By Saintmoses Eromosele (SME)
By the time Chief Anthony Enahoro, son of Uromi, moved the historic motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1953, Nigeria operated a unicameral legislature, and the House of Representatives was the highest legislative body—today’s equivalent of the Senate. Enahoro wasn’t just a legislator; he was the conscience of the nation and one of the greatest figures in Nigeria’s history. His name is etched in gold.
Likewise, Chief Tony Anenih, another illustrious son of Uromi, was arguably the most influential political figure from Esanland in the Fourth Republic. As Minister of Works and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, he helped shape national leadership. Other distinguished Uromi sons such as Architect Dr Onolememen, Dr. Itotoh, and past House Speakers like Hon Frank Okiye, Barr Friday Itulah, and Hon Matthew Egbadon have all held prominent public offices. Uromi currently holds the House of Representatives seat for Esan North-East/South-East through Hon. Odi Okojie.
Clearly, Uromi has made tremendous contributions to both Esan and national politics. For this, we are proud. But pride must not give room to false claims or political revisionism. When anyone says “Uromi has never produced a senator,” they erase the legacies of Enahoro and diminish the relevance of Uromi’s many political leaders.
This is not the time for division or selective memory. It is the time for Ebakota—fairness, unity, and shared progress. From Ewu to Ewatto, from Uromi to Irrua, from Ubiaja to Ugboha, from Iruekpen to Ilushi, we are one Esan people, Esan n’aigbe, Esan n’omon Udu! Let us not allow ambition to fracture our collective strength.
It is wiser to unite behind the party in power—both at the federal, state and local levels. Opposition politics has not served us well. It will never serve us well. Now that we have an Edo Governor of Esan extraction, Senator Monday Okpebholo, we must drop pointless partisan fragmentation and rally behind him. The Governor must not be embarrassed at home by his own. Outsiders would laugh at Esan, not the Governor – they would conclude that we destroy our own. Remember Ambrose Alli? Don’t betray Monday Okpebholo too. Let the world see that Esan people are united and wise—not Ogbuwajolele (betrayers of their own).
There is no perfect system anywhere in the world. Let us also appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC for supporting the emergence of an Edo Governor of Esan extraction. Let us strengthen that support by rallying behind the Governor’s preferred candidate for Senate—Dr. Joseph Ikpea.
Dr. Ikpea, from Ewatto in Esan South-East, is a patriot, a seasoned administrator, and a quiet achiever. His senior brother, Dr. Lee Ikpea, is unarguably the most generous philanthropist in Esanland today. Their family has empowered countless lives without noise. Ewatto has never produced a senator, minister, or governor—yet the community has remained loyal and patient to the Esan Ebakota. This is the time to reward that loyalty in the spirit of Esan Akugbe.
Some may ask: what about Hon. Joe Okojie of Uromi? The simple answer is where was he when Senator Clifford Ordia from Esan Central insisted on a third term against the zoning spirit that would have favoured Uromi in 2023? Did he stand with fellow Uromi son, Architect Mike Onolememen, who rose to challenge that injustice? No—he backed Ordia against his own Uromi man. Today, he wants Uromi to back him? One cannot sow cocoyam and reap cassava. This is not personal; it is about consistency, principle, and fairness.
Dr. Ikpea is not just a candidate of rotation—he is a candidate of capacity. He brings to the table a focus on healthcare, education, youth development, and grassroots empowerment. He is the right man to represent Esanland in the Senate at this time.
Let me be clear: I write not as a stranger to Uromi, but as one closely tied to her people. My wife is a native of Agbazilo, born in Uromi, and my beloved sister is married into the royal family of Ogbidi in Uromi. My home is in Ewu, but my heart is spread across Esanland. I speak not with bias, but with balance. As the leader of a major bloc of the Esan Students and Youth Stakeholders in Nigeria, I owe it to my generation to champion unity, not division—truth, not manipulation.
Let Uromi lead—yes—but let it lead with truth, with unity, and with fairness. Let Ewatto be heard. Let Esan rise as one. Let Ebakota prevail.
Let us vote competence. Let us vote gratitude. Let us vote fairness.
Let us vote Dr. Joseph Ikpea for Senate.
I hereby endorse Dr. Joseph Ikpea for Senate to represent the Esan people.
I rise.
Credit: SAINTMOSES EROMOSELE (SME)
Writes from his cassava farms in Eidenu and Ewu
