“I so badly want to serve Edo People”, says Asue Ighodalo, the leading candidate in Edo 2024, at an Edo UK Diaspora Zoom hosted by Edo Connect on 19 May 2024.
There was just over 50 people present at the zoom call because Asue has been accessible to Edos for months, way before election campaigns started. I asked him if this fact was lost on him to which he replied that he had to familiarise himself with everyone because he has never been in politics before.
Asue took on every question poised to him on the zoom call and opened the answer more than the person asking. As the Zoom went on, we arrived at a stage where we were taking one question per minute from Edos and Asue was giving the answers back per minute because of how many people wanted to talk to him.
Edwin Igue who got 72 artefacts from the Horniman Museum questioned Asue directly on the Benin artefacts. Are they coming to Oba Palace, Benin Royal Museum as Oba Ewuare II has requested? Asue Ighodalo made it unequivocally clear twice that all Benin Artefacts are going to the Oba Palace and nowhere else, including the new museum being built in Benin-city.
Asue spoke in detail about the advantages of the Edo diaspora and the formation of an Edo Diaspora Commission that will help the diaspora and Edo State government collectively move Edo state forward.
I informed Asue of what the Edo diaspora did for GO in 2020 when he was been chased by lions and tigers, also, how Osaze Osemwingie Ero galvanised the Edo diaspora when he was commissioner of arts, culture, and diaspora affairs. However, in 2024, whilst we are excited at an Edo diaspora partnership with Edo state Government in the form of a commission, we have many Edos in the UK diaspora that have represented the community very well over many years. They have dedicated their time, shown commitment, spent their resource, and have earned the respect of the community. These are the people that know the Edo community in diaspora and will be able to guide the Edo State government and who need the government’s support to do more for the Edos in diaspora. We want the Edo diaspora commission to work and that involves putting our best foot forward, round pegs in round holes. Any Edo 2024 candidate that attempts to impose somebody on the Edo diaspora that is not known to the community risks the chance of distorting the maiden Edo commission and making it a failure. That person will not get Edo diaspora votes. We want a government that will work with our Edo diaspora UK structure.
Ex -Commissioner Osaze Ero who was also on the Zoom call, he informed Edos in the UK Diaspora that all diaspora ambassadors appointed by him are no longer functional, stating Asue Ighodalo is the candidate that will support the diaspora vision in the way they want.
Tony Igele Daniels (physically challenged) from Edo State was on the Zoom call and complained about abandonment of the physically challenged in Edo State by successive governments, especially worse under the current administration of Godwin Obaseki. Tony also complained that he is no longer able to move as his mobility scooter was broken. Asue responded by informing Tony of the disabled friendly places and people he has visited in Edo State recently. He gave Tony his personal phone number to call him to replace his mobile wheelchair/scooter, it was beautiful to see.
There were other questions from Edo professionals and community people about how he expects to win Edo 2024 with so much turmoil and fractions in his party the PDP. Asue said he was begging everybody and all factions of the party and that he was optimistic peace is expected to reign before the elections.
Asue Ighodalo stated the first thing he will fix in Edo State is security. He identified this as the main problem bedevilling the growth of Edo State including the Edo diaspora involvement. Edo Diasporans are making the life-changing decisions not to come home due to insecurity and this must be addressed. On Cultism he wants to create modern and attractive jobs for Edo youths to help them out of that life.
I have met Godwin Obaseki on many occasions, and I can tell the difference., Asue has got life in him, infectious energy, and empathy unlike the latter, but this is not about GO and Asue is not governor yet.
The understanding that Edo2024 is a hard election is not lost on Asue. He is asking the diaspora to tell our people at home to vote Asue so that we can all move Edo State forward. On the evidence of last night’s Zoom, Asue has the capacity and Edos are always known to do the right thing in elections.
For me, Edo Connect this is my first time of encountering Asue Ighodalo and I must be honest, he was brilliant! There are no ifs, no buts, except maybe I should add “brilliantly passionate” to serve Edo people.
The Editor.