Esan community battles to produce next Edo state governor

Esan community battles to produce next Edo state governor: A group from Edo Central Senatorial District, Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), has announced plans to meet

with leaders from Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial Districts to push for the next governor of Edo

State to come from Esan. This comes as the race for the governorship in 2024 intensifies, with Governor

Godwin Obaseki set to complete his second term. Governor Obaseki is from Edo South Senatorial District, while his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is from Edo North.

In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the group, Tony Iyare, said that the group has set

conditions that must be met by any aspirant of Esan extraction before they would support the person.

The group has adopted criteria presented by a committee it had set up, headed by a constitutional l

aw scholar, Professor Mike Ikhariale. The criteria cover critical areas like education, social and political

exposures, personal gravitas, and emphasize that the aspirants must have a strong association with Esanland through past and current activities that focus on promoting the well-being of Esan people.

Esan community battles to produce next Edo state governor: the meetings

The meeting, which was attended by some Esan groups in the country and the diaspora and

presided over by its President, Rt. Hon Mathew Egbadon, also disclosed plans to engage other

senatorial zones with the hope of getting them to concede the governorship ticket to persons of

Esan extraction on the basis of justice, equity and fairness.

The group is non-partisan and interested in putting forward the best hands to ensure the promotion

of the well-being of the people of Edo State. Egbadon pleaded with “unserious aspirants” who have

joined the hordes of contenders for the governorship ticket to quit the race.

The criteria set by the group are divided into three broad categories – Mandatory Requirements,

Esan-centric Requirements, and The People’s Specific Demands.

the initiatives

While the move by the Esan Okpa Initiative to push for an Esan governorship candidate is commendable,

it remains to be seen whether their efforts will yield the desired results, as other zones may also be

pushing for their own candidates. The success of their mission will depend on the ability of the group

to build alliances and garner support from other zones in the state, while also presenting a credible and

competent candidate from Esan that can attract wide support. Ultimately, it will be up to the voters of

Edo State to decide who they want as their next governor, and the 2024 elections will be a test of the state’s democratic maturity.