He has a strange appetite for the unusual. And that explained his uncanny dramatic entry into politics. Since then, there has been no stopping him, as he raves and rants all alone. He has been yelling and shouting his way through.
He has been extremely lucky, having his way almost seamlessly. Perhaps, that is the reason he strives hard to play God at every given opportunity. The harder he tries, the easier he fails.
Truly, he behaves like one small, tiny god somewhere in the corner of a house. Yes, he is surely turning himself to a tin god. Very petite in size and shape.
What a landmark, from labour activism to political activism. The leap is huge, large and almost unprecedented. That is what we have to contend with. He is our heavy and ugly cross that we just must carry it.
It can only happen the nasty way it is happening in this eerie clime of ours. Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is it! He is the rave of the moment. His word is law in the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he is positioned as the national chairman. His is a rare privilege to a ruling party. And he is making the maximum utilisation of the opportunity.
Just imagine. A union leader of yesterday calling the rude shots in our queer politics of today? He dwells heavily on his labour exploits; behaving as if he is still leading a band of workers in protest. Do you blame him?
Oshiomhole was himself a product of court process. So, he takes keen interest in court pronouncements, especially the ones that have direct effects on his party.
He strongly believes he has the whole world in his hand. Awkwardly enough, things appeared to be falling into place for him. And he became more and more daring and ferocious. Again, playing God to become a tin god.
Remember how he was railroaded into Government House, Benin City, Edo State? The court nullified the election of Professor Oserheimen Osunbor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Oshiomhole was handed victory. And he held sway for eight years.
When he reigned, he did almost the unthinkable. He set Herculean task for himself and he achieved it. He got correct result. He demolished the famed Mr Fix-It of blessed memory. He made mincemeat of the hitherto dreaded godfather of Edo politics. He literally reduced him to nothing.
He celebrated it with all the strength in him. He arrogantly beat his chest that he ended godfatherism in Edo State. Great lie. Oshiomhole quickly supplanted him as one. The result is the uneasiness in the state today.
He even became more obsessed with power when he made it as his party chairman. He then concluded he could take on anybody and win the war. What fallacy! He has false capacity and capability ratings of himself.
He bites more than his gluttony can stomach. That is why APC is getting messier by the day. And the mess is widely spread across the country. It reflects federal character and quota system.
Oshiomhole was presented with another ample chance last week to showcase his selfish self. And he was in his usual “best” element. It was a grace he had been waiting for. He dared not disappoint. He couldn’t have. He was up and doing. He lived to his expected billing.
The Supreme Court placed the opportunity on his lap, on a platter of gold. And he made a complete mess of it. Never surprised, that is the stuff he is made of. A leopard cannot change its spots. His shadow keeps hunting and haunting him. No hiding place.
It was a bang like never before. The Supreme Court came out from the blues and changed the political equation and calculation in Bayelsa State. All the soothsayers were rubbished. No prophet clearly saw what the court had in mind.
That Thursday, February 13, 2020, the court dashed the hopes of David Lyon. He was to be governor the following day. But, he never made it to Government House.
The court picked massive holes in the documents presented by his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo. He has different names on equally different occasions. So also his accompanied papers were full of gross irregularities.
The Supreme Court would not allow that to happen. If Oshiomhole’s APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to see all that, Supreme Court Justice Mary Peter-Odili would not. She and other justices on the panel would not condone or ignore it.
And the crux of the matter: “The panel in its unanimous judgment ordered the candidates of the party with the next highest votes and the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the governorship election declared by INEC to be sworn as their replacements.”
That served as an impetus for Oshiomhole. It was the stimulus he needed and he didn’t miss it. He hastily jumped into the boat. He explored and exploited the lacuna.
His interpretation was weird: “But as far as we know, the next candidate as facts are before the court, who happens to be a PDP candidate, does not have one-quarter of the told lawful votes cast in that election in two-thirds of the local government councils in Bayelsa State.”
So? He upturned the Supreme Court: “It is clear that there is no candidate that meets the requirements of the law, which means that no one can be sworn in tomorrow (Friday, February 14) legally, unless there is deliberate abuse of the legal process.”
Oshiomhole goofed big time. His interpretation was warped in all ramifications. He had a distorted reasoning. His was wishful thinking, a nightmare of sorts. It was one audacious manner of playing God.
He erroneously assumed his bizarre verdict was supreme and superior to that of the highest court in the land. His vomit was dirty and stinking. The statement was naive, unguarded and reckless.
He was visibly angry. But then, that should not permit him to lose your senses. You need not appeal to sentiments in that kind of situation. You talk to reason, not frivolities.
This is a serious business. You do not play games with it. It is not one of the common political chessboards. This is an uncommon situation and it has to be strictly treated as such. You are not on the soapbox. We have moved past that.
It baffles and marvels at the same time. The way we are deepening our home-grown democracy is out of this world. It will wear out any sane democrat. It is beyond comprehension. It is puzzling, curious and really crazy. We act as if there won’t be tomorrow.
Oshiomhole is ever combative. He thinks war must be fought all the time. No retreat, no surrender. That is why he emphatically declared in his quack wisdom that: “No one will be sworn in tomorrow.”
Who are you to so declare? That is your own opinion. You are entitled to it under the same law you are ruthlessly maligning and effortlessly rubbishing.
Oshiomhole is in the process of becoming a tin god. Let’s kill that dream fast before it kills us.