By DADA AYOKHAI
What initially started as a whisper in a few inner political circles is now turning into reality as Dr. Ernest Umakhihe entered the final phase of his consultations, preparatory to throwing his hat into the Edo 2024 Guber race
Dr. Umakhihe, on penultimate Saturday, led a powerful delegation, comprising friends and associates, to the palace of the Ovie of the Otuo kingdom, HRH Julius Segun Ojeabuo to formally notify the highly revered Monarch of his impending retirement from the Federal Civil Service after 35 years of uninterrupted and meritorious service and his foray into the political terrain where he is expected to formally declare interest in the Edo Guber race.
Dr. Umakhihe enjoys considerable influence as a Permanent Secretary (PS) and is also one of the few intelligentsias remaining in the federal civil service. His record of feats in various ministries is one of the reasons for his rapid rise to the peak of his civil service career as a PS, the last being at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Security.
Political pundits have described the visit as “well timed”, saying it portrayed Dr. Umakhihe as a true son of the soil who knows that “charity begins from home”.
Against his, imminent retirement from the civil service, Dr. Umakhihe came under tremendous pressure from a cross-section of powerful individuals and groups who urged him to contest the Edo 2024 Guber election
Finally bowing to the pressure, Dr. Umakhihe threw his hat into the ring, having concluded plans to run on the platform of the opposition APC.
The palace storming was a huge spectacle that elicited positive reactions. Illustrious sons and daughters of the community, including the President-General of the town’s union as well as other key officials were on hand to prep for the event.
The palace of the Ovie was a beehive. Assisted by his Council of Chiefs and Elders, Dr. Umakhihe was inducted into the Otuo Community Hall of Fame in recognition of his unblemished record of service to his community, state, and federal government
An elated Ovie of the Otuo community, HRH Julius Ojeabuo, beaming with joy at the caliber of eminent personalities who graced the impromptu event, personally supervised investiture during which the recipient, Dr. Umakhohe was presented with his plaque and award.
The APC gubernatorial primary in Edo State, scheduled for February, is beginning to look like a tough nut to crack given the growing number of aspirants who are ready to pick up the party’s nomination form
There are still some dark clouds around which of the senatorial districts will produce the party’s flag bearer
For now, it has been an all-comers affair, with top APC leaders leaving everything to speculation and refusing to speak on the zone likely to produce the guber candidate of the party
