2023 House of Rep.: Why Onobun May Suffer Defeat

By Ehichioya Steve Odion

The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly,  the candidate contesting Esan West, Esan Central and Igueben Federal Constituency election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Macus Onobun may suffer defeat in the House of Representatives election that has been rescheduled to hold on the 18th of March, 2023 based on some issues.

Sources from Edo Central indicate that the treatment they gave Sen. Clifford Ordia during the last Senatorial election where he was roundly defeated by the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo may equally be applied in Hon. Macus Onobun's case, as the Legacy group we learnt have started regrouping to ensure his outright defeat in the coming election.

You will recall that the two factions of the PDP, the Legacy group of Dan Orbih and that of Gov. Obaseki have been fighting each other on who becomes the authentic candidates of the party in the 2023 general elections. But the Supreme Court later favoured Gov. Obaseki's faction which produced Hon. Macus Onobun for the House of Representatives election.

The source said the Legacy group is bent on working against him in the coming election. They said they will form alliance with another candidate in the election to end his ambition of becoming a National Assembly member, although the candidate was not disclosed. They added that their major mission is to ensure he loses the election.

Although we learnt that Speaker Onobun met with the Management and staff of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma recently in a town hall meeting, where he enumerated some of his achievements so far. It was however learnt that the move may not have yielded any positive result as the staff are still complaining bitterly on the suffering and hardship the Governor Obaseki's regime have subjected them and the institution to. They said since they have been going through these challenges of being  owed arrears of salaries that they did not see the impact of the Speaker by way of intervening in the matter in order for them to have some reliefs from  their suffering. They said apart from being the Speaker, he is an alumnus of the institution. They also noted that they expected him to handle AAU problems by prevailing on Governor Obaseki to solve the institution's problems once and for all.

Another impedement to his victory is the zoning arrangement which has also been abandoned in the position of House of  Representatives as they also did in that of the Senatorial position in the same Edo Central. Ordinarily, if you are to follow the zoning arrangement put in place in the Senatorial district, it was supposed to be the turn of Igueben Local Government Area that has not benefited since democracy came on board in 1999. 

The people think for equity and justice it is only fair that Igueben should be given the opportunity to serve at the National Assembly.

Esan West and Esan Central have benefited in the zoning arrangement. Esan Central have served sixteen years through Hon. Oiboh and Patrick Ikhariale, while Esan West is about to complete its eight years tenure through Hon. Joe Edionwele. It is only fair that Igueben Local Government should equally be given the opportunity to produce the next National Assembly member through the Labour party.

There are also serious complaints from  other communities in Esan West that Iruekpen-Ekpoma has benefited so much in political positions since 1999 when democracy came on board while others are facing total neglect. They noted,  Hon. Joe Edionwele has served as local government chairman and presently serving two terms  as House of Representatives member, Hon. Monday Abulu also served as local government chairman. Prof. Osareimhen Osunbor served as Senator for 8 years and as Edo State governor for 18 months and Hon. Macus Onobun is presently a member and Speaker at the Edo State House of Assembly are all from Iruekpen, wondering if other communities are forbidden from being elected into public office in Esan West Local Government Area.

And Hon. Marcus Onobun who is also the present candidate of the PDP for the next week House of Representatives election for Esan West, Esan Central and Igueben Constituency is from the same Iruekpen.

Some section of PDP also frown at the way some PDP leaders betrayed the party by working for Macus Onobun who was in APC to secure victory against their candidate, Clifford Inegbedion who was the PDP candidate for the Edo State House of Assembly in Esan West in 2019.

Looking at the above issues critically it will be a herculian task for Macus Onobun to overcome, except he has other strategies to perform the miracle in the election.

However, sources from his Constituency also say that the Speaker is not detered by those issues raised, but has continued to meet with the stakeholders and other people that would assist him to win the election come 18th of March, 2023.