In the wake of the self-styled “official response” issued by Rt. Hon. Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion, Member of the House of Representatives for Ovia Federal Constituency, it is both a civic and moral imperative to excise the layers of deceit, obfuscation, and political chicanery embedded in her statement. What purports to be a reassurance of her constituents is, in fact, a hypothetical, mendacious narrative that brazenly distorts history and misrepresents the socio-political realities of Edo Ijaws.
Her communique, which attempts to shift blame for the dilapidated state of the Udo–Ofunama Road onto abstract federal bottlenecks, is nothing but an exercise in diversionary rhetoric, designed to camouflage her own legislative inertia. More egregiously, she continues to assert the untenable and historically baseless claim that Edo Ijaw riverine communities fall under the dominion of the Benin Kingdom — a patently false narrative previously advanced in her earlier claim.
I. THE AUDACITY OF HYPOCRITICAL REPRESENTATION
Let us confront the sheer audacity of Igbinedion’s self-proclaimed advocacy. Despite styling herself as a champion of her constituency, her track record is steeped in performative gestures and political posturing, betraying profound distrust and frustration among Edo Ijaw communities. Her opposition to the creation of a viable Toru‑Ebe State exemplifies a persistent attempt to undermine Ijaw self-determination, exposing a pattern of legislative hypocrisy. ([coastaltimes.com.ng][1])
Her recent response is yet another iteration of the same empty rhetoric, offering reassurance without commitment, and substituting verbose platitudes for tangible action. The constituents she claims to champion are entitled to concrete advocacy, not hypothetical, self-serving words.
II. THE DANGEROUS FALSEHOOD OF BENIN SOVEREIGNTY CLAIMS
The most incendiary element of Igbinedion’s narrative — and the clearest indicator of her mendacity — is the repeated assertion that Edo Ijaw territories are somehow subject to Benin hegemony. This claim is categorically refuted by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone, which affirms:
- Edo Ijaw lands are indigenously Ijaw and have never been subsumed under the Oba of Benin’s authority. ([coastaltimes.com.ng][1])
- No Edo Ijaw monarch has ever paid tribute or allegiance to Benin — historical reality that underscores their distinct sovereignty. ([coastaltimes.com.ng][1])
- The Benin Kingdom, regardless of its historical prestige, cannot, and historically has not, exercised jurisdiction over contiguous Ijaw territories. ([coastaltimes.com.ng][1])
By reiterating this falsehood in her latest response, Igbinedion is actively misleading her constituents and attempting to rewrite history for political convenience. ([penglobalinc.com][2])
III. RHETORICAL DECEPTION MASQUERADING AS REPRESENTATION
A lawmaker’s duty is to represent, not to fabricate narratives for political expediency. Igbinedion’s recent response is a textbook example of mendacious advocacy, combining diversionary tactics regarding federal project bottlenecks with incendiary historical distortion. ([Wikipedia][3])
Her response is neither accountability nor representation — it is political theater designed to mask her repeated failure to advance the interests of her constituents.
IV. HISTORICAL INTEGRITY MUST PREVAIL
Any attempt to appropriate Edo Ijaw lands under Benin historical claims is epistemologically bankrupt, politically dangerous, and morally indefensible. The riverine hinterlands of southern Edo State are ethnically heterogeneous, yet Edo Ijaws maintain distinct territorial and cultural identities. ([Wikipedia][4])
Her rhetoric attempts to conflate ancient regal heritage with contemporary political authority — an egregious distortion designed to mislead and manipulate.
V. CONCLUSION: EDO IJAWS MUST NOT BE DUPED
Rt. Hon. Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion’s latest publication is a continuation of her historical revisionism, empty assurances, and political deceit. Her repeated claims regarding Benin sovereignty over Edo Ijaws are lies, her defense of federal project delays is hypothetical, and her entire communication strategy is unacceptable to the people she claims to represent.
Edo Ijaws must reject these falsehoods, demand accountability, and insist upon historical truth. The people deserve representation, not theatrical platitudes or fabricated history.
This critique is issued in scholarly rigor and moral clarity, exposing hypocrisy where it persists.
Source: Coastaltimes.com.ng / Global Egberi Media International Ltd
🌐 Visit: https://globalegberi.com.ng/wp
About the Author
