. Okpebholo nominated Leadership’s Governor of the Year 2026
Phil Okose, Onitsha and Chris Akhabue, Edo
Barely one day to the 2026/25th Ofala festival of Obi of Onitsha, Anambra State, HRM, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, an American anthropologist and author, Prof, Richard Henderson, has been listed among those the monarch will play host to, during the Ofala festival billed for 16 and 17 October, 2026.
According to palace sources, Prof Henderson who is the revered Author of “The King in Every Man Returns After 64 Years, as Special guest of Obi of Onitsha for the Ofala festival.
He is said to have arrived Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from Tucson, Arizona, en route Onitsha in readiness for the Ofala festival that will take place at Imeobi, along Awka road, Onitsha.
Accompanied by his son, Michael Henderson. Prof. Henderson, who lived among _Ndi-Onicha_ from 1960-62, is that rare onyeocha (Whiteman) who truly listened, learning our language and institutions from within, and giving the world the most authoritative account of what it means to be Onitsha: that kingship, eze, ozo, umunna, ogbe, and the spirit of ani are not relics, but a living system where every man carries the dignity of a king.
His book remains not only foundational in Onitsha, respected in palaces and homes, but is also considered a primer on African anthropology.
His continuing archive at amightytree.org, with Helen Henderson, preserves Onitsha photographs, shrines, iba, okpulukpu, and oral histories that might otherwise have been lost and hence his name is invoked in Onitsha with unusual reverence for an outsider.
Meanwhile, leadership Newspaper has nominated Senator Monday, Edo State governor as governor of the year 2026 award.
The award ceremony is scheduled for December 1, 2026, at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.The nomination was announced during a visit by a delegation from Leadership Newspaper to the governor at the Edo State Government House in Benin City.
The delegation included the newspaper’s Vice-Chairman, Michael Okpere; Director of Conferences and Awards, Abraham Nda-Isaiah; Director of Special Projects, Paul Agbo; and its Benin correspondent and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Patrick Ochoga.
Speaking during the visit, Okpere said the newspaper’s annual awards featured 21 categories, including Person of the Year, Governor of the Year, Civil Servant of the Year and Banker of the Year.
He said a panel of 54 people assessed public officials and their performances before selecting nominees for the awards.
According to a statement from the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State government, Dr Patrick Ebojele, “the panel reviewed the performances of state governors for 2026, as it did in 2025, but settled on five nominees this year, compared with six in the previous edition.
“We’ve come to inform you of your nomination as Leadership Governor of the Year 2026. In the last 18 to 19 years, Leadership Newspaper sits down every year with about 54 persons to examine policies, happenings in Nigeria with the intention to reward society and deserving people,” Okpere said.
“In the process of the nomination, we examined the governorship performance for 2026 as was done in 2025. We had six nominees, but in 2026, we were able to come up with five nominees.
“We couldn’t get the six governors because we didn’t find it. You are one of those we found worthy of the award. This event is planned to take place on the 1st of December 2026 at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
“Our mission here is to invite you to the event and kindly ask that you make yourself available to receive the award. On the podium that day, you will have four brother governors from other states.”
Also speaking, Isaiah said Okpebholo’s nomination was based on his administration’s reported interventions in security, education, healthcare and other sectors.
He said security was essential to effective governance, adding that the governor’s interventions in the education sector, particularly at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, and Edo State University, Uzairue, were among the factors considered.
Isaiah cited the increase in the subvention to Ambrose Alli University from N41 million to over N500 million and the allocation of N250 million to Edo State University.
He also highlighted road construction projects across the state’s three senatorial districts, the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and interventions in healthcare, including the state health insurance scheme.
“Over 500 roads are being constructed, completed and ongoing across the three senatorial districts in the state, alongside the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and healthcare interventions, especially the health insurance scheme,” he said.
He added that the administration’s interventions across different sectors of the state’s economy contributed to the nomination.
“Your performance is protecting the future of the state and giving it a better future. These and many more qualified you for the award as you fitted in amongst the governors to receive the award,” Isaiah said.
Responding, Okpebholo expressed appreciation for the nomination, saying his administration’s efforts to develop Edo State were part of his commitment to public service.
“Welcome to Edo State. I am happy to see you, and thank you for bringing me good news. I see what I do as a way of life, and I am not doing something special,” the governor said.
“This is how I have been behaving before I contested. I am happy to continue to develop the state.
“I am delighted with the award and so grateful, and pray for more strength to continue to work and do more for Edo people. I will be physically present on that day,” he added.
The award ceremony is scheduled for December 1, 2026, at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.The nomination was announced during a visit by a delegation from Leadership Newspaper to the governor at the Edo State Government House in Benin City.
The delegation included the newspaper’s Vice-Chairman, Michael Okpere; Director of Conferences and Awards, Abraham Nda-Isaiah; Director of Special Projects, Paul Agbo; and its Benin correspondent and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Patrick Ochoga.
Speaking during the visit, Okpere said the newspaper’s annual awards featured 21 categories, including Person of the Year, Governor of the Year, Civil Servant of the Year and Banker of the Year.
He said a panel of 54 people assessed public officials and their performances before selecting nominees for the awards.
According to a statement from the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State government, Dr Patrick Ebojele, “the panel reviewed the performances of state governors for 2026, as it did in 2025, but settled on five nominees this year, compared with six in the previous edition.
“We’ve come to inform you of your nomination as Leadership Governor of the Year 2026. In the last 18 to 19 years, Leadership Newspaper sits down every year with about 54 persons to examine policies, happenings in Nigeria with the intention to reward society and deserving people,” Okpere said.
“In the process of the nomination, we examined the governorship performance for 2026 as was done in 2025. We had six nominees, but in 2026, we were able to come up with five nominees.
“We couldn’t get the six governors because we didn’t find it. You are one of those we found worthy of the award. This event is planned to take place on the 1st of December 2026 at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
“Our mission here is to invite you to the event and kindly ask that you make yourself available to receive the award. On the podium that day, you will have four brother governors from other states.”
Also speaking, Isaiah said Okpebholo’s nomination was based on his administration’s reported interventions in security, education, healthcare and other sectors.
He said security was essential to effective governance, adding that the governor’s interventions in the education sector, particularly at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, and Edo State University, Uzairue, were among the factors considered.
Isaiah cited the increase in the subvention to Ambrose Alli University from N41 million to over N500 million and the allocation of N250 million to Edo State University.
He also highlighted road construction projects across the state’s three senatorial districts, the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and interventions in healthcare, including the state health insurance scheme.
“Over 500 roads are being constructed, completed and ongoing across the three senatorial districts in the state, alongside the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and healthcare interventions, especially the health insurance scheme,” he said.
He added that the administration’s interventions across different sectors of the state’s economy contributed to the nomination.
“Your performance is protecting the future of the state and giving it a better future. These and many more qualified you for the award as you fitted in amongst the governors to receive the award,” Isaiah said.
Responding, Okpebholo expressed appreciation for the nomination, saying his administration’s efforts to develop Edo State were part of his commitment to public service.
“Welcome to Edo State. I am happy to see you, and thank you for bringing me good news. I see what I do as a way of life, and I am not doing something special,” the governor said.
“This is how I have been behaving before I contested. I am happy to continue to develop the state.
“I am delighted with the award and so grateful, and pray for more strength to continue to work and do more for Edo people. I will be physically present on that day,” he added.
For a better society
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