Edo 2024: It Is About The Integrity And Sanity Of Esanland

From Engr. Dr. Mike O. Enahoro

Esan people must speak in one indivisible voice for prosperity's sake in the name of Ighodalo

Edo Central Senatorial District cannot afford not to present or push its finest forward for the September 21, 2024, election cum Edo 2024.

Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in the APC could not present their finest in the likes of Prof Osunbor, Barr. Festus Ebea, Arch. Mike Onolemenmen, and so many others who are Governor materials? Someone said our brothers and sisters in APC could see beyond money they cannot account for the source? That is unfortunately not our culture in Esanland.

The truth is, the Edo Central Senatorial District members of APC had a say but could not use the political sagacity known to Esanland to outsmart others in APC to come out with their finest? Let us stop pretending, APC candidates cannot represent the Esan people in this one-time project. We do not know when this kind of opportunity will come to Esanland again. So, we have to present the best irrespective of Local Government Area or Federal Constituency. After all, the Okpebholo has had it in the past. This opportunity should go to Agbazilo so the next opportunity can come to Okpebholo again.

We do not even know when the opportunity will come again. How can we have the likes of Prof. Osunbor, Barr. Ebea, Arch. Dr. Mike, and many others in APC, and what APC is giving to us is a man who lacks cohesion in spoken English? Stop that, don't tell me that the ability to speak English Language should not be a criterion. A Governor from Edo Central should be a total package and all-rounder. If I was in APC, my voice would have been heard. 

Anyway, the consolation today is that the PDP gave us a candidate with irresistible credentials, and contagious abilities in terms of capacity, character, competence, and humility. A man who does not look at where you are from. A man who is not a political, religious, or ethnic bigot. His stakeholders are the Edo people. Yes, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, political party, or others, he relates with everyone. I am talking about the Man Wey Sabi, Bar. Dr. Asue Ighodalo. This is the consolation the Esan people have as of today.  

We Esan people should have no option but to go for the PDP Candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo who is unarguably, the finest and the best among all the candidates being presented and paraded by all the political parties. Yes, Labour is absolutely out of it. They could not see the likes of Rt. Hon. Barr  Sergius Ogun. This means the Labour Party has no regard for the Esan people at all. Despite the cry and appeal to the Edo people to give the the Esan people the chance, LP undermined the cry of the Esan people. So, LP will labor in vain for this election.

Let's tell ourselves the truth, whoever becomes the Governor of Edo State from Esanland today will represent the interest of the Esan people in general. It will be on record that the person is from Esan. If he does not represent a world-class person in terms of carriage and presentation as well as a total package, the whole Esan people will be the matter and not just the person alone. So, Esan people cannot afford not to back Barr. Asue Ighodalo for the following reasons;

It will be on record once again that we presented the finest just like we had Prof. Ambrose Alli, and Prof Oseremen Osunbor, a Professor of Medicine and a Professor of Law respectively. 

The truth is, we made a very big mistake supporting the worse during the last election that we sent someone who cannot express himself at the floor of tye Senate. We will definitely correct that in 2027 no doubt. Come to think of it! Which ear do we wan to take hear say the worst Governor of Edo State in terms of spoken English is from Edo Central? Which ear do we wan to take hear say, the worst Governor in terms of someone who did not have a known career progress before becoming a Governor is from Edo Central? Which ear we wan take hear say, the worst Governor in terms of lacking confidence when addressing people is from Edo Central? Which ear we wan to take hear say, the worst Governor in terms of 

My dear good people of Esanland, this is not about our personal interests. It is not about PDP or APC matter. This is not the time to talk about LGA affiliation. It is a time to protect our collective egos and sanctity. Esan people is said to represent the best Educated people in Edo State. Whether or not it has changed now is a matter for another day. So, how do we now act that, Esan people have no well-educated and enlightened people to start preaching Education is a scam? No, we cannot accept this. It is a matter of pride. The truth is our Benin and Afemai brothers and sisters will laugh at us if we do not do the needful now.

Esan Oyeeee!!! OYE. Esan Akugbe!!! AHU.

Dear brothers and sisters, we in Edo Central Senatorial District are presenting only Barr. Asue Ighodalo as our sole candidate from Edo Central to our brothers and sisters from Edo South and Edo North. This is to say, we from Edo Central have only one candidate in the person of Barr. Asue Ighodalo for Edo 2024.

Barr. Asue Ighodalo grew up in Benin City of the Edo South and most of his friends are from Edo North. This means he is going to be a complete Edo State Governor from the Esan extraction.

Now, you may want to know who is Barr. Asue Ighodalo?

As put together by Engr. Mike O. Enahoro, Ph.D

The Man Barr. Asue Ighodalo

The unbeatable credential of the Man Wey Sabi is not only contagious but infectious.

Born in 1959 to the family of Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah Ighodalo from Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria, Barr. Asuerinme Ighodalo attended the prestigious Kings College, Lagos, University of Ibadan, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Nigerian Law School where he obtained his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC), Bachelor of Economics (B.Sc), Bachelor of Law (LL.B), and Barrister at Law (B.L) respectively. He is an accomplished economist, lawyer, banker, management expert, and politician.

After graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1985, Ighodalo worked as an Associate in the law firm of Chris Ogunbanjo & Co. between 1985 and 1991 where his expertise on matters of Law was reestablished, and in 1991 he set up Banwo & Ighodalo in partnership with Femi Olubanwo, the firm which is today consistently ranked as a leading Nigerian law firm in the areas of Capital Markets, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions. Mr. Ighodalo's core areas of practice include Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy; Natural Resources, Mergers; Acquisitions, Banking; Securitization, and Project Finance. Ighodalo in 2014, successfully advised Zenith Bank Plc in connection with a US$500 million Eurobond issuance and Diamond Bank Plc in connection with a US$200 million Eurobond issuance respectively.

Barr. Asue Ighodalo's excellent and superlative performance in his chosen career projected him to top world-class categories of lawyers in the international business world. His effective and efficient approach to issues with best practice attracted other sectors of the economy that his service became contagious and irresistible.

Ighodalo served as the Chairman, Board of Directors, Sterling Bank PLC, Nigerian Brewery PLC, Dangote Flour Mills PLC, and The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He has also sat on the boards of other public and private companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (“NGOs”), and a statutory body including the Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurs in Nigeria) and others.

Politically, Barr. Asue Ighodalo has also served as Special Adviser to the Governor of Edo State as a member of the Economic Team of the former Governor of Edo State, H.E. Comrade Governor, now Sen. Adams Oshiomole, Special Adviser to the Governor of Edo State as Chairman, Economic Team under H.E. Governor Godwin Obaseki as the head of the Alaghodalo Economic Submit. Under the above arrangement, Ighodalo understood the economic status of Edo State and believed a lot more can be achieved. 

Ighodalo has presented several papers on capital markets issues both within and outside Nigeria and also authored many articles in leading law publications. He sometimes lectures on corporate governance, directors' duties and responsibilities, and entrepreneurship at the Institute of Directors, Lagos Business School, and FATE Foundation entrepreneurial training sessions, respectively.

In his desire to serve his Edo people, Asue Ighodalo who was appointed the Chairman of Sterling Bank in August 2014 resigned on December 31, 2023. He has also for the same reason resigned from other very lucrative positions such as the Chairman, Nigerian Brewery, etc, believing it is time to give more back to his people beyond being an Adviser. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and is a past chairman of The NBA-Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL). He is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), USA, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, International Bar Association (IBA), Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Commercial Law & Taxation Committee of the Lagos Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, London School of Economics Lawyers' Group and Associate Member Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Asue Ighodalo is happily married to his beautiful wife, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, and they are blessed with a daughter.

As he aspire to be Governor of Edo State, Asue Ighodalo's vision and mission are clear and be summarized as thus; to take Edo State to world-class number one sub-nation in Africa by lifting the people from poverty, provide the needed infrastructural and industrial development for comfortable and stable life.

Barr. Asue Ighodalo is the PDP Candidate. For a better Edo State, Vote PDP.