Former senator, representing Edo North Senatorial District and Seriki Muslumi of Afenmai land, Yisa Braimoh has flayed the continued marginalisation Owan and Akoko-Edo within Edo North Senatorial District calling for power shift to give people of the two areas a sense of belonging.
He stated this yesterday at a press conference to mark his 79th birthday at his country home in Ihievbe, Owan East Local Government Area.
He said such political shift would compensate for the dissatisfaction of majority of the people of Owan and Akoko Edo clans over perceived and real marginalisation of the zone.
Braimoh who represented the district in the National Assembly between 2003 and 2007, appealed to Philip Shuaibu, the state’s deputy governor, and Etsako speaking people to concede the Senate seat in 2023 and support the Owans or Akoko-Edos to produce the next senator for the district.
He lamanted that Owan/Akoko Edo clans have never had a fair share of holding principal political offices in Edo North.
He said a good number of people from Edo North Senatorial District feel disenchanted with how the zone has been schemed out of the political equation in the state.
Braimoh lamented that Estako people, deliberately dominated the district’s senatorial seat for over 25 cumulative years starting from the late 60’s with Senator Ekpomoriri Lamai, to the 70s, 80s where senators John Umolu, Franka Afegbua, Albert Legogie, Victor Oyofo and at present Senator Francis Alimikhena.
“Edo North district is made up of six local government areas with Etsakos occupying three of the local governments, Owan two, with Akoko-Edo occupying one. Etsakos have a 44 per cent voters population advantage to the Owans 26 per cent and the Akoko – Edo’s 25 per cent of voters population.
“The performance of Senator Francis Alimikhena, an Etsako chieftain and presently representing Edo North Senatorial District in, who recently openly voted against the electronic transmission of election results in the INEC amendment bill at the floor of the Senate, is part of the reasons the Etsakos should opt for a candidate from the Owan axis.”
