Edo 2024: Needless attacks against Ighodalo as ‘Lagos boy,’ ‘inability’ to speak Esan language

The tenure of Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki, will end on November 11, 2024, and going by Section 178(2) of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, “election into the office shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the last holder of the office.”

The latest date for election into the office of Governor of Edo State is October 12, 2024. Thus, by the provision of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the governorship election on September 21, 2024, and also published the timetable for activities leading to the poll.

According to a statement by INEC on September 26, 2023, the Edo State primaries will hold from February 1 to 24, 2024, while the submission of the list of nominated candidates, via the online portal, will start on March 4, 2024 and close on March 24, 2024.

“The final list of candidates will be published on April 23, 2024, while campaign in public by political parties commences on April 24, 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on September 19, 2024,” the statement said.

Since the INEC announcement, political activities have assumed an upsurge, and a drastic change, with governorship aspirants and their campaigns hauling brickbats at opponents, especially those viewed as formidable, and more likely to have a go at the tickets of the political parties, particularly the leading platforms of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) in Edo State.

It’s on this premise that attempts are made by some aspirants to undermine the genuine and inspirational aspiration of Barrister Asue Ighodalo – who leads the pack in the PDP – on the ground that “he cannot speak Esan (language),” because he is a “Lagos boy,” and not a “homeboy,” and had to “hire an interpreter” when he intimated his community about his governorship ambition.

It’s on Sunday, December 3, when Mr Ighodalo met with members of his ward in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, to solicit their support and cooperation in his bid for Governor in 2024.

As he told the anxious and excited crowd: “I want us to stand as one. If we stand as one, the whole of Esan will take us seriously and we will be the pride of Edo State.

“I want everybody to go and register so that we can all vote as one body for the goodness and greatness of our land.

“You must have water, road, jobs and light. By the grace of Almighty, if we get this governorship, we will get everything, and Edo State will be the greatest state in Africa.”

Normally at important gatherings in Esanland, the people need a streetwise interpreter, to further break down the message, even delivered in the local dialet. So, it wasn’t out of place for Mr Ighodalo’s political message to be simplified for “proper” understanding of the audience.

This was what critics deviously termed “hiring of an interpreter” – which went viral in the media – to score some undeserved political points. But unfortunately for them, it didn’t scratch the surface, talkless of achieving the intended mileage.

While some social media posts have lapped on the “engagement of an interpreter” to talk to one’s kinsmen as “a sign of age-long disconnect from the people,” others defended Mr Ighodalo, urging, “focus on the progress he could bring to Edo State, as local language would not bring investments.”

Edo people may want to ask those trying to blackmail Mr Ighodalo for unable to speak Esan because he isn’t a homeboy: Since when has speaking in the mother tongue a criterion for qualification for the Office of Governor or any other elective position under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria?

For the record, for the position of a Member of the Senate; a Member of the House of Representatives; a Member of the State House of Assembly; the President and Vice President; and Governor and Deputy Governor, the qualification requirements are spelt out in Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177, respectively thus:
(a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
(b) he has attained the age of 35, 30, 30, 40 and 35 (applicable to each office accordingly);
(c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
(d) he has been educated to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.

And under Interpretation in Section 318 of the Constitution, “School Certificate or its equivalent” means in (c)(iii) “the ability to read, write, understand, and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

Clearly, only INEC has the power to determine whether a candidate has the “ability to read, write, understand, and communicate in the English language” – and not in their local language – which medium Mr Ighodalo deployed to address his kinsmen.

By the way, how many of us are grounded in the local language to be able to communicate without mixing it with the English language or better still, “pidgin,” which’s the unofficial lingua franca of Edo and Delta states carved out of the old Mid West or Bendel State?

Indeed, as one Osagie Steven wrote on his Facebook page: “The official, acceptable and most proficient language of communication in Edo is English. Stop the unnecessary brouhaha.”

Luckily for Mr Ighodalo, his communitypeople of Ewohimi didn’t – on account of his alleged inability to speak Esan – reject him, his vision and mission, and Blue Print for the Governorship of Edo State in 2024.

Rather, reports spoke of enthusiastic reception for him amid pump and ceremony. And which local folks won’t accord their illustrious son or daughter a befitting homecoming, to announce officially to them that they’re gunning for the highest office of the state?

God willing, if Mr Ighodalo becomes the Governor of Edo State, his community will be high on his agenda, and every man or woman of Ewohimi “will become Governor.” That’s the simple interpretation that local people give to any office that their son or daughter is elected or appointed into. Ewohimi and Esanland won’t be the exception!

Critics have even visited the “sins of the father on the son” – here the “sins of Governor Godwin Obaseki” on Ighodalo – reported as “political godson” of the governor. The argument being that if elected as Governor, Ighodalo will also underperform – as Obaseki’s been accused of – because “he is not a ‘homeboy'”!

Hasn’t Edo State produced a couple of “homeboy” governors since 1999 when democracy returned in Nigeria? What was their impact on the socio-economic lives of the people?

Aren’t the people still clamouring for a saviour to wave the proverbial “magic wand” to alleviate their conditions and improve their lives – which Mr Ighodalo’s promised to do if given the opportunity as Governor of Edo State in 2024?

Critics overlook the individual differences, as explained in “Individual Differences Theory,” which proposes that “people vary significantly in their characteristics, traits, abilities and needs. No two individuals are exactly alike. We all have unique personalities, temperaments, motivations, skills, and preferences. These contrasts affect how we behave, think, feel, and perform.”

They should let Mr Ighodalo be, as he’s different from Mr Obaseki! Needless to bandy his record of achievements, and the high and numerous positions held in the corporate world, which speak for themselves. Let him be guaged, judged and measured on his ability, capability, capacity, and competence in his chosen field, in other endeavours, and in giving back to the society.

The “New Edo State” of our dreams doesn’t need the old broom that knows all corners to even hide dirts, but a new broom that sweeps clean the house. Edo people are tired of non-performing or under-achieving aspirants boasting only longevity and experience in politics; they need new faces that have tangible, traceable achievements, and are capable of delivering on their promises to the people.

That’s the kind of “intimidating credential, and experience” that Barr. Asue Ighodalo brings to the table. Other aspirants should showcase theirs, too, rather than resort to blackmail, to pull him down, probably out of envy or jealousy, or both! Time for tricks and deceit is over in Edo State!

* Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria .