2007 and power dynamics in Edo
By Osarodion Ogie
IT was the renowned political scientist, Hans Morgenthau, in his famed book, Politics Among Nations that earned world-wide respect with the analysis of the centrality of realism in the political struggle for power and peace. Political power is not acquired, retained or deployed on the basis of sentiments but realistic calculations of the strength and weakness of each contender.
In Edo State today, there is now agitated talk and publications in the media of the idea of power shift in 2007. The issues have been centred on the governorship slot that is now held by the Bini stock in the state.
Indeed, the present Edo State is peopled largely by the culturally - homogeneous Edo who ethnically are split into three senatorial zones. Edo South is made up of the Bini, Edo Central is composed of the Esan, and while Edo North is the preserve of the Afenmai.
Before modern political governance, the entire expanse of landmass now Edo State was ruled from the heart of Benin City which houses the palace of the revered Oba of Benin. The legendary Benin Monarch exuded political authority that was unquestionable and total. All homage was paid to the monarchy hence the traditional institutions in the communities that pervade Edo State have roots and deference to the practices introduced by the rulership of the old Benin Kingdom.
The point must be made that the spread of the cultural power and influence of the Benin traditional institution covered the old Bendel State, from which metamorphosed Edo and Delta states of today.
We are now inundated with media talks of power shift in Edo State, but the views are as divergent as possible. The Edo South people are insisting that power shift cannot be discussed in political circles in isolation of the political injustices meted to them in the recent past by other ethnic groups in positions of political authority. The Edo Central people under the leadership of Chief Anthony Anenih, the former Works and Housing Minister and now Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees are demanding that it is their turn in 2007. The Edo North indigenes have been shouting that they are marginalised and must produce the governor come 2007. What we now have is Babel of political voices.
The fact or realism that must be highlighted is that it is wrong for any of the senatorial zones to claim that it had not produced a state governor or administrator. For Edo North, they are quick to side track the fact that their son, late Agbazika Innih ruled as military administrator, just like Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia did, and today, form part of latter's experience now counted for him as two-time governor. The late Prof. Ambrose Alli hailed from Edo Central.
It is also important to let the world know the power dynamics that operated from 1991 when Edo State was formally created by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration. The founding fathers of the state during the state creation agitation period realised that the Bini would be in majority conveniently due to their population density.
Census statistics indicate that Edo South, the home of the Bini, controls 58 per cent of the gross population of the state, while Edo Central and Edo North put together have 42 per cent of the population. There were fears among the founding fathers about the prospective domineering preponderance of the Bini who were more than half in population and landmass of the entire state.
Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, an Esan, was then the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the Gen. Babangida's administration. He was in charge, until 1993, of administration of states in the federation. Not long after, another Edo son, Admiral Mike Akhigbe, an Etsako took charge as Chief of General Staff, under Gen.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, he also superintended over states' administration nation-wide.
Aikhomu and Akhigbe, who incidentally are not Bini or from Edo South, but from Edo Central and Edo North respectively, were swayed by the political fears of some of the state's founding fathers. In trying to give their senatorial districts a sense of belonging, they decided to cut the Bini to size.
First was the creation of local councils soon after Edo State was created in 1991. In spite of the overwhelming majority of Edo South in population (52 per cent) and huge landmass, it was allocated only seven local councils while Edo Central and Edo North, which jointly boasts of 42 per cent population, and a smaller landmass was allocated 11 councils. It is a painful fact that Edo Central is actually replete with one town local councils, making nonsense of the spread of local council administration in Edo South.
The real political calculations in the lopsided local council creation in Edo State, were that while the Bini produce the governor because of their numerical strength, and the entire three senatorial district contest equally for the resources at the state level, Edo Central and Edo North would gain more from the federation account in local council allocations.
Thus, in real terms, more federal and state funding go to both Edo Central and Edo North than Edo South in comparative analysis. Yet, Edo South has more population and landmass and developmental pressures to contend with.
Aside, they went further to deal another political blow on the Bini by drawing up the constituencies for the composition of the Edo State House of Assembly. Edo South, with its singular large population and landmass that span more than half of the entire state has only 10 legislators, while 14 legislators are from Edo Central and Edo North.
The reality on ground today is that two local councils in Edo South can almost match the entire size of the Edo Central senatorial zone. Precisely, a ward in Oredo local council in Benin metropolis is virtually equal to the size of Esan North East local council in population and landmass.
Today, for example, Esan North East local council with Uromi as the only major town has two legislators in the Edo State House Assembly.
The lopsidedness in the composition of the Edo State House of Assembly was to use their joint numerical advantage in the State House of Assembly to checkmate the Bini who will be producing the governor under a democratic setting where majority votes determine electoral successes.
Today, the composition of the State Executive Council is largely in favour of Edo Central and Edo North compared with Edo South. This is because of the liberal attitude of the incumbent Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion who reached out to all senatorial districts, and local councils.
Since 1971 when Midwest region was given political impetus, and till date, spanning several military regimes and civilian administrations, the office of the secretary to the state government has thrown up curious statistics that have put Edo Central and Edo North in strategic positions to the disadvantage of Edo South.
Specifically, Edo North has occupied the office of the secretary to state government for 14 years, Edo Central-six years, while Edo South has clocked seven years.
The realistic political situation today is that the Bini or Edo South has largely only the governorship slot to hold on to in the political matrix of Edo State because of their numerical advantage.
Power shift cannot, therefore, be based on only the governorship slot, without the political injustice in unfair councils' distribution and lopsided representation in the State House of Assembly addressed along. We are not swayed at all about the talks on power shift because the bitter truth is that it is targeted at emasculating the Bini in Edo State.
We will not throw away our God - given numerical advantage as Bini in Edo State because that is our strength in the democratic set-up. We swung the political pendulum in favour of Ambrose Alli in 1979, Dr. Ogbemudia in 1983, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in 1991, and twice for Dr. Lucky Igbinedion in 1999 and 2003. But with the current political conspiracy against the Bini of Edo South since 1991 when Edo State was created, as shown above, the Bini would resist the plan to make them totally irrelevant in the state despite their population.
The reality is that Bini would not let go of the governorship slot, no matter the level of intimidation, as deft power sharing arrangements have been in place in Edo State before now by the state founding fathers. We will hold on to what we have.
- Barrister Ogie is a Lagos-based legal practitioner
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