By Pleasure Onowhakpo
As the Esan people of Edo Central are anxiously awaiting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) whistle and election timetable to fill the existing vacant Edo Central senatorial Seat in the National Assembly, prominent politicians and stakeholders have also kick-started political consultations on how they could shape, influence and possibly win their respective parties tickets for the by-election into the upper chamber. The race is likely to be mainly among three parties namely, the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), People’s Democratic Party(PDP) and the Labour party (LP). Just like in the governorship elections in the state in which the three parties participated, it’s likely to be three way race with the APC leading hugely as the dominant, leading party in the grassroots in Edo Central senatorial zone.
Introduction…
It would be recalled that the Edo Central Senatorial Seat became vacant following the election of the then APC incumbent senator representing Edo Central in the person of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the executive governor of Edo State.
Expectedly, as INEC, the National election umpire moves gradually to come up with a timetable to formally kickstart the process of filling the existing senatorial vacancy, one name that has been dominating the political space in Edo Central Senatorial race is that of Dr Joe Ikpea, a former Edo State Commissioner for Minerals, Oil and Gas; former local government council chairman of Esan South East LGA, a former Special Adviser to the Edo state government, amongst other positions in both the public and private sector of our national life.
The Emerging Dynamics in Edo Central…
Recently, this writer was among a team of field scholars who went round the constituent five Local Government Areas that make up Edo Central Senatorial District.
The aim was to among other things fill the pulses of the locals and the people generally. As the writer navigated from Igueben LGA to Esan South East and down to the university town of Ekpoma, one name that seems to resonate in the lips of many amongst the people indicating interests in filling the vacant Senatorial seat was Dr Joe Ikpea, a man variously described as a philanthropist, ace public administrator and a grassroots politician with a caring and listening ear.
Indeed, many residents recall with nostalgia when Joseph Ikpea served as a Honourable Commissioner in charge of the ministry of Minerals, Oil and Gas in Edo State as well as a Local Government Council Chairman whose philanthropy and care for the less privilege was legendary. They recall how he touched many rural communities with borehole, electricity, agriculture, etc which positively shaped the living standard of the people across the zone. Since leaving public offices, the rural people say Dr Joe Ikpea apart from being a strong private business man, now dwells amongst the local communities, especially in his native Ewatto community in Edo South East LGA.
In Esan Central Local Government Area, a chieftain of APC in that local government , Mr. Eugene Okoloise described Joe Ikpea as “the man for the job.”
He explained :” Joseph is the man for the job and to me, he is simply the best for the job. If you take a sample poll from among the people in Edo Central ninety percent of the people will tell you that they will go for Joseph.
“I know that Joe was not initially keen in running for the vacant senatorial seat. It was the people that came together to say, Joe, come and run for the seat because we know you can do it. When the incumbent Governor was the Senator representing Edo Central, we know the goal he set as a Senator. So, the people cannot allow a neophyte to occupy that place. We need someone who can win election for us”
Speaking in a similar vein, Mr. Augustus Omokaro Eriaria from Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State, described Joe Ikpea as “a very dependable and reliable politician who has always been in the service of his people and humanity”. According to him, as the chairman of Esan South East Local Government Area, Dr. Ikpea “proved his mettle. He did a lot of developmental projects and touched a lot of lives. He built schools, primary health centres and also constructed roads within the limited and very meagre resources at his disposal. I can score him 85 to 90 percent in his performances as a Local Government chairman and also as a Commissioner”, he said.
Similarly, a youth leader of the party Hon. Prosper Iyere, from ward 7 in Esan South Local Government of Edo State, submitted that he has made a comparative analysis between and among all persons aspiring to the position and, in his assessment , he has zeroed on Dr. Joseph Ikpea as the aspirant to beat for the vacant senatorial seat.
He added: “At this time of our lives as youths, it is important to look at the comparative advantage of individuals, the credibility of individuals, the focus and mindset of individuals coming up for election to represent our interest. The young people have vested interest in who becomes what and how they become what within the senatorial district. At this time Hon. Joseph Ikpea is a perfect fix to represent Edo Central at the National Assembly at the next fill-up senatorial election. And I’m quite confident that he will deliver and I can tell you that for free.
“Hon. Joseph has been one-time this and one-time that. He has been a member of SUBEB in Edo State, he has been a member of Edo State Library Board; he has been a Local Government chairman, he has been a Special Adviser; he has been a Commissioner for Oil and Gas in Edo State. And we can look at the historical antecedents of this great man that we call Hon. Joe Ikpea otherwise known as Big Joe”, the youth leader opined.
Joe Ikpea’s attachment to the grassroots and the unfettered accessibility seems to be a factor also tilting dynamics for him favorably. A chieftain of the APC from Esan West Local Government Area, Engr. Michael Ehitoya Kuku, said:”
Joe has been on ground and knows what the people want. He is not an outsider. He is somebody who knows what his people want. He is a man of few words but full of action.
“He is a man that is loved by all and hated by none. I can tell you that the leadership of the APC from the national to the grassroots level, know his capability. They know that he has the ability to provide maximum representation at the Senate for Edo Central Senatorial District.”
Also, another chieftain of the APC, Mr. Saturday Iyoha from Esan North East Local Government Area, stated that Joe is a successful businessman and he is also a politician. He was a one-time Chairman for Esan South East Local Government Area. He did well as a Local Government chairman. I know him, he is a philanthropist. He is living a life that touches other people’s lives. He is a man that is accessible to everybody”.
As the dynamics continue to deepen, a well-known APC leader and elder of the party from Esan South East LGA, Elder Sam Eboigbe described Hon. Joseph Ikpea as the right person for the vacant senatorial seat. He said he recalled vividly that the senatorial aspirant did very well as a Council chairman and also as a Commissioner, adding that he, Eboigbe, as one of the leaders of the party in Edo Central, he will throw his support behind Joe Ikpea.
“He did well as a Local Government chairman and as a Commissioner. He is the right person for that seat. We shall support him and we are preparing him for the seat. I know that there are other contestants to the senatorial seat but we are preparing Joe Ikpea to go for the vacant seat of the Senate. During the governorship race, we had about 29 aspirants in Edo State and out of the 29, one came up under the APC. So, if we are looking for one person for the Senatorial seat in Edo Central, that one person is Joe”, he concluded.
Conclusion…
As the political dynamics in Edo Central continue to unfold as it relates to the vacant Senatorial seat, one name that keeps coming up on the lips of the people of the Senatorial zone as the right material for the coveted position, is Dr. Joe Ikpea. From field reports gathered across the five LGAs that constitute Edo Central, it is clear that the people-youth, elders, women, party stalwarts, leaders, traditional rulers, etc- are rooting for him believing that he will provide effective and quality representation to the good people of Edo Central at the Red Chambers in Abuja.
