By Isaac Asabor
Permit this writer to commence his views that aligns with the foregoing headline by saying that when he read the responses of a member of the People Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT), representing South-South, Hon. Charles Idahosa at a media parley with Daily Independent newspaper, and which was accordingly published in the same newspaper with the headline in its September 12, 2023 online edition titled “Edo Next Gov. Must Be A Homeboy, Not ‘Imported Financial Magician” that the political personality that readily came to my mind, and who can aptly be described to be a “Homeboy” as opposed to the perspective Idahosa spoke from is no other person than Hon. Dele Igbinedion.
For the sake of clarity, Hon. Dele Igbinedion is a former lawmaker, lawyer, human rights activist, author, and humanist, and presently seeking the gubernatorial ticket of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State.
In the news story been made reference in this context, Idahosa, a former Commissioner for Information in Edo State while exchanging views with journalists in Benin City in an interactive session to mark his 70th birthday said, “This time around, nobody will come to tell us, he is this or that in Lagos or London that he wants to be the governor of this state. We will not accept that. He must be one of us, who knows everywhere, not an imported magician.”
To this writer, who unarguably agrees with Idahosa in his views, Edo State cannot afford to vote for another politician from either Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt, to again become the governor of the State come the next political dispensation which would, no doubt, commence in 2024. The reason for the foregoing view cannot be farfetched as such governor can in no way understands what the people at home need, better than a “Homeboy” like Igbinedion who has been living, and plying his trade in the State for decades.
At this juncture, it is not unexpected for a reader of this piece to ask if Dele Igbinedion is truly a Homeboy. The answer to the foregoing question cannot be farfetched as a personality check on him reveals that he is, and that he is dependable, people-oriented even as he has been home with the plight of the people at the grassroots, and knows what needs to be done in caring about their collective welfare. Without a doubt, he has touched lives, particularly through his chambers, Dele Igbinedion Chambers, where he serves as the Managing Partner. In fact, he has over the years demonstrated the benevolence in him, and has brought it to bear, either when in government or outside government, at one point or the other, and even up till now. That makes him a homeboy. Given the foregoing, there is no denying the fact that his policies will no doubt collectively wear a human face.
As he relates with the people of Edo State, he is not doing it from Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt as other politicians are wont to do, some of whom are interested in the gubernatorial seat of Edo come 2024. He lives among the people of the State and interacts with them, and knows where their shoes pinch them.
Not only that, he understands that Edo state and all the local government areas in the state should be seen as the bigger picture. Without a doubt, Igbinedion has been touching lives in almost all his life because he is a people-oriented person. He always thinks about the welfare of his people as he cares about them.
Given the foregoing, it can conjecturally be opined that that is why he could not leave his people (the entire Edo people that cut across Edo South, Edo Central, and Edo North) as he is poised to serve them in order to leave a legacy. In fact, in one of his posts on Facebook regarding EDO AGENDA 2024, he said, “To govern Edo, you must live in Edo. You must be with the people, feel the streets. Know what pains our Edo people. How can you know Edo’s problems, if you cannot live in Edo? Why not govern Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, the UK, the US, or wherever you live?”
It can be recalled in this context that at a media parley recently with yours sincerely who asked him, “In what areas do you really want to be different from the incumbent government?” that he responded, “In Edo state, we have never had people like me who have what it takes to fix the problems. Some of the people that have governed Edo state have never really been from Edo.
. “What I mean by that is that they never actually lived here in Edo with Edo people. They are in diaspora. The present governor Obaseki was living in Lagos. He at the time did not even know where Ugbegun or where Abudu is
“Before him was Mr. Adams Oshiomhole. He was living in Abuja. They said he was born in Kaduna grew up in Kaduna and lived all his life in Kaduna and other places before becoming the labour president.
“All he knew was that he is from Edo state but he never lived here. Before him was Professor Osunbor and so on.
“The difference that we bring is first and foremost, we are home grown. We were born here, we grew up here, and we live here. I have children studying in government schools here, I go to central hospital, my wife does her anti natal in central hospital, I use the bad roads, and all my friends are here not in Lagos.
“I don’t have a house in Abuja or in Lagos. My houses are in Benin and I live my life in Benin and in my village, so that is the difference. If you have an idea and during the weekend you just fly out of the state, you will not implement them.
“When you see the village people around you, you get irritated because their main friends are not here, they are from outside. In the United States even in London, you cannot aspire to any elective office or political representation except you have lived in that place for at least one year, it is a requirement.
“But now we have one of the persons contesting against me has lived in America for the past 24 years. He only visits Nigeria for a week and goes back and now he wants to be governor.
“How do you expect such a person to even understand the problems and challenges of the people? So, the difference between me and those people is that I am home grown and on ground and I have been here working for the people through my law practice and my small activities being a voice for the voiceless here in Edo.
“If I can do so much in my personal capacity how much more if entrusted with government opportunities for the people.”
At this juncture, permit this writer to opinionate that as a “Homeboy” that Igbinedion in one of his parleys said, “We are going to work with the people by partnering with them across all the local governments to record successes in the areas of security, infrastructure, and economic development. We will partner with relevant stakeholders to achieve this while also ensuring the judicious application of the state monies in these areas.”
Personally, I believe as a homeboy that his personality as a leader fits into John Maxwell’s saying that “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”.
Having said the foregoing about Dele Igbinedion in this context, particularly as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the Governorship election in the State would take place on September 21, 2024, it is expedient to advocate that he is unarguably the homeboy Edolites should root for to become the next governor of the State.
