By Raphael Okhiria
The immediate past speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, now member representing Esan West/Esan Central/Igueben federal constituency at the House of Representatives (HoR), is currently faced with a political opposition that is threatening to stop his desire to return to the HoR.
Going by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party primaries are to be held between April and May, this year.
In the absence of a governorship election in Edo state, the political battles are pit for the incumbent lawmakers eyeing second or third terms against fresh challengers.
But in Edo Central Senatorial District, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun is obviously sidelined by the power that be. The reasons are legion.
Amongst them are his poor performances both at the legislative chamber and in his constituency where many of his constituents have scored him low.
Besides, he decamped from the political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he used to contest and won the HoR seat in 2023, to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) where he unfortunately has become a stranger and defenceless.
Whereas Onobun’s colleagues at the national assembly and party mates such as Sen. Joe Ikpea, who filled Okpebholo’s seat at the senate after a by-election, and Prince Odianosen Okojie, representing Esan North/Esan South East at the HoR, can rightly be said to have scaled through the party’s primary election but Onobun’s case is different.
This is so because the Governor Okpebholo’s body language suggests tacit approval for Senator Ikpea and Hon. Okojie to ride on with their second term bid hence nobody is indicating interest to contest against them from the APC, unlike Hon. Marcus Onobun who is going to sweat it out against a strong party rival.
Dr. Lucky Eseigbe, one of the powerful loyalists of Governor Monday Okpebholo, recently resigned his commissionership position under Senator Okpebholo’s government to challenge Onobun for the APC ticket.
Dr. Eseigbe, who hails from the same community (Iruekpen) like Onobun, by all indications is most favoured by the leaders of the APC in the area and supported by the state governor.
Who will speak for or stand with Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun? It is only God that will decide.