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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edebiri, is dead.
Fondly called the Odionwere of Benin Kingdom, he died at the age of 93 at a private hospital in Benin during a brief illness.
A family member, said Edebiri, who would have been 94 in September, died at exactly 12:20 p.m. yesterday. “He had not been too strong and we took him to the hospital a few days ago…The family will follow the protocol for formal announcement of his death.”
His last major outing was his participation in the March 28 governorship and House of Assembly elections, where he described the February 25 presidential election as the best since he started voting. He said he had never missed any election since he cast his first vote in 1951 at the age of 22.
He told journalists that he had never missed voting in any election since he cast his first vote in 1951 as a 22-year-old young man.
“I thank God I am alive to vote in this election. I am here to vote as I did two weeks ago.
“It will interest you to know that I started voting at the age of 22 in December 1951 in the regional election to the House of Assembly elections at Ibadan. We were then part of Western Region. Since then I have not failed to vote in any election be it national or sub-national. Some of the things that happened in the last two weeks were just a fluke. Those who voted were not members of the party, they came for certain purposes to make some statements and when those statements failed, their interests died. The February 25 election was the best I have seen and taken part in since 195,” Chief Edebiri said.
A journalist and writer, Chief Edebiri in 2022, unveiled two books – “Tripod of Life: Essence of Benin Tradition and Culture” and “The life and Times of Iyase N’Ohenmwen” to mark his 93rd birthday.
At the event, he said Nigeria derailed from the part of development when in 1979, the leaders adopted the American Presidential System of government which he said has not been practised as it should be.
