Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin, passed away at a local hospital after a brief illness. On September 2, 2023, he would have been 94 years old.
He passed away at 12:20 p.m., according to a family source, who also added, “He has not been too strong and we rushed him to the hospital a few days ago. He passed away today (Thursday) afternoon. The family will adhere to the formal announcement’s protocol.
The Benin Kingdom’s Odiownere, or Esogban, who follows the Iyase (Prime Minister), is frequently referred to as such.
He participated in the March 18 governorship and state house of assembly elections, when he declared the February 25 presidential election was the finest since he began voting in 1951. This was his most notable appearance to date, which was heavily covered by the media.
He claimed that since casting his first ballot in 1951 at the age of 22, he had never missed an election.I thank God that I am still around to participate in this election.
“Like I did two weeks ago, I’m here to cast my ballot. You would be interested to know that I began casting my ballot at the age of 22 in the regional elections for the Ibadan House of Assembly in December 1951. At the time, we belonged to the Western Region. Since then, whether it is a national or local election, I have never missed a vote.
In 2022, to commemorate his 93rd birthday, journalist and author Edebiri published two books, “Tripod of Life: Essence of Benin Tradition and Culture” and “The Life and Times of Iyase N’Ohenmwen,” in which he claimed that Nigeria detoured from the path of development when its leaders adopted the American Presidential System of government in 1979, which he claimed has not been implemented as it should be.
