Esan High Chief Stainless Ijeghede Advices Asue Ighodalo To Embrace and Congratulate Sen. Monday Okpebholo as Edo Governor-Elect
After a week of the Edo State election a High Chief from Esan Land, Chief Stainless Ijehgede has released a letter through his aide advising Asue Ighodalo, on the right step to take.
Dear Asue Ighodalo, I write to congratulate you heartily, for your gallant outing during the Governorship electioneering campaigns and the just concluded election.
I commend you for polling second, according to the results released by INEC. What that shows is that Esan emerged first and second in the election.
But permit me to acknowledge that you are super savvy and thus, have all it takes to be the Governor of Edo State but the Governorship seat is for one person at a time. Therefore, you still stand the chance of another shot at it in the future.
My advice will be for you to leave things in the hands of God and forgo the notion of going to court to challenge Monday Okpebholo’s victory at the poll.
If you want to remain a patriotic Edolite and an avowed Ambassador of the Esan Nation, I herein sincerely advise you to embrace and congratulate the Governor Elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in the spirit of your love for the Esan race, although it may seem a hard sacrifice on your part. But that singular heroic act will indelibly engrave your name in gold, in the history books of Esan in particular and that of Edo State in general.
I want to hint you that when Godwin Obaseki would have handed over to Senator Monday Okpebholo, he will not be on ground to back you up, either due to his deliberate volition to be off the scene or by occurrence of recondite issues, including anti graft agencies’ hunt, such as EFCC etc. He may not have the time to devote or have the excitement or enthusiasm to dissipate his money and time in pursuance of your election petition. I am sorry to say; by then, you would be frustrated by Obaseki’s apathy.
He may even travel out of the country if his passport and other relevant travel documents are not seized by any of the concerned security agencies. Consequently, he will not be disposed to paying the required attention to you and your Election Tribunal case.
You have spent a colossal quantum of your personal hard earned resources on this election, though the state Government has also expended a huge amount of Edo people’s common wealth on the election.
You will certainly lose more than Obaseki and any other individual person in Edo State in pursuing this election case.
Let me remind you that Akpakomiza and APC by then will be in charge of the State Government. The state’s funds will be appropriated in this case, because it will then be viewed as a case against the state Government, like it had always been in previous Election Tribunal cases involving different State Governors in Nigeria.
Note that the final verdict in this case will be given by the Supreme Court, and it takes some time for that to happen. This will be goldmine for the lawyers (I didn’t mention the Judiciary).
I will rather advise you to demonstrate to the entire world that the Esan People have big hearts for love, contrary to the erroneous speculations that the Esans cannot tolerate each other nor come together as one.
Please do not allow those who have been setting up the Esans against one another, in order to actualise their selfish goals, to persuade you against your own brother this time around.
It will be more honourable and respectful, and in short, heroic for you to hold Press Conference and tell the world that, because of your love for Esan and indeed, for the good people of Edo State, you have decided to allow things go the way they are now, although you may not have agreed with the final result. That you have walked the path of peace and progress for the sake of Esan People and Edo people in general.
Taking this path will make you the Hero of Nigeria politics.
I trust, as a yuppie, you will consider my advice and act wisely.
Thanks in anticipation.
High Chief Stainless Ijeghede.