By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – AS the agitation for who takes over from Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State when he completes his second term in 2024 gathers momentum, a group from Edo Central Senatorial District, Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI) said it would meet with leaders from Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial Districts to concede the next governor to the Esan to complete the tripod in which the state stands.

Governor Obaseki is from Edo South Senatorial District while his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is from Edo North.
In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the group, Tony Iyare said the group has also come out with conditions that must be met by any aspirant of Esan extraction before they would support the person adding that the group in its meeting over the weekend adopted the criteria to contest presented by a committee it had set up headed by a constitutional law scholar, Professor Mike Ikhariale.
He said “the meeting which was attended by some Esan groups in the country and the Diaspora and presided over by its President, Rt. Hon Mathew Egbadon disclosed plans to engage other senatorial zones with the hope of getting them to concede the governorship ticket to persons of Esan extraction on the basis of justice, equity and fairness.”

He quoted Egbadon as saying that “We are non-partisan, we are only interested in putting forward our best hands”, pleading with “unserious aspirants” who have joined the hordes of contenders for the governorship ticket to quit the race.

The statement said the “criteria cover critical areas like education, social and political exposures, personal gravitas”, and emphasizes that the would be aspirants must be imbued with “a strong association with Esanland through past and current activities in ways that are demonstrably focused on the promotion of the wellbeing of Esan people.”

He said the criteria are divided into three broad categories – Mandatory Requirements, Esan-centric Requirements and The People’s Specific Demands.