By Akpor Odedede
In advanced democracies as seen in the United Kingdom and the United States, legislative representation is an entrenched practice that enables elected lawmakers to act on behalf of their constituents to create laws that address their needs and interests. In other words, it is correct to say legislative representation is a deliberate constitutional enactment that empowers elected members and senators to represent the interests and concerns of their constituents in the National Assembly. However, in Nigerian politics, a lot of persons aspire to hold elected offices in the National Assembly, either as elected senators or elected members, just to be enlisted among influential politicians in the corridor of power or as a veritable venture to steal from government coffers in order to enrich themselves.
Using Delta Central as a case study in the discourse of legislative representation in Nigeria comes with a potpourri of issues. The dominance of politicians who want to bear the appellation of “senator” to their names is on the rise. There are also those who want to believe that the seat of a senator offers them a safe haven to maintain their political relevance since the seat of the governor of the state is now occupied on a seemingly rotational basis such that whoever occupies it for a first term is most likely to return for a second term. Thus, the senatorial district has lacked legislative representation with blueprints over the years.
On the 13th of June, 2025, when Senator Ede Dafinone was inaugurated on the floor of the Nigerian Senate as the senator representing Delta Central, not many realized that he was well equipped for the role he was elected to carry out for his people at the Hallowed Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Two years later, Senator Dafinone has established himself as an emerging voice of the Nigerian Senate. He is eloquent, soft-spoken, and highly articulate in his presentation and contribution to motions on the floor of the Senate. Senator Dafinone has also adopted a modus operandi to duty that revolves around equity in attracting projects to the eight local government areas of the senatorial district. As a senator representing his people, Chief Ede Dafinone has shown unwavering commitment to attracting development to his people, especially in the areas of education, technology, infrastructure, agriculture, agro-allied skill acquisition programs, health, scholarships, job employment, and promotions.
Among senators who have represented Delta Central, only Senator Ede Dafinone could conceptualize two critical bills for the establishment of two landmark specialized universities in Delta Central. The bills are:
i) A bill to establish the University of Agriculture, Orerokpe, Delta State.
ii) A bill to establish the Federal University of Education, Isiokolo, Delta State.
The importance of the two bills listed above cannot be overemphasized considering the immense benefits these bills bring to Delta Central and the entire nation if passed and assented to. These are pertinent bills that directly address the critical needs of the people. Delta State is one of the key states in southern Nigeria where massive agricultural activities are carried out. In the whole of Nigeria, the Delta ‘garri’ has continued to gain increasing popularity among local markets from the southern parts to the northern parts of the country. A university of agriculture in Delta Central would help fast-track the training of agro-professionals who will bring a whole lot of expertise, innovation, and entrepreneurship to commercial agriculture that would boost food production in Delta State and Nigeria, thereby turning around the economy of the state. This bill is a purposeful bill, and I believe Senator Ede Dafinone deserves the commendation and total support of all stakeholders to ensure that this bill becomes a reality.
As if the above were not enough, the bill to establish the federal university of education in Isiokolo, Delta State, is another laudable bill that addresses the age-long neglect of the establishment of a full-fledged university of education in Isiokolo, Ethiope East, Delta State. In times past, Isiokolo, the headquarters of Ethiope East LGA, Delta State, used to be synonymous with a teacher training institute where present-day teachers and many retired teachers in the state got their early teachers’ education or training. However, over the years, no senator from the senatorial district has ever deemed it necessary to push for the establishment of a federal university of education there to address the decay of that educational training institute. Only a senator, Ede Dafinone, could think it necessary to do it. In fact, when the bill to establish the federal university of education Isiokolo was first read on the floor of the Nigerian senate, reports had it that the good people of Agbon Kingdom and the entire teachers’ community of Delta state were so excited for such a timely bill. Such a bill, when passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president, would open Delta Central as one of the major gateways to educational excellence in Nigeria. I must again state here that Senator Ede Dafinone deserves the commendation and all support from the Delta Central people to see this bill come to a reality.
The big question now is, how do the Delta Central people want these visionary blueprints for the establishment of two landmark specialized universities as proposed by Senator Ede Dafinone to culminate into reality for our collective benefits? Our people have to be strategic and clairvoyant. A visionary ranking senator of the National Assembly is a man of influence, and Senator Ede Dafinone’s blueprints for the empowerment of the people of Delta Central and development of the district come to mind glaringly. It would be easier for the accomplishment of these noble initiatives masterminded by Senator Ede Dafinone than bringing on board another politician.
I know there are a set of people out there who share the narrow-minded sentiment that the senatorial seat of Delta Central should also be rotated. However, I have this to say: the mantra of we, the Urhobo people, is “Oviovo.” Now if we tagged ourselves as people known for oneness, then there should be no cause for divisiveness among us. If we have two Urhobo sons from the same village, one serving as the President of Nigeria and another serving as the Governor of the proposed Ethiope State. It is a win-win for us. Our ultimate goal should be equitable development of our senatorial district and not to massage the ego of clannish politicians in our fold. So far, Senator Ede Dafinone has epitomized equity and empathy in the discharge of his duty as Senator of Delta Central. Experience has taught us that not until your senator attains a ranking and more influential status in the senate are you deprived of special benefits that come to your senatorial district. Time has proven that proponents of internal rotation of political offices among us have only done so to favor elitist-minded politicians, and this trend could only promote clannishness and intra-ethnic disharmony among us. Let merit lead in Delta Central, and Senator Dafinone has shown early dint of distinction by his unwavering commitment to duty as the distinguished Senator of the Delta Central people.
