc. No. We’re just looking for the person who will raise the bar as in the upward mobility of the average Edo indigene and resident. This is our collective Commonwealth. So, we feel based on our valuation… The elders today were able to now know okay…
“Because, the more you grow older the less the propensity for you to lie because you are closer to God. You’re closer to your grave. This is the time to always do the right thing. We had to have a very tumultuous, very introspective interaction with all the candidates. We can say for sure all those that have come so far all have the wherewithal.
“But within the good ones someone have to be the best. So, it is left for the leadership of the forum, which cuts across board, it is a pan Edo South forum.”
Going further, he stressed: “we want Edo South people to know what each and everyone of them(the candidates) has in stock for them. So as to be able to have an educated choice not based on the whims of ‘it is a chair there.’ The chairs are broken we want who can fix them.
On if they will back Dr. Isaiah Osifo and Barrister Olumide Akpata who are from Edo South Senatorial District, Obaseki stated: “we are not there to back anybody. You were here today and you witnessed the reception that was given to Asue Ighodalo, who is from Edo Central Senatorial District. You have to understand the historiography of this space we call Edo State today whether it is in the Midwest, Bendel or now.
“The Edo South man is the singularly most important barometer in determining who rule the state. Anybody who thinks otherwise is just playing rolex. In that phasing time our forefathers… I remember Humprey Omo-Osagie and co decided to create Bendel State. But we did not decide that a Benin man who was majority should be the Premier.
“It was ceded to a minority within a minority from Asaba and that’s why today we call that place(Edo State Government House), Dennis Osadebey Avenue. Dennis Chukwudi Osadebey is from Okpanam in Asaba. We did it again in 1979 when Ambrose Alli who came from a town which is less than 6.2 percent of Bendel was contesting for the governorship.
“The Benin people decided to back him and we did. In the last dispensation Adams Oshiomhole was accepted by the Benin people and they backed him against their son, Cbarles Airhiavbere. If you bring the barometer of ethnicity, low level pendantic tribalism then you are missing the point. That’s not what we are about. It is who will further the collective interest of the Edo Commonwealth.”
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