Members of the All Progressives Congress in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State, have expressed dissatisfaction with the recently submitted list of commissioner-nominees.
A protest letter, dated November 21, 2024, was sent to Governor Monday Okpebholo through the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Musa Umar Ikhilor.
In the letter, party leaders claimed the list did not adequately represent the five kingdoms within the local government—Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro, according to NaijaNews.
The petition, titled “Re: Nomination of Five Names from Esan West Local Government,” was signed by prominent APC leaders across all ten wards in the area. The leaders accused former Edo State House of Assembly Speaker Thomas Okosun and former APC state chairman David Imuse of making the nominations without consulting local party leadership, a practice they argued was not followed in other local governments.
Signatories to the petition included Chief Edwin Ogieriakhi, Chief Saturday Ogbeide, Hon. Abu Momodu, Mr. Visly Udaze, Chief Festus Ozoba, Mr. Wesley Oran, Mr. Sam Akhigbe, Chief Ikpea Ojie, Joe Aise Aisdion, and Hon. Monday Ehighawa.
The petitioners also raised concerns about perceived bias in the nominations, noting that one nominee, Mrs. Ogbidi, is the wife of the local APC chairman, while another, Pastor Odigie, is a pastor at Okosun’s church.
The leaders further stated that the nomination process was not inclusive of all kingdoms, as the list appeared to be dominated by nominees from Ekpoma Kingdom. They emphasized that the usual practice was to select one nominee from each of the five kingdoms in Esan West.
According to the petitioners, “we the concerned leaders of Esan West Local Government wish to register our protest against the list of commissioner nominees from Esan West Local Government.
“Firstly, the nomination was done by Mr. Thomas Okosun and Mr. Imuse without consulting the leadership of the Local Government as it was done in other Local Governments.
“Secondly, the list is made up of his relations and friends. For example, the female in the list is Mrs. Ogbidi the party chairman’s wife and Mr. Governor’s greatest critic, while Pastor Odigie is Thomas Okosun’s church pastor.
“Also, the selection did not reflect the spread in the Local Government as Esan West is made up of 5 kingdoms namely, Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro.
“Our usual practice is to select one nominee from each of the kingdoms but in this case, all the nominees are from Ekpoma kingdom.”
The petitioners called on Governor Okpebholo to review the list and ensure fair representation for all five kingdoms, warning that the current list could lead to divisions within the local party structure. They urged the governor to take action for the sake of justice and unity in Esan West.
