By Ozioruva Aliu

A group, Edo North for Good Governance (ENGG) threw spanners at the third term bid of the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sen Francis Alimikhena claiming that he has not done enough to merit a return and that the senatorial district is made up of three arms so the position should be zoned to another arm.

Speaking Vanguard in Benin City, Coordinator of the group; Donald Inwalomhe said Edo North is made up of Etsako which has three local government areas, Owan with two local government areas and Akoko-Edo local government area.

He said since 1999, Etsako has had two shots which would be sixteen years by 2023 when Alimikhena would have concluded his second term while Owan and Akoko-Edo have had only shot of four years each.

He said “Afemai (Edo North) has three children which are Etsako, Owan and Akoko-Edo. I am from Ward 10 in Etsako West local government area. By 2023, Etsako would have been in the senate for sixteen years beginning with Senator Victor Oyofo who was there for eight years and now Alimikhena would have spent eight years while Owan has had one term in Sen. Yisa Braimah and Akoko-Edo which had Sen. Domingo Obende.

“Alimikehna spent huge resources to get the ticket in PDP but he did not get it, it was Comrade Oshiomhole who came to his rescue in 2011 by denying Domingo Obende a second term. I learnt he has set up a team headed by a former commissioner to strategizing for him.

“We are all Afemai so it should either go to Owan of Akoko-Edo local government area. This time, he will not get the support of Etsako. There are qualified people in these other two areas, we are a minority group in the state and it will be wrong to also be marginalising ourselves. If Alimikhena wants to contest for the presidency of this country, we will support him, if he wants to be governor of Edo State, we will support him but not Senate again.”

Vanguard News Nigeria