Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
By Isaac Asabor
There is no denying the fact that politics of godfatherism in Edo State is fast becoming the new normal as primary elections that are set to be conducted by the leadership of various political parties and the general elections to be organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are fast approaching. It is no more news that political godfatherism has become an open secret in the political development of Edo State.
Without any iota of exaggeration, the only politician in Edo that is been suspected to have taken the ignoble act of godfatherism to a ridiculous height is no other person than the former governor the State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ostensibly fuelling the suspicion is Barrister Rilwan Balogun, in an article titled, “Oshiomhole’s travail and the burden of political godfatherism” and published in the Guardian newspaper of December 9, 2019, where he said, “…Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s plight deserves public condemnation rather than public sympathy. In fact, to nail it poignantly, Oshiomole is the ipso facto betrayal who had betrayed the good people of the state, and indeed Nigerian constitution at large, having sworn to uphold the rule of law. He had sworn as the governor not to satisfy his parochial interest by lording his will over that of over 3 million citizens of Edo state. Definitely, a man that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green. Permit me to conclude by interpreting the latin maxim quoted at the prelude of this piece which goes thus “no one can derive benefit from his own wrong doing”.
Like the proverbial Tortoise that usually gets unfavorable mention in African folktale, accusing fingers were being pointed to Oshiomhole as the most prominent perpetrator of Godfatherism in the State, particularly within the APC which he is politically affiliated to.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it would be recalled at this juncture that Governor Godwin Obaseki has for the umpteenth time tackled Oshiomhole for allegedly presenting himself as a political godfather in the state, saying that godfatherism threatens the democratic rights of the people, and added that he has a mission to end the practice in Edo state. Apparently seeing Oshiomhole’s anti-democratic role in the State, Obaseki wonders why Oshiomhole, who started a campaign against godfatherism practices in Edo state now paradoxically supports it.
Expectedly, Oshiomhole has never taken the allegation lightly with anyone that sees him as a godfather as he has continued to deny the allegation.
However, as published in the Vanguard newspaper edition of December 21, 2019, in an interview titled, “Oshiomhole denies allegation of godfatherism role in Edo”, the national chairman of the APC denied the allegation that he was playing godfather’s role in Edo state politics. He also disclosed his numerous efforts to bring peace in the Edo state APC. Speaking in a television interview, Oshiomhole narrated: “As part of my efforts to resolve the problems in Edo state, there was a time the governor told me that he will not have anything to do with Charles Idahosa because he lost his booth during his own governorship election. So, that what is his electoral value? But it is here in this my living room that I invited Idahosa and he did not know the governor was coming, I invited the governor he did not know Idahosa was coming. “When the governor entered the room, Idahosa sat and said he was not going to have a handshake with him. And used a language for me that was derogatory. I said no, Charles you cannot talk like that. This is the governor and you must respect him. And I say, governor please whatever Charles has done that you are not happy about, we have won put them behind you. I said in this business, if you don’t work with people because of their electoral value, sometimes you work with them because of their nuisance value. So you will not gain by saying you won’t work with this one or that one.”
However contrary to his denial, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, Hon. Charles Idahosa, who Oshiomhole made reference of in the foreging, had earlier in an interview with This Day newspaper of June 24, 2019 came up with proof that Oshiomhole is playing the godfather in the politics of Edo State.
According to him, “Oshiomhole must have been joking when he denied his godfather’s role in Edo State politics. “Oshiomhole brought Governor Godwin Obaseki to us and told us that he was the engine of his administration and today, governor Obaseki has lived up to our expectations and he has actually exceeded the expectations of millions of Edo people. Idahosa added that Oshiomhole nominated 95% appointees in Obaseki’s govt.
He stressed, “Oshiomhole chose the deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, he imposed all the commissioners on governor Obaseki and chose the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. So what is Oshiomhole denying?”
Not only that, he said Chief John Odigie-Oyegun was very correct when he said Oshiomhole was playing the godfather. Seemingly deepening the believability of the elder statesman’s view, Idahosa said, “Chief Oyegun is a very decent man and does not just talk because he wants to be heard. He is not a flippant person; he says things as they are.”
Despite the flurry of denials from Oshiomhole, and accusations from his somewhat traducers, the emergence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Tuesday, May 27, 2020 as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction believed to be loyal to Oshiomhole has laid credence to the fact that Oshiomhole is a godfather in Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu, a former Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), emerged as the consensus candidate of the APC faction believed to be loyal to Oshiomhole on Tuesday night in Abuja.
He is expected to slug it out with Governor Godwin Obaseki for the direct primary of the party slated for June 22, 2020.
As it is, there is no denying the fact that Politics Of godfatherism has become the new normal in Edo State. With the regressive electoral development in State, there is no denying the fact that “godfatherism” has deeply taken its roots in the State.
As it is at the moment, Edolites has being denied the rights to choose a political leader that would govern them or represents them at the assemblies. It suffices to say that choosing their own leaders has been jeopardized just as their voices have been stifled. Graphically painting the picture is a situation where virtually all Edolites need to be loyal to Oshiomhole and some power bloc to determine who and who will be a political leader, with particular to who becomes the governor. As it is, ‘Otoge Movement’ Seems Inevitable.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing, Edolites do not need a prophet to prophesy to them that the wind of Otoge movement (Enough is Enough) that blew across Kwara State in the last political dispensation is imminent as the idea of undemocratically caging Edolites from choosing who will govern them will be vehemently opposed as the Kwarans did.
