Ayedi Sunny: Why Ovia South West Needs Representation That Can Be Measured

Ayedi Sunny: Why Ovia South West Needs Representation That Can Be Measured

Hon. Ayedi Ikiyokepere Sunny, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Ovia South West Constituency in the 2027 Edo State House of Assembly election, has outlined an agenda anchored on infrastructure, human capital development, economic empowerment and accountable representation.

Sunny’s campaign for the constituency is coming against the backdrop of longstanding challenges confronting many communities in Ovia South West, an area where agriculture, trade and other natural-resource-based activities remain important to the local economy. Available local-government data identifies farming, food processing and lumbering among the area’s economic activities.

For Sunny, however, the central issue is not simply identifying the problems but establishing measurable targets by which the people can assess whoever receives their mandate.

“At the end of four years, I want the people of Ovia South West to judge me by three things,” he said.

He identified the first as infrastructure and connectivity, particularly roads, rural access routes and transportation for riverine communities.

According to him, poor transportation has consequences beyond mobility because it affects agriculture, education, healthcare, commerce and the ability of residents to take advantage of economic opportunities.

“A farmer may produce but if there is no good road to take the produce to market, that production becomes less valuable,” he explained.

He said his approach would include identifying priority roads, rural routes, waterways and landing points across the constituency and pushing the relevant government agencies to prioritise them.

Sunny also wants greater attention paid to water transportation and the potential of the blue economy, particularly for communities whose daily lives and economic activities are connected to waterways.

His proposed Ovia South West Rural and Riverine Access Plan, which he says he would pursue within his first year if elected, would provide a framework for identifying and advocating for critical transportation infrastructure.

He was, however, careful to distinguish between the responsibilities of a legislator and those of the executive arm of government.

“As a legislator, I will not pretend that I have the executive power to construct every road or provide every service myself,” he said.

Rather, he said he would use legislation, motions, advocacy, constituency projects and legislative oversight to push for interventions and monitor their implementation.

This emphasis on riverine development also reflects an area of Sunny’s previous public engagement. In 2024, Vanguard identified him as Publicity Secretary of the Coalition of Edo Riverine Communities during the group’s intervention on issues surrounding the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Niger Delta communities.

Beyond infrastructure, Sunny identifies access to basic social services as another major challenge facing Ovia South West.

He specifically mentioned education, healthcare, water and electricity, describing them as basic requirements for a decent standard of living.

His third major concern is economic opportunity, particularly for young people, women, farmers, fishermen and small business owners.

“We have a constituency with enormous human and natural resources but many of our people still struggle to translate those resources into sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Consequently, Sunny says his empowerment philosophy would move away from what he described as temporary political giveaways.

“For me, empowerment should not be about giving people bags of rice, motorcycles or small cash and calling it empowerment,” he said.

Instead, he proposed a model based on practical skills, access to finance, mentorship and markets.

For young people, he identified agriculture, fisheries, boat operations and maintenance, ICT, vocational skills, renewable energy and small-business management as areas that could provide sustainable livelihoods.

For women, he mentioned farming, fish processing, food production, petty trading and small businesses.

But he stressed that training alone would not be sufficient.

His proposed model would connect beneficiaries to cooperative groups, financing opportunities and markets, while using clear criteria for selecting beneficiaries.

The objective, he said, would be to measure the number of people who actually establish businesses, secure employment, create jobs or increase their income.

“True empowerment is not what I give you today. It is what I help you become capable of doing for yourself tomorrow,” he said.

From Experience To Legislative Ambition

Sunny is presenting his legislative ambition as an extension of his previous grassroots and public-service experience.

He said he served as a Special Assistant on Media to Hon. Destiny Oghayerio Enabulele, former Chairman of Ovia South-West Local Government Council, in 2020; Supervisory Councillor for Communication, Youth and Sports in Ovia South Local Government Council in the same year; and later as Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Governor on Riverine Communities under Governor Godwin Obaseki from 2023 to 2024.

He said those positions exposed him to grassroots administration and gave him practical knowledge of the challenges confronting communities.

His experience with riverine communities, in particular, helped him understand transportation, infrastructure, education, healthcare, electricity, security and economic challenges from the perspective of residents living in such areas.

He also pointed to his academic background, including studies in Local Government Administration at the University of Benin, a Master’s degree in Public Administration and his ongoing PhD studies in Public Administration.

For Sunny, the combination of grassroots experience and academic preparation should translate into purposeful legislative representation.

Recent profiles of the candidate have similarly presented his political proposition around vision, competence, service and a commitment to placing the welfare of Ovia South West at the centre of representation.

Promises Annual Scorecard

Perhaps one of Sunny’s strongest commitments is his pledge to make his performance publicly measurable.

If elected, he says he will publish an annual scorecard detailing bills sponsored or supported, motions moved, constituency projects pursued, government interventions attracted, their implementation status and available information concerning funds or resources involved.

He also wants constituents to know the difference between what was promised, what was approved, what has been implemented and what remains pending.

“I will not wait until another election to tell the people what I have done. I will report to them every year,” he said.

He said such information would be made available through community meetings and appropriate online platforms.

Sunny acknowledged that a legislator cannot personally control government budgets or determine every expenditure, but maintained that a representative has the responsibility to advocate, monitor projects and use legislative oversight to demand accountability.

His stated philosophy is that representation should not disappear after election day.

Party Loyalty Versus Constituency Interest

Sunny also addressed the question of party loyalty, saying his allegiance to his political party would not prevent him from defending the legitimate interests of his constituents.

He said his first response to a disagreement with government or party leadership would be dialogue and engagement.

However, where a decision clearly conflicts with the legitimate interests of Ovia South West, he said he would be prepared to oppose it through the appropriate legislative process.

“Where there is a genuine conflict between party interest and the legitimate interest of my constituents, I will choose the people,” he said.

For him, disagreement does not have to become disrespect, and party politics should not prevent an elected representative from standing up for what is right.

A Four-Year Test

Sunny’s proposed standard for judging his performance is deliberately measurable.

At the end of four years, he wants constituents to assess him based on improved connectivity, stronger economic opportunities and transparent representation.

“I do not want the people to judge me by how many promises I make during a campaign. I want them to judge me by the roads and communities we connect, the opportunities we create for our people and the transparency of my representation,” he said.

He said his ultimate goal would be to leave office with a record showing that communities had become better connected, more residents had gained opportunities for economic independence and constituents had enjoyed a more transparent relationship with their representative.

“I am not asking for your vote simply to occupy a seat in the House. I am asking for your vote to make your voice stronger where decisions are made,” he said.

Sunny’s name also appears on a published list of NDC candidates for the 2027 general elections in Edo State, where he is listed for Ovia South West Constituency.

For a constituency facing the combined challenges of rural connectivity, riverine transportation, access to basic services and limited economic opportunities, Sunny is therefore presenting his candidacy around a simple proposition: representation should be judged by results that constituents can see, question and measure.