By Jethro Ibileke
Ahead of the 21 September, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, aspirants of various political parties have visited the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, to seek Royal blessing on their aspirations.
Amongst aspirants who paid homage to the care an aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, and Barry. Kenneth Imasuangbon of the Labour Party. N
While at the palace, Osunbor solicited support of the Monarch to ‘enable him return and complete his tenure as governor of the State,’ noting that he possesses the competence, capacity and energy to contribute his quota towards the development of the State if given the opportunity.
Recall that the 72-year-old Law Professor was declared winner of the 21 April, 2007 guber election on the platform of the PDP, and was Governor for 18 months until 11 November, 2008, when the Supreme Court finally nullified his victory.
According to him, “As your Royal Majesty knows very well, I was Governor before, but the mission was uncompleted. So, it’s my desire to come back, complete the mission and contribute to assist you in my own way in developing our own State.
“So, I believe considering who can at least help Edo State, some of these qualities that I have will be something that people would consider and say this is the man we think should get the ticket.
“He has done it before. He has the competence, the capacity and energy to be able to govern Edo State,” Osunbor added.
He particularly thanked Oba Ewuare II, for receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Edo Central who solicited his support for power shift from other Senatorial Districts to Esanland.
On his part, the frontline aspirant of Labour Party, Kenneth Imansuangbon, vowed to the revered Monarch that he would secure the state through of jobs creation for the teaming Edo youths, even as he pledged his allegiance to traditional institutions if given the opportunity to govern the state.
The governorship aspirant, popularly known as Riceman who happens to be a successful proprietor of a private school, further promised to make education accessible to all Edo children if given the opportunity to govern the state.
He said: “Mine is to create jobs for the younger ones, enough is enough for joblessness. If you create jobs, you have created a secured state. I will swiftly and quickly secure the state through job creation.
“I am from the private sector, what I have learnt over the years in the private sector is how to create jobs; how to fix schools, how to make people happy through regular payment of salaries.”
“I want to make sure that education is not a burden to parents in Edo State. Children who should be in school must be in school under my watch as governor. Also, I want to make sure our teachers are well paid as at when due. This is what I have been doing as a proprietor of a private school,” he said.
Imasuagbon further promised to return the state to the good days of Prof. Ambrose Alli and Dr. Sam Ogbemudia.
“My priority is to take away the suffering we are experiencing today in Edo State; the bad roads in every nook and corner of the state; the pains and shame of bad roads in our state, I am concerned in fixing them in the first one year in office.”
Responding, the Oba Ewuare II who reminded the various aspirants that the Benin throne is apolitical, said: “We have heard all you have said. We’ll pray for you; I mandated the Chiefs to pray for you.
“The Benin throne remains apolitical. We cannot accept one and leave the other. So, we will endeavour to pray quietly for a man that will respect the people, make them happy and put food on their tables, a man that will respect traditional institutions.”