Senator-elect, Monday Okpebholo came into politics with a troubled mindset over the deplorable condition of roads, lack of potable water and the hegemony of a handful political elements who possessed Esanland as if it was their inalienable privilege. Edo state had become a telling theatre of psycho-politics since the demise of leaders like Tony Anenih, Samuel Ogbemudia and Inu Umoru. These men represented a generation of leaders in the state with an exhaustive understanding of the shared values and dreams of the people. They listened to the people and made sense of their desires, with selfless sacrifices to compliment the role of government, by enabling an atmosphere for good governance. Somehow the emerging political class that took over from them had their intentions differently, mostly made of self-centredness. They were populated in PDP and stole the peoples’ hearts with false tales of new hopes. They accused the old ones of depleting the goodwill of the state and promised an Eldorado in the face of a derelict infrastructure. Nature then provided the opportunity for them to be tested.
In Edo central, they include Oserhemen Osunbor, Odion Ugbesia, Mike Onolememen, Clifford Ordia, Joe Edionwele, Seguis Ogun and a host of others. The likes of Odi Okojie, Marcus Onobun and Monday Okpebholo, a protege of late Chief Anenih were merely creating a new folder in the leadership class.
Coming from the background of an entrepreneur, Monday Okpebholo’s motivation was basically the balance-sheet cited in the plight of Esan people in the hands of these senior political elites. He comes from the same zonal region with the outgoing Senator Clifford Ordia, the man who held on to power despite the hue that third term was against the order of agreement in the land and an anomaly that breeds imbalance. Ordia was particularly a stranger in Edo central’s political activities when he first emerged on the scene. He contested on the mill of an overwhelming support among those who rose up against the selfish inclinations of Ugbesia with his team of third termers in 2015.
The people insisted on a turn-by-turn or rotation between the two regions of Esanland; Okpebholo and Agbazillo. Late Chief Anenih has instituted that arrangement, instructing that on no account must one zone be allowed to serve beyond two terms so as to allow for peaceful political co-existence in the senatorial district.
Despite being his in-law, Anenih looked the other way when his associates led by Onolememen descended with an onslaught against the third term ambition of Ugbesia. Ordia breathed a sigh of relief as he easily became the biggest beneficiary of the onslaught on behalf of Okpebholo people, and won the Senate seat.
Today, Okpebholo is a Senator and the hegemony of PDP in Esanland is broken. To buttress that one man’s fall could be another man’s rise, Monday Okpebholo made record as the first person of Uwesan ancestry in Irrua to ascend the green chamber as Senator and the first APC Senator in Edo central.
Born on 29th August in 1970 in Udomi-Uwesan, Irrua, Okpebholo whose name also coincides with his Okpebholo ancestry, was popularly nicknamed Akpakomisa from childhood because of his survival of the tough times occasioned by the numerous water borne disease at that time. That nickname strikes the typical Esan man to his marrow as it connotes unanticipated toughness. His ability to survive the difficulty at that time when many children couldn’t survive the diseases. Now that he has won the senate seat to the consternation of the current Senator who undermined his capability, will he survive the terrain? Will he be able to deliver on his promises?
Those who know him very well have vowed that he has a knack for springing surprises.
His campaign leading to his election was thorough and shocking. Being a successful entrepreneur, the Senator-elect did not leave any stone unturned in deploying men and huge resources to counter his opponent backed by the Governor. Okpebholo’s campaign deepened into the heart of Esanland using his philanthropic gestures to sell himself. He also had a companion in Odi Okojie, the APC candidate who won the Federal House of Representatives to represent Esan North East and Esan South East, comprising Uromi, Uzea, Ubiaja, Ugboha, Udo, Emu and others. Their collaboration provided victory for partnership.
The party has come to stay if Okpebholo and Okojie will not be distracted from their promises especially in the provision of infrastructure. It is on record that Edo central which is basically comprised of Esan speaking people has the worst roads and porous borders in the entire state
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ikpea lives in Edo State
