Two months after the violent killings that occurred in Uromi, a town in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, the Nigerian Senate convened to deliberate on the matter. However, during the discussions, a glaring institutional void was exposed: Edo Central Senatorial District, where Uromi is located, had no senator present to speak on behalf of its people.
This absence is not coincidental but symptomatic of a broader and more troubling pattern of political disengagement. Barely three months after his inauguration as Senator in June 2023, Monday Okpebholo commenced his campaign for the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election. In doing so, he effectively redirected his focus from legislative duties to political ambitions, leaving a representational vacuum in the Senate.
The consequence has been the near-total absence of Esan voices in national legislative discourse for almost two years. My two hours visit to the British Parliament yesterday, Tuesday further exposed me to the reality of proper representation, watching each MP speaking passionately about their constituencies and constituents!
Following his eventual election and swearing-in as Governor in November 2024, the Senate formally declared the Edo Central seat vacant in December of the same year. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was subsequently directed to conduct a by-election. However, as of May 2025, no such election has been conducted, and the seat remains unoccupied.
The result is a troubling democratic deficit. In a federal system where legislative representation is critical to governance, policy advocacy, and constituent protection, the prolonged vacancy has effectively disenfranchised the people of Edo Central.
Their absence from national legislative processes undermines not only regional interests but also the integrity of Nigeria’s representative democracy.
This case raises urgent questions about the accountability of elected officials, the responsiveness of democratic institutions, and the mechanisms available to ensure continuous representation. It underscores the need for constitutional or administrative reforms to prevent extended legislative vacancies, especially those resulting from political ambition overriding elected responsibility.
Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray is a Journalist, fellow of the British College of Journalism, Human Resource Management Expert (CIPD), PhD student in International Politics and Conflicts Resolution, Sociopolitical Rights Activist and Publisher of Truth Live News. He writes from Greenwich, London, England.