The political class in Edo State on Sunday honoured the late Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, as the family of the late Odionwere of Benin held the one-year anniversary lecture of their patriarch.
The carnivalesque event attracted top political leaders and candidates of many of the political parties contesting the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state, who all pledged to create a better state for all.
Some of the candidates at the event included Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), Ndidi Patience Key of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Isaiah Osifo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Osariame Edeipo of Because of Our Tomorrow (BOOT), students, and members of civil society.
The event was organised by the family and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Coalition of Legends Initiative (COLI), formed by the late elder statesman while he was alive.
His first son, Rev. (Dr.) Collins Edebiri, who said the lecture was organised to mark their father’s demise, noted that his father was a democrat who contributed immensely to the democratic development of the state, adding that even when he retired from politics, he became an adviser to all who thronged his home for political advice.
The candidate of APGA, Osifo, who was represented by Perry Osawe, said Osifo’s manifesto “will lift Edo State beyond this level.”
“We are talking of democracy today. Without mincing words, I can say that those who are on the stage now, their antecedents, are giving a different meaning to democracy; they have given a different definition of democracy.
“It is no longer a government by the people, for the people, and to the people. It is now government by some people, for some people, and by some people. The people are not inclusive.” Osifo lamented.
For the candidate of the BOOT party, Osarieme Edeipo, “We have been thinking very deeply about this country, and BOOT means ‘Because of Our Tomorrow’.
“The people that formed the party actually sat down to say things are not working well, and that is how they came about this party, and we participated in our first election in 2019.
“Our political agenda is simply to elevate Edo and reach out. Those words have meaning from electricity, water, good roads, housing, and others; we will give these to our people in the state.
On his part, the LP candidate Akpata said Nigerians had become slaves to their oppressors as he described the late Edebiri as “a lovely man and a loving man. I always have fond memories of him.”
On the theme of the day, he said, “The Labour Party is the only party that aligns with the theme of this lecture, which is about democracy.
“What we have is what we call Stockholm syndrome because of the famous kidnapping that happened in Sweden some years ago, where the ‘kidnapee’ became reluctant to leave her kidnapper because she had fallen in love with the kidnapper.
“Nigerians have fallen in love with their kidnappers; Nigerian people have fallen in love with those people who have been serial failures in leadership.
“The fish rots from the head. We are now suffering from analysis paralysis. I was in Orhionmwon recently. Abudu has not had light for the past 10 years, and there have been two elections in the last ten years, and election number three is coming. Politics has been monetized; poverty has been weaponized.”
Speaking on behalf of the students, the Secretary, Students Union Electoral Commission of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Collins Obhiozele, urged the candidates to make the people their priority.
He said, “As we approach the gubernatorial election in Edo State, we urge all candidates to commit to these principles.
“We urge them to engage with us, to listen to our concerns, and to prioritise our welfare. We demand a government that is responsive to our needs, a government that is accountable to the people, and one that prioritises the common good.
“Let us work together to build a government that truly serves the people, that which empowers us to reach our full potential.
“Let us honour the legacy of Chief David Edebiri by building a Nigeria that is just, equitable, and prosperous for all,” He pleaded.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then