By Eben Enasco
The 8th Edo State House of Assembly recently witnessed what looked like a sort of roadblock to a strong inception of the newly Inaugurated 24 members at the Hallowed Chambers of the Anthony Enahoro Assembly complex.
This is flowing from the reported resolve to elect Hon. Blessing Agbebaku Sheriff as the New Henchman of the 8th Assembly against a plan, that initially favored the Edo Central to replace the Outgone Speaker, Marcus Onobun whose time expired after a proclamation by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
Many observers who thronged the Assembly complex during the inauguration were on the edge to witness the procedure when the Clerk of the House Alhaji Yahaya Omogbai opened the Inaugural Process.
The curiosity was way heaven high, over who would become the Next Speaker despite most people favoring the Edo Central, from whence came the outgone Speaker, to continue to occupy the seat to balance the political equations and make all entrants feel a sense of belonging.
This notion was utterly betrayed by those from the same Edo Central Senatorial District, who allegedly refused to accede to the choice of one of their own, Hon Sunny Ojezele, despite an earlier consensus reached by most of its members to allow him after the expiration of Rt. Hon Marcus Onobun.
A source who confided in our correspondent said the change decision was driven by a female member from that District who kicked against the emergence of Hon Sunny Ojiezele during a meeting that was held two days before their inauguration.
According to the source, those from Edo South and North Unanimously had agreed to allow Ojiezele to emerge as a speaker but a former commissioner and member went for another option giving room for the new decision.
The source said, “The woman heavily objected against Hon Ojiezele and I don’t know why. Most of them wanted to have Hon Ojiezele. They see him as a better and more capable person, but it was his people (ESAN) who refused him. It wasn’t the fault of other members from Edo South and North.”
For many who pointed to the Edo State Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu as aiding the emergence of the incumbent Speaker, Hon Blessing Agbebaku Sheriff, the source said, he had no hands in it.
The source maintained that the preferred choice of the Deputy Governor would have been Hon Yekini Idiaye but couldn’t be trusted for his inconsistency as far as party loyalty is concerned.
The Source’s words: “They use to be close but now they are not. Hon Yekini was his favorite but couldn’t fly for the fact that he was one of those who fought during the impasse between the 7th Assembly and the Executive arm.”
In another breath, given the Political calculations, for favorite for the Governorship seat in 2024, they would have to clear the big spec in their eyes to earn the trust of others who are more in numbers or forget it if they fail to do this.
The leaders in the region must Shun selfishness and pursue togetherness considering this endemic betrayal already brewing.
Because many are already envisaging that by earliest November 2023, a big crisis over the man to replace Governor Obaseki may erupt and seriously cast doubt on the choice of the Esan extraction of Edo State.
The effects of a catastrophic betrayal are most relevant for anxiety disorders, and this includes shock, loss and grief, morbid preoccupation, damaged self-esteem, self-doubting, and anger.
Not infrequently, they produce life-altering changes.
The words of Arthur Miller: “Betrayal is the only truth that sticks. Betrayal is one of my biggest fears. Betrayal happens on many different levels all the time, and there is no worse feeling than realizing someone you thought you could trust has gone against you.”
And if I take the words of Charles Bukowski, correctly, the male, for all his bravado and exploration, is the loyal one, the one who generally feels love. But the female is skilled at betrayal, torture, and damnation.
For Hon Sunny Ojiezele, he must work hard to deliver dividends of democracy to his constituents to up his stocks in the hallowed chambers.
