Edo: Esan group urges Ighodalo to withdraw appeal against Gov Okpebholo

A socio-cultural group from Esanland, the Esan Liberation Movement (ELM), has urged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2024 governorship election in Edo state, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, to withdraw his law suit at the Appeal Court against Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state.

Both Okpebholo, the incumbent governor under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Ighodalo are from the same Esan ethnic sub-group of Edo Central Senatorial District.

The group reiterated that both Governor Okpebholo and Asue Ighodalo were supposed to be kinsmen and should not allow selfish interest to come in-between them and the people they were out to serve.

ELM submitted that by forging ahead with his litigations, Ighodalo was deliberately distracting the governor, and advised him to desist forthwith and support his brother, Okpebholo who the group noted had brought developments to Esanland and Edo State in general.

In a statement issued by Esan Liberation Forum, and endorsed by its National President, Chief Sunday Aghedo, urged Ighodalo to demonstrate that he was truly an Esan man by supporting the seamless wind of development blowing across Esan land and Edo State, under Governor Okpebholo.

The group also expressed satisfaction over the dualisation of Ekpoma- Irrua-Uromi-Ubiaja old road and the construction of the road to link Edo Central Senatorial District with Edo North Senatorial District, passing through Uromi.

The group narrated that former Governor Godwin Obaseki was paying N40 million every month as subvention to Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, for the past seven years, while Okpebholo raised the subvention to N500 million in less than one month after resuming office as the governor.

“Life has bounced back to the university as many jobs have been saved and created while the school could now admit more students.” ELM noted.

The group further lamented that “Esanland was cut-off from the other senatorial districts with the collapse of roads, which former Governor Obaseki frequently blamed on the Federal Government.”

“In less than one year, Governor Okpebholo has restored many of these roads without blaming the federal government as the people can now travel from Benin city to Esanland and Edo north without frustrations.

“Now is the opportunity for Asue Ighodalo to vindicate himself that he is an Esan man. We do not want anybody to distract Governor Okpebholo from his good works with court cases.

“The three-man panel at the Election Tribunal of last month did not make mistake when they spoke in unison. Edo people have been looking for anyone who will serve them, and they have found one in Governor Okpebholo,” the statement added.

READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE