By Onoriode Esievoatokpota

LAGOS JANUARY 1ST (URHOBOTODAY)-In February 2023, the Urhobo Nation would be electing just one man to represent her in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The senate is the highest lawmaking body in Nigeria. The caliber of person elected to represent a people is an indication of the quality of the people and how they are rated by the outside world. The senate is an assemblage of the very best in Nigeria. It is made up of 109 members drawn from all states of the federation. Electing a representative for the Urhobo nation, the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria must not be taken for granted.

The two prominent Urhobo sons in the race to represent Delta Central in the senate are Chief Ede Dafinone and Chief Ighoyota Amori. These two men are illustrious sons of the land in their own right. They have distinguished themselves in various estates in life. Chief Ighoyota Amori, for instance rose to prominence when he was appointed by Chief James Ibori into his administration. Prior to that time, Amori was not known. Ibori made him and since 1999, Amori had played significant roles in the politics of the land principally because he was given the opportunity and a platform to dance. There is nothing exceptional about him other than that he has been a regular face in the political equation of the land, having held several positions since 1999.

On the other hand, Chief Ede Dafinone had been a seasoned professional for over 30 years. As a chartered accountant, Ede is one of the factors that gave the Dafinone family the professional dignity of being listed in the World Guinness Book of Records as the family with the highest number of chartered accountants in the world. That feat alone stands the family out. The feat is by due diligence, hard work and uncommon finesse in service delivery and not a privilege delivered on their lap by some benevolent leader as in the case of Amori.

That the Dafinone family is a household name on the global stage today because the likes of Ede Dafinone held the torch of professional dignity which they took over from their father. He has distinguished himself in his career as a chartered accountant. And that is the experience he is bringing into the political arena. The name, Dafinone commands respect globally. He will not be in the Senate to be a bench warmer or spectator. He will be a key player with the deep knowledge of the game of politics having learnt so much from his late father, Senator David Dafinone, who served Urhobo well.

While the name Amori resonate the face of the oppressor and betrayal of Urhobo cause at different times, Dafinone commands respect and is highly esteemed among the people. Dafinone has a clean garment of honour he would be going to the senate with, but Amori is viewed as a political bully who is seeking for opportunity to lord it on the people. There is a remarkable difference between the two men. While Ede is harmless as a dove, Amori is a tormentor with the vestiges of unrepentant bestiality trailing his political endeavors. Ede Dafinone had always fought on the side of the people, he is meek, gentle and accommodating. But Amori is arrogant, abrasive and always on the side of the system that had oppressed the masses for many years.

One thing that stands Ede Dafinone out is his humanitarian services over the years through the instrumentality of the Dafinone Foundation. Through the Foundation, Ede had touched many lives, provided a scholarship for indigent members of society, and given a platform for many to learn skills and make life better for them. There is no such humanitarian service organ attributed to Amori despite his many years in politics and all he had gotten through politics. Amori receives but does not give out to humanity. He seeks ways and means to receive more from society through politics without giving back to society. Ede manifests a sharp opposite of Amori in terms of selfless services to the people.

One thing some people erroneously credit to the account of Ighoyota Amori is seeking political appointments through him. Those are privileges he dispenses because of the position he occupies and not some form of exceptional service to humanity. When you are in a position to help recommend somebody for an appointment in Patani, you cannot pick on somebody from Ethiope West for the position. That the system asked you to recommend does not confer exceptional service status on you. Your proximity to the system gave you the opportunity and not any outstanding attributes that should make you a better person than some other person in terms of electoral value. Urhobo needs a man who would go to the senate to serve not to be the boss.

The coming dispensation is not an all-comer affair. Nigeria is taking a new and better shape and those agents of retrogression and failure that did everything to ruin the polity are being dumped in the garbage trash of history. Ede Dafinone is the finest gentleman for the senate seat. He is not boastful but practically down-to-earth. The 10 senate belongs to the likes of Ede Dafinone. The older generation is fast receding into the geteroncratic estate of receiving reports from the younger ones as the latter is better suited for the battlefront. For the Delta Central senate, Urhobo must do well to send a man who would come home to give account to the people. Ede Dafinone is better than Amori as senator for Delta Central. The people should be well-guided to choose and vote right in 2023.

Onoriode Esievoatokpota is from Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.