It is now clear to all that there is a “war” going on between Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and his immediate predecessor and incumbent national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. It is a fight between two old time friends now turned foes. The initial friendship perhaps explains why at the early stages of the skirmishes, while they jabbed away at each other they still managed to stage public shows during which they hugged and gave away fake smiles and told those who cared to listen that there was no problem between them.
Some of us who are very conversant with our political culture were not deceived nor were we amused by the faking of love, even those impromptu meetings, sometimes at very inconvenient moments were enough signals to know that something serious was amiss. Before the 2019 general elections produced a new set of State House of Assembly members for Edo State, and the problems that were to follow efforts to inaugurate the House, the public posture and utterances of Oshiomhole were enough to signpost a strained relationship between him and his godson Obaseki. On a number of times Oshiomhole went public with the position that his godson was not following the dictates of continuity, which if well interpreted in the ordinary sense meant that his boy was not following on the projects initiated by his administration.
Those were the early signals and like every work of hatred will do, Oshiomhole frustrations began to leave the realm of utterances to the stage of practical actions to distract his godson and possibly pull him down by foreclosing his chances for re-election for a second tenure. Oshiomhole mentioned some projects and of particular interest to him was the International hospital which he started in Benin and which he got President Mohammadu Buhari to come and commission even when it was clear to him that the project was yet to be fully completed. Those who downplayed the development and pass it for mere political contest were taken aback when it was time to constitute the newly elected members of the State House of Assembly and it was discovered that factions has emerged and each sought to gain the upper hand in the most brazen manner.
Every attempt to nip trouble failed because of the combatants involved, Obaseki and his godfather Oshiomhole, their interests and consequences of a defeat neutralized every reconciliatory move. Defeat would mean political paralysis or even extinction. If the Oshiomhole faction had won the “war” over the State House of Assembly, giving the way we play politics in this country, it is very possible that by now Obaseki would have been an ex-governor. The House would have raised spurious allegations under the cloak of General Misconduct and nothing would have saved Obaseki from their hands and clutches of his distant traducers. I guess that is why Obaseki chose to undertake a fight of his life and the consequences are looking too terrible for the government and people of Edo State.
Last week it dovetailed into the ridiculous. Oshiomhole was on a condolence visit to his state and before his plane touched down in Benin City, a crowd of unwilling partners had lined up the route from Airport into the city waiting to re-baptize him in the most unholy manner. Inspite of mobilizing security agents to his rescue, the obviously unfriendly crowd still found opportunity to give Oshiomhole the bad side of their tongue; certainly it wasn’t a beautiful way to welcome a true son who distinguished himself in service to the people as their governor for eight years. Oshiomhole’s camp has blamed the government for the show of shame and expectedly the government has washed its hands off that ugly development, but in doing so governor Obaseki introduced a twist when he said Oshiomhole ought to inform him each time he intended visiting his state of origin. HABA!
Now the issues and the fallouts; this crisis ought not to be in the first instance, this is a position I have communicated to some of my highly placed friends in Edo State, some of whom are also involved in this conflict. I know I have taken up Hon. Abdul Oroh, journalist, civil right activist and former member of the House of Representatives on this matter and the answer I got was that it is about good governance and performance. But I have told those who hold this position that from what we hear the issue behind this unnecessary conflict is well beyond effective leadership and expected good results and the facts in the open buttress this position. One of the legacies Oshiomhole promised to leave for the state was the abolition of the syndrome of godfatherism and in truth he waged serious war on that front and got some measures of results.
As things would seem Oshiomhole vanquished the old godfathers and instead of letting the situation to be, elevated himself as a replacement, if it were not so he would not deliberately have chosen candidates for House of Assembly, majority of who turned out to be loyal to him than to the people of the state. Continuity in program is good, it is a convention and not a law, so if there is no blueprint produced by the people for the development of their state, a governor is at liberty to choose his priority, given his training, what he sees of the state and the resources available. Oshiomhole made so much fuss about the hospital for which he wanted the same contractors hired by him to be paid variations and returned back to site; but what should trouble most people should be why would a leader that had eight years and had a project that was dear to his heart, couldn’t see it to completion and yet found it expedient and nice to get the President to come and commission it. What then is the meaning and essence of commissioning?
Now Oshiomhole goes out to win back supporters for the party in the state, nothing is wrong with this, but everything is wrong when he has to hold a mega rally of the party in the state to welcome the new members without the state governor and the state party chairman handling the affairs and superintending over the event. There is protocol of public office and am sure Oshiomhole knows about that. It is true the rules of internal democracy spells out party primaries for choice of candidates yet some measure of regard is given to incumbents, in most instances incumbents are tacitly allowed to go and face the electorates to decide if they did well or not and when you compare Kogi and Edo, Obaseki ought not to be denied a ticket on account of alleged none performance. The crisis in Edo rubs off on APC negatively; it is a vivid example of inability to manage small and sometimes meaningless distractions. it is time Oshiomhole is told that he is the National and not State Chairman of APC. Once a distinction is made the challenge would vanish over night. The earlier, the better!