As an Edo indigine, I have seen various commentaries talking about various factors that led to the victory of Obaseki on the 19th of September. However, very few have spoken about the role the Diaspora played.

The very first prominent group to support Obaseki for reelection bid were our Edo brothers and sisters abroad. It is no doubt that Edo state has a very large diaspora family in Europe, from Italy to France and Spain and many other European countries. Another community is also in Canada. This various communities all supported Obaseki. This was the very first time in Edo history were people abroad took charge of the electoral process. Before the campaign started, we were seeing campaigns of Edo people in Europe on social media. They printed their own T-shirts and caps. They campaigned in various places. They even appointed someone in Benin to be in charge of their campaign and they channeled all the funds to him in Benin. You could see their bill boards everywhere in Benin. One group was reported to send #15 million naira at the beginning of the campaign.

For people outside, many would wonder why were they involved so much even when they weren't going to vote anyways. The answer is simple, Land reforms. During he the first quarter of Obaseki government, HRM Oba of Benin made a pronouncement banning a group called community development association (CDA). These groups were a group of people mainly youths who sold community lands at high prices for individuals and charged various sums for an individual to start buildings. They're wat people in Lagos call Omonile. They could even sell one land to 3 different people. Most Edo people abroad were the ones who suffered the most from this. Because they were abroad, if they bought lands in Benin, before they came back, these CDA would sell their lands out again. Even the police could not stop their menance. So when the Oba made a pronouncement about it, they were quickly targeted. One of the CDA chairmen wanted to defy the order of the Oba of Benin, they called him Ebo of Amagba. He was the wealthiest of the various CDA chairmen. The Oba brought him to the palace and he was punished. The chairman was made to sweep the palace ground every morning for days. Immediately, Obaseki galvanized the House of Assembly and It was signed into law and CDA was abolished and made a criminal act.

This very act brought peace to land owners and prospective ones. The Diaspora loved this act. They fell in love with agbero abolition in Benin because most of these people in diaspora had their relatives as bus drivers and market women. These government policies won their hearts.

When the Diaspora groups drummed support for Obaseki, the APC took them for granted. They came on TV and said that they were inconsequential to the Edo election. They said their voice doesn't matter because they're not on ground to vote for their candidates. They publicly took that group for granted believing Oshiomole would do magic for them.

The reality was that the Edo people at home, had at least one family member in the Diaspora. The APC forgot that these people abroad regularly sent at least $70 to their family members for their up keep. They forgot that these people abroad were the ones majorly building houses and buying properties in Benin. They were the ones sending buses from Europe to Benin for transport. The APC looked down on them. If I feed you, and housed you, to a very large extent I will control you. The people in diaspora literally told their family members to vote PDP and the local APC here acknowledged it. They told the media that you had people who came to vote and they said that their brother abroad told them to vote PDP.

I think more Nigerians abroad should participate in the electoral process. The Jews abroad are very influential in the survival of the Jewish state. Don't see it that since you're outside the country, you have no stake, you do. Your voices can change the outcome. And I hope that someday the Diaspora can be able to vote in our local elections.

The reality was that the Edo people at home, had at least one family member in the Diaspora. The APC forgot that these people abroad regularly sent at least $70 to their family members for their up keep. They forgot that these people abroad were the ones majorly building houses and buying properties in Benin. They were the ones sending buses from Europe to Benin for transport.

End of discussion

You don't joke with the influence of Edo's in Diaspora in Edo politics