Ahead 2024, Esan leaders converge as Imansuagbon echoes Edo Central turn to succeed Obaseki

Barely eight months into Governor Godwin Obaseki’s second term tenure as governor of Edo State, the agitation for his successor in 2024 has begun in earnest, with the Edo Central Senatorial District asking that power be shifted to the zone for justice and equity.

To achieve the political calculation, politicians from the zone, at the weekend, converged in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area, under the aegis of Esan Leadership Summit, with a call on all Esan people to mobilise and reach out to other senatorial zones to actualise the ambition of the zone in succeeding Obaseki come 2024.

The summit held less than 48 hours after the Supreme Court upheld Obaseki’s election as the duly elected governor of Edo State, having dismissed with costs, the case filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the authenticity of the academic credentials submitted by the governor for the election

The Esan Leadership Summit was held at the magnificent country home of Barrister Kenneth Imansuagbon, where participants declared that it is the turn of Edo Central to produce Obaseki’s successor after 40 years.  

Imansuagbon who hosted that summit said with Obaseki’s victory at the Supreme Court, the coast had become clear for all Esan sons and daughters to work towards actualising their desire in taking over the governorship in 2014.

The summit with the theme “Esan Leadership Questions; Matters Arising”, saw participants brainstorming on the Esan political Future for the Senatorial District.

In his opening remarks, the host, Imansuagbon, contended that the gathering of Esan personalities shouldn’t be for speech making alone, but an opportunity to deliberate on issues that would foster greater unity among Esan people. 

“It will remain deeply pleasing if this gathering marks a response to our political question. That is, if this would act as a collective impulse carrying out some brief moments for reflections.

“We must use this opportunity to act as demand for action and to crush all negativities that might arise in us. We must bask in what I will here refer to the Esan Hope, better still, the Esan Unity – that is akugbe-ahu”, Imasuagbon submitted.

According to him, “even as many today talk about the Esan agenda, I make bold to say that what the Esans are clamouring for is the Edo state agenda that is fairness, equity and justice which will guarantee peace and development. Let emulate our sister state like Delta where power is rotated among three senatorial districts”.

The Esan political leader stressed that the situation had made it imperative for the zone to put its house in order and work in concert with other interest groups across the state.

“And that is why there is the need to reposition our political attitudes, replacing complacency with rededication, a task that must be accomplished by not only those of us that are seated here today, but all Esans home and abroad, Imuasuagbon counselled.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Marcus Izeagbeaya Onobun, charged the participants to be united and strive to do things that would promote the ideals of Esan people.

He also advised that efforts should be geared towards ensuring that the voting population of the senatorial district “is enlarged whereby eligible voters of Esan extraction all around the country come back home to register so that their votes can always count in any election in the state”.

Onobun praised the efforts of the organisers of the summit and also commended the host, Imansuangbon, for making his facility available for use at no cost.

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