BETWEEN MONDAY OKPEBHOLO AND ASUE IGHODALO: WHAT'S THE CHOICE OF ESAN PEOPLE? - By DR (MRS) ODEGUAISABERU

Tacitly yielding to the pressures to engender fairness in the political landscape of Edo State, the two main political parties in Edo State, the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) allowed two Edo icons of Esan extraction to be their flagbearers. This is commendable and I want to thank the two parties for bowing to reason and fairness.

Both candidates are icons and exceptional personalities in their various fields of endeavour. Monday Okpebholo of the APC has risen from grass to grace and have excelled all the way in all his endeavours. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is an iconic lawyer, serial chairman and investment broker who has many feathers to his long cap. We are very proud of the two personalities, either of which would make a good governor. But when we are asked to choose between these two great personalities, we would have to look deeper and ask ourselves salient questions.

Monday Okpebholo, before he got into the Senate, contributed to development projects in Esanland. He constructed roads. He funded security outfits. He provided water to communities. He funded cultural programmes (non however for ONEGHE SELE FOUNDATION). He helped many individuals and families have a fresh start in life and in Business - human capacitybuilding.

While in the Senate, despite the short period so far, Sen Monday Okpebholo has contributed to motions that aimed to give attention to the very bad Benin - Abuja road, the abandoned Esan axis.

Asue Ighodalo, before his emergence to contest the PDP ticket, had been a member of Adams Oshiomhole economic team, and headed Alaghodaro, Obaseki's economic team. That implies he has been in and around Edo State for about 16 years. Within this period, his entire town Ewohimi has been cut off from electricity. It is said that he didn't bat an eyelid. He was the Head of Nigeria Breweries yet the whole of Esanland, the size of Ekiti or Ebonyi State, does not have at least a Depot of Nigeria Breweries located therein despite the heavy consumption of beer there. He is head of Sterling Bank, yet there is no trace of a branch of his bank in Esanland. There have been contributions to protect lives and property in Esanland yet he failed to make a contribution. He is one of the richest men in Edo State yet he could not give even his community at least bore hole water.

Worse case is, despite having lived in Edo State for more than 16 years, Asue cannot speak any Edo language, not even his native Esan language but he can speak foreign Yoruba language. This presents a scary situation and genuine fear that his heart will gravitate mostly towards those whose language he understands - and that's like dejavu of an Obaseki, his look alike, all over again.

Our question now, as an NGO that is based in Esanland and focused primarily in the task of attracting developments to local communities, is why can't we find a trace of Asue Ighodalo in in any community in Esanland, or even anywhere in Edo North or Edo South of Edo State aside from his hugely expensive billboards placedat nearly every junction across the three senatorial districts of Edo State, money spent on the bill boards estimated to cost more than money to provide pipe borne water in the whole of Esanland?

It is against this backdrop therefore, that we hold and are hereby sharing the informed firm opinion that a man who has a history of public service is to be trusted and given public office over and above the one who has no history of public service. Enough of mindless capitalists who come to us, cajole us, waste our eifhr years drawing up MOUs, and leave us impoverished, divided and bitter. We need moderate capitalists who's idea of capitalism places social security over and above private profiteering in governance.

We are also not cajoled by heavily padded apparition curriculum vitae (CVs) that some present as their credentials to govern us. We are grateful that none of the candidates have certificate issues and none of the candidates have anything less than a university degree but we will never fall for media hypes over what we see and feel among the candidate, especially before they started to aspire to govern Edo State. Esan says _"Aimeya"_ and like Mr Wike would jokingly say _"if it didn't dey, it didn't dey"_ , we won't fall for any emergency lover of Edo State. We know who truly care for us and would identify more with us.

Thus, we in the ONEGHE SELE FOUNDATION, having considered the two good options that the PDP and the APC are presenting as candidates to be Governor after Obaseki, we prefer *Sen Monday Okpebholo* also known as *Akpakomiza* of the *All Progressives Congress* (APC). We will mobilised for him to win the *Edo 2024 Gubernatorial Election* and restore progress and unity to Edo State.

We call on all Esan people in Esanland, and outside to vote right right support Monday Okpebholo _(not necessarily because of his party but because of his person - for no party is free)_. We also encourage our Edo South and Edo North brothers to consider supporting someone who remembered his people for such person would also consider you are his people when elected and will remember you and promote unity and prosperity in Edo State.


Signed,


Dr (Mrs) Odegua Isaberu
Director of Public Relations
ONEGHE SELE FOUNDATION
09038788623

The APC guy should be able to win this easily.

The APC guy will win the election.... If The APC can settle their differences and go into the election as a united party..... PDP is already a divided party going into the election and no chance of them solving their issues... The Legacy group will do everything to frustrate Obaseki same with Shuaibu.... LP will take some votes from PDP also...

Anything APC should be avoided. They are a bunch of criminals AND can never be trusted.

Asue is intelligent but he is an extension of Oshiomole and Obaseki.

Edo needs a people centered party.
LP is the real deal now. Olu should be tried

Edo no bi Lagos.
Asue Ighodalo will defeat Okpebholo by a very wide margin. With Obaseki, Edo South is fully for PDP. Edo Central is traditionally PDP with over 80% in support of PDP, and so cannot be swayed by any ethnic alliance as both men are are from Edo central and their stock, so party affiliations would prevail.
Edo north us where APC will win. That is if Oshomole is ready to forget his anger.

Seriously I don't really know if everybody that made comments here are all in Edo State because we in Benin City Oredo and Ikpoba okha LGA including all the Eight ( local government in Edo South are all fully Support of (AI) Asuenlime IGHODALO what PDP is looking for now is to try win one or two local government in Edo central which Annih JNR promise he will deliver please don't say because APC won a senatorial seat in Edo central that means them will never that's a Big fat Lie because then there was no local government Chairman and counselors this year election will be different OP your write up don't have weight at all with the hatred from APC from the people in Edo South with the Highest voters victory is sure for PDP 100% or maybe he's thinking Federal power might be involved Tinubu and Oshomole will not fool thier self this is politics
Let me tell you Obaseki hardly loss election go and Mark it .......

Where is fake pastor Ize-iyamu?? Una don abandon am.

Apc can never smell Edo coffers ever again

Validated:
Edo no bi Lagos.
Asue Ighodalo will defeat Okpebholo by a very wide margin. With Obaseki, Edo South is fully for PDP. Edo Central is traditionally PDP with over 80% in support of PDP, and so cannot be swayed by any ethnic alliance as both men are are from Edo central and their stock, so party affiliations would prevail.
Edo north us where APC will win. That is if Oshomole is ready to forget his anger.

If obaseki didn't win by a wide margin,how will unknown asue win? You are talking of oshiomhole,what about that of pdp that has three factions

Cindypresh:


Where is fake pastor Ize-iyamu?? Una don abandon am.

Apc can never smell Edo coffers ever again

Obaseki must be destroyed

senatordave1:


Obaseki must be destroyed

Even in your dream, you can't.

No rogue party like Apc will near Edo coffers.

Cindypresh:


Even in your dream, you can't.

No rogue party like Apc will near Edo coffers.

And pdp too.instead,let Lp win

senatordave1:


And pdp too.instead,let Lp win

One bottle of Heineken for you🥂

I have already made up my mind never to argue on nairaland because most of the people commenting are neither from Edo state or have lived in Edo state.As it stands now,Asuen Ighodalo will win the next election by a very wide margin.Am from uromi and must tell you PDP will win esan north,esan south east,igueben and 50% of esan west is for Asuen Ighodalo.APC can only win one local government in Edo central.

Ekpenuwa:
Seriously I don't really know if everybody that made comments here are all in Edo State because we in Benin City Oredo and Ikpoba okha LGA including all the Eight ( local government in Edo South are all fully Support of (AI) Asuenlime IGHODALO what PDP is looking for now is to try win one or two local government in Edo central which Annih JNR promise he will deliver please don't say because APC won a senatorial seat in Edo central that means them will never that's a Big fat Lie because then there was no local government Chairman and counselors this year election will be different OP your write up don't have weight at all with the hatred from APC from the people in Edo South with the Highest voters victory is sure for PDP 100% or maybe he's thinking Federal power might be involved Tinubu and Oshomole will not fool thier self this is politics
Let me tell you Obaseki hardly loss election go and Mark it .......

If you are in Edo tell your people to protect their vote very seriously, apc don't win elections they rig and dam the consequences, Edo should repeat the edo no be lagos,and show the supremacy of the people 's power not thugs and riggers

Bros in terms of rigging PDP has all at stakes 2023 House of Assembly comes to mind the trust was Labour party win almost all the majority slots for Houses of Assembly but with the power of PDP them quickly used their machine at disposal APC cannot Rig Edo South it can Never happen because this time with the late Night Meeting held with Dennis Idahosa and LUCKY IMASUEM victory is sure for PDP the OP don't really know what he's saying exactly maybe he has never lived esanland to South....

surgical:
If you are in Edo tell your people to protect their vote very seriously, apc don't win elections they rig and dam the consequences, Edo should repeat the edo no be lagos,and show the supremacy of the people 's power not thugs and riggers

Any form of rigging dead body go surplus.Edo no be lagos part 2

Cindypresh:


One bottle of Heineken for you🥂

How do I get it? It's 800

Ekpenuwa:
Seriously I don't really know if everybody that made comments here are all in Edo State because we in Benin City Oredo and Ikpoba okha LGA including all the Eight ( local government in Edo South are all fully Support of (AI) Asuenlime IGHODALO what PDP is looking for now is to try win one or two local government in Edo central which Annih JNR promise he will deliver please don't say because APC won a senatorial seat in Edo central that means them will never that's a Big fat Lie because then there was no local government Chairman and counselors this year election will be different OP your write up don't have weight at all with the hatred from APC from the people in Edo South with the Highest voters victory is sure for PDP 100% or maybe he's thinking Federal power might be involved Tinubu and Oshomole will not fool thier self this is politics
Let me tell you Obaseki hardly loss election go and Mark it .......

Which edo south are you talking about?

Ekpenuwa:
Seriously I don't really know if everybody that made comments here are all in Edo State because we in Benin City Oredo and Ikpoba okha LGA including all the Eight ( local government in Edo South are all fully Support of (AI) Asuenlime IGHODALO what PDP is looking for now is to try win one or two local government in Edo central which Annih JNR promise he will deliver please don't say because APC won a senatorial seat in Edo central that means them will never that's a Big fat Lie because then there was no local government Chairman and counselors this year election will be different OP your write up don't have weight at all with the hatred from APC from the people in Edo South with the Highest voters victory is sure for PDP 100% or maybe he's thinking Federal power might be involved Tinubu and Oshomole will not fool thier self this is politics
Let me tell you Obaseki hardly loss election go and Mark it .......

I slaute my brother. You quite right many people that comment on Edo politics don't actualy live in Edo state. Obaseki is a tested fighter and PDP has a solid lock on Edo south. Oshimole understood that, which is why he tried to rig in an Edo south candiate. Central were loyal to Obaseki in the last election and now he's repaying them wth an Esan candidate they will surly support. Like you correctly said ony Edo North might go APC.
One thing I will mention is the choice of running mate in PDP is very important. I hope the rumors of Lucky's sister are not correct. That will be a big negative for PDP

Dr Asue Ighodalo is the choice of Esan People

senatordave1:


If obaseki didn't win by a wide margin,how will unknown asue win? You are talking of oshiomhole,what about that of pdp that has three factions

I don't know the edo south there are talking about? Where Obaseki fought and still fighting Oba of Benin, Odubu, late Okunbor and many others too numerous to mention. He will be completelly dealt with on that day of election. What happen in the last general election, will be a tip on an iceberg. Let him wait and see.

Isokiscool:
I have already made up my mind never to argue on nairaland because most of the people commenting are neither from Edo state or have lived in Edo state.As it stands now,Asuen Ighodalo will win the next election by a very wide margin.Am from uromi and must tell you PDP will win esan north,esan south east,igueben and 50% of esan west is for Asuen Ighodalo.APC can only win one local government in Edo central.

You have forgotten that with 15% of voting strenght, Esans vote are very inconsequential in any governorship election, it's mostly Edo south that will determine who carry the day.

OVB123:
You have forgotten that with 15% of voting strenght, Esans vote are very inconsequential in any governorship election, it's mostly Edo south that will determine who carry the day.

Asuen Ighodalo is even more popular in Benin than in esan land.

Isokiscool:
Asuen Ighodalo is even more popular in Benin than in esan land.

Akpata has neutralized that fake pooularity

Isokiscool:
I have already made up my mind never to argue on nairaland because most of the people commenting are neither from Edo state or have lived in Edo state.As it stands now,Asuen Ighodalo will win the next election by a very wide margin.Am from uromi and must tell you PDP will win esan north,esan south east,igueben and 50% of esan west is for Asuen Ighodalo.APC can only win one local government in Edo central.

Igueben that pdp struggles to win will go to asue that has never contested? What a clownish joke

surgical:
If you are in Edo tell your people to protect their vote very seriously, apc don't win elections they rig and dam the consequences, Edo should repeat the edo no be lagos,and show the supremacy of the people 's power not thugs and riggers

APC is taking Edo by any means

Isokiscool:
Any form of rigging dead body go surplus.Edo no be lagos part 2

No wahala.either APC wins or no governor in Edo.it is a do or die affair