By Daniel Kanu
The axiom that when you hurriedly jump into conclusion on an issue, you are likely to jump into a lie, cannot be more apt.
This is perhaps the true reflection of what played out in Edo State recently where everything that pointed to a deep rift in the eye of the public between the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and his godfather and National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is now being treated as a “fake news”.
Of course, there were news stories that fuelled the speculations.
One of the stories that was widely circulated was that Oshiomhole was peeved at the outcome of the ‘inauguration’ and the ‘election’ of a new Speaker (Frank Okiye) for the Edo State House of Assembly because his preferred candidate was edged out through Obaseki’s behind-the-scene political arithmetic, paving way for the emergence of the governor’s loyalist.
Also, there was another tale that went viral that Obaseki has cried out to the Edo people that Oshiomhole has taken over his job and that he cannot be governor without playing the governor’s role.
In sum, the narrative was that Obaseki felt Oshiomhole’s influence in his government was becoming overbearing and as governor, he wanted to have his way both as the head of the executive arm of government and as the party leader in his state, just like his boss, when he was in power.
When Obaseki sacked eight commissioners from his cabinet the instant interpretation was quite explanatory, that they were “Oshiomhole boys” that were sent packing. Many saw the move as a case of a witch crying at night and a child dying in the morning. The erroneous conclusion being that Obaseki was on a subtle cleanup exercise of Oshiomhole’s loyalists.
The speculations of the alleged romance gone sour were so fêted in the media that even when the press contacted the state chairman of the party in Edo State, Anselem Ojesua for his comments, he said he was incapable of brokering peace between the duo as the sad development was beyond him.
For many political watchers, it’s the slippery slope of Nigerian politics that was probably in display.
Therefore, many Nigerians were in doubt when the news filtered in on Monday that Obaseki had paid a surprise visit to his predecessor. This visit has finally put paid to the alleged rift between them.
Obaseki, according to reports, had gone to greet Oshiomhole, who was at his Iyamho country home for the Eid-el-Kabir holidays.
Arising from a closed-door meeting with Obaseki, which was said to have lasted late into Monday night, Oshiomhole said that the rift between him and the governor was the creation of people with personal interests, describing Obaseki as his brother in whom he is well pleased.
Oshiomhole revealed further that the meeting was not unusual as he was in constant touch with Obaseki.
“It is not an unusual visit; the meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet with my brother and with people I have worked with.” Oshiomhole noted.
Obaseki did not only corroborate what his boss said, but also added that people who thought there was a rift between him and his predecessor should “stop thinking.”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communications, Crusoe Osagie, who at all time had allayed fears of any existing feud between the duo said the visit had punctured the entire claim that Obaseki and Oshiomhole were at loggerheads.
“The notion that these two men are adversaries is being propagated by morally and financially insolvent people seeking to profit off of the challenges they have been working so hard to foment. You cannot blame such people. Their talents and abilities are severely limited, so it is in their collective interest to stoke tension and drive division, but I can tell you that they have already failed,” Crusoe said.
Many believe that the visit by Obaseki was a cheering development and ‘on-point’ politically.
This may be so as the state will suffer and be deprived of genuine development if any disagreement is allowed to fester between them.
In the words of Anselem Daramola, a public affairs analyst: “The fight between the two is like the fight of two elephants, the grasses which are now Edo people will suffer.”
He, therefore, said that now they have shamed rumour mongers, it would be proper for them to remain closely knitted rather than create situations that give room to rumour.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Obaseki is Oshiomhole’s protégé. Before his exit from office as the governor of Edo State in 2016, the task before Oshiomhole was how to sell his anointed successor to all the various political groups in the state.
Oshiomhole then had preferred Obaseki, who was the head of his economic and strategic management team for eight years, over his deputy, Pius Otubu, who had equally served him for eight years.
Of course, the choice of Obaseki, met a brickwall despite his highly commendable profile as a technocrat, especially before Edo politicians who alleged that he was an unknown quantity politically and not saleable.
But Oshiomhole told them “that’s why I brought him, to make him known and make him saleable.”
Expectedly, after much, persuasion and lobbying, Oshiomhole had his way and Obaseki emerged as the chosen candidate of the party and subsequently as Oshiomhole’s successor.
Among other reasons, Oshiomhole had premised his campaign for Obaseki was on his outstanding career as a technocrat, as he argued that he would be able to consolidate and turn around the economic fortunes of the state, especially with the dwindling oil revenue from the Federal Government.
Worthy of note was that beneath the laudable quality of Obaseki as a technocrat and Oshiomole’s government economic powerhouse, he is remembered also for the role he played for him during his legal battle for the number one seat in the Government House. Therefore, his choice was seen as nothing, but a bold compensation for that role.
Besides, Obaseki was one of the professionals from Edo State who were disgusted about governance in the state, which made them to join forces that threw up Oshiohmole. For the professionals, their watch word is care not to disrupt the pace they had set in the last 12 years in the state.
Now that their perceived “differences” have been sorted out, it is believed that the major impediment on the path of Obaseki has been rolled out and his re-election for a second term has become brighter.
The verdict of political pundits is that what has happened is in the best interest of the two gladiators to maintain a robust relationship as brother and as friends and allow it to wax stronger each passing day so that the state will take another greater leap in its undeniable development stride as envisaged by the Edo professionals and critical stakeholders.
Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki was born on July 1, 1959.
He attended Eghosa Grammar School, Benin City, University of Ibadan, Columbia University, as well as Pace University in New York for his tertiary, university and professional education.