TROUBLE IN OWAN: Lawmaker Julius Ihonvbere Under Fire for Abandoning Constituents After Becoming Majority Leader....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The political heat in Edo North just turned up a notch as Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Majority Leader of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, faces growing backlash from a powerful youth bloc in his constituency over what they describe as “unforgivable abandonment” of the people who gave him their mandate.

A pressure group known as the Concerned Owan Youth Vanguard for Action has come out swinging — accusing the lawmaker of hypocrisy, arrogance, and elitist detachment since his re-election in 2023 and subsequent promotion to Majority Leader of the 10th National Assembly.

According to the group, the veteran politician, who has held plum appointments dating back to the Obasanjo era, has failed to justify his presence in public office with any meaningful impact in Owan land.

“It’s been over a year since his elevation to Majority Leader, and not once has he returned home to address his people. No townhall, no private thanksgiving, not even a small church service to say ‘thank you’. What kind of leader does that?” the group’s spokesperson,Comrade Obokhai Ojeifo, fumed in a statement.

The statement also calls out what it describes as Ihonvbere’s two-faced politics — lamenting about the marginalisation of Owan people in public forums, while benefiting the most from every political opportunity the region has ever produced.

The Records Tell a Story

From being Special Adviser to President Obasanjo, to Secretary to the Edo State Government, to his current role as a federal lawmaker — Ihonvbere’s political résumé is stacked. Yet the youths insist that his long list of titles has never translated into real-life benefits for the people of Owan.

“What legacy can he point to? Who has he empowered? Where is the project we can look at and say ‘this came from our own Majority Leader?’” the statement asked.

The group also challenged the APC leadership to demand accountability, especially regarding the 2023 general elections. They questioned whether Ihonvbere could even deliver his ward during the presidential polls that saw Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu clinch victory.

Political Earthquake Loading?

The protest from Owan youths may be more than just noise — insiders suggest this could trigger a broader movement against entrenched political elites in Edo North who have failed to match influence with grassroots impact.

“He’s taken the shine of others who could have used the same platforms to better Owan. Now he acts like Owan is too small to return to,” another member of the group said.

With 2027 on the horizon and political sentiments shifting, Hon. Ihonvbere may have more than just opposition rivals to worry about — he may be losing the trust of his own home base.

-Osamuyi Idemudia