A Re-cap Of APC Political Agony In Edo State
I do hope we cannot allow a rebound into the land grabbing, sales of lands illegally, the return of chairmen and youth leaders for illegal land racketeering,the return of the height of thuggery, the return of lions and tigers and recalcitrant agberoism that APC government are known for during the reign of Comrade Adam Aliu Oshomole as the executive governor of Edo State. Edo people will never forget all these emotional,mental and physical agony in a hurry.
Can we agree that we got it wrong or right in 2016? It is a question and not an emphatic statement. Someone posed that question to me and for a second, I was pensively in a deep thought to have placed my hands akimbo.
What do you think about that question too!
Adams Oshiomole is a likeable individual but highly emotionally vindictive, absolutely verbose and flippant in nature, he’s mastered the skill of warming up on people and endearing himself to folks through the superfluity of his craftiness that he perfected in the Labour unions.The man is cunningly and cleverly smart and we must give him his due.
Let’s congratulate him one more time on his election victory which is over ten months now in the Senate house,National Assembly.I told friends that Adams can remain on that seat for the next 100 years and his kinsmen will likely have no qualms.But on a long run, the attributes of a lion will surely manifest.Can a leopard change it skin? I leave that question for my opponent to decide.
By retrospect,there was a battle for the soul of Edo State during the state house of assembly and we saw the gimmicks and scheming at play.That’s not my worry though, my worry is that alot of us saw clearly that Adams Oshiomole jumped from his baobab tree where he has been relegated to and wanted a rebound of agberoism, tigers and lions cloak he loves to wear, that never worked again.Thank God APC was defeated. APC in the national level is a shadow of herself. APC government in Edo State far back was a mirage of reality and as for the national is an ‘Enclave of a fiasco’ The current ruling party in Edo state has come to stay.
Obaseki must finish well and finish strong.His successor must be his replica interms of infrastructural development, human capacity development and digitalization.
I ask again, Did we get it wrong or right in 2016?
In 2016, he sought for our shinning stars in Edo State, he sort them into groups just to seek to make Merchandise of them, Adams promised everyone of his unalloyed support to succeed him , he told all the aspirants the same things,he initiated the concept of trade by barter,cajoled them, made mockery of them and watched them fall over themselves in his deceit.These were highly distinguished gentlemen who had excelled by no small measure in their fields of endeavor.
We clearly saw him axe his loyal Deputy Governor Hon Pius Odubu because he knew he couldn’t control Odubu, he axed General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), he axed our Celebrated Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, he axed these illustrious sons because he knew he couldn’t control them if they became Governor. He wanted his stooge so he could become the lord he always wanted to be.
Then with powers from above, He axed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who lost the 2016 Gubernatorial election. He knew if the Edo people took ownership of their Government, he would gradually be swept into oblivion.
Then Godwin Obaseki came on the scene and Adams would always want to usurp authority over the sitting Governor, he wanted State decisions taken in his own house, he wanted to determine who got what contract and when, he wanted to be worshipped by all and sundry.He wanted to be the god and lord of Edo politics.
But this time he got it wrong. His excellency the governor of Edo state was more intelligent, clever,brilliant,skillful and smarter.The narratives of sharing the state patrimony to making ‘recalcitrants, agberos and intractable’ billionaires and ‘zilonaires’ as against the entire citizens of Edo was curtailed and truncated absolutely. This is the stock-in-trade APC government are known for.Edo people are very wise.
History reminds us that as Governor himself, he did all he could to dim the sparkling lights of all those who came before him, he will use extreme derogatories at the Esama of Benin, he’ll use very harsh invectives at Lucky Igbinedion and call him unprintable names everywhere he went to, he’ll make mockery of Chief Anthony Anenih, he’ll blast Prof (Sen) Oserhiemen Osunbor, he wouldn’t spare senior Edo sons even if they did nothing or said nothing, the goal was to verbally destroy them and kneel on their necks….the list of disparaging words he’ll use at eminent Edo men is not in short supply.Oshio was politically brutish and for a moment, he enjoyed the support of a few but that was shortlived.
As Ex-governor, his desire was to make Godwin Obaseki superlatively subservient to him.Little did he not know that Obaseki has mastered his skills of unproductive gimmicks at the detriment of great Edo people.Oshomole wanted to control the state from a distance but obaseki resorting in governance rather personal politicking because of his credibility, integrity, competence value and character.These never went well with Comrade Adam Aliu Oshomole.
Oshiomole’s modus operandi is to completely obliterate anyone who had a star and could shine, any luminous and celebrated Edo son was the target of Adams Oshiomole in and out of office.Like a child deprived of love in his growing years, Oshiomole wanted the light on only him and would annihilate any obstacle on his path.A path that only leads to self destruction.
How he humiliated the then APC Chairman Chief Odigie Oyegun is not lost in our memory, how he humiliated the Onojie of Uromi is fresh in our hearts, how he bastardized royalty across the State permeates our senses through the vicissitudes of time, we have kept our memories alive.
Any Distinguished Edo son was his enemy except you buried your head in his coccyx, the man wanted to be untop of everything and everyone and when Godwin Obaseki will revolt obstinately against his oppression and disdain for others having the yeast to rise, Adams Oshiomole will result all sorts of blackmail against Godwin and the people watched keenly. This time he failed.
Looking forward to same fate come September 21, 2024.
But Godwin and indeed the generality of Edo People will have none of it.He couldn’t engage the Santa Claus governance against Governor obaseki.The governor has to change the narrative of using the people’s revenue for infrastructural development, human capacity development and digitalization. Nobody was able to chest being a billionaire or ‘zillionaires’ by cutting tickets in various markets as revenue collection was digital-oriented.How far the chair?Community veto Chairmen’s power were truncated,deadlocked and obliterated.
Godwin and the people will then reduce Oshiomole to the matchbox of local politics by getting him out as National Chairman in an uncelebrated manner and Adams will respond by trying to instigate societies derelicts he had “made” to disturb the peace of the people and the sanity of the Government and the story that followed can be told by all.
Educated and accomplished men were dragged to hades by Adams but the mental hobos, the never do wells were empowered with the machinery of the State to become street lords and given kingly robes, terrorizing the people and making life hell for them.These goons became the untouchables, they decided who the police could arrest and what kind of weapons they decided to brandish as the collected revenue for the State.
Noble men were reduced to rubbles and hooligans were made to feed fat on the state.They had become the Alpha Beta in Edo State and whatever they returned to the State as revenue was received without question.
Didn’t these strange men close down streets to celebrate that they’ve become billionaires in Edo State for more emphasis.Billionaires on the sweat of helpless women in our markets, striving artisans,small businesses trying to eke a living all across the State.I mean, these guys were living the life, they did the dirty job for Adams and were made to ride on golden horses as a reward.This time he has failled.
While he was Governor, he became both the DON and CAPON respectively; the lord and the ruler of everything in Edo State and for many years, the people were blinded by his sweet antics and he could do no wrong in their eyes until they saw who a truly was.
I felt displeased when my big brothers; very notable and astounding Edo sons fell for him again in 2020 even after Godwin Obaseki had jumped ship, Comrade Adams would promise everyone in the APC his support and swindle everyone again like he did in 2016.
My dear brother will emerge APC candidate under controversial circumstances but the people withheld their grace and granted it to Godwin Obaseki again to complete his 8 year tenure.The song on the streets was “torgba”
Nobody ever beat Oshiomole to his game of foxiness but somehow, Godwin did. This is because he was a Technocrat and not an audacious politician or a political narcissist as it were.
Godwin didn’t only beat him to the game but the Edo people gave their absolute imprimatur to Godwin and Adams has not forgiven the people for standing up to him and chasing him into his own shadows. We wish him all the best as a senator.
It is battle time again come September 21 2024.He will roll up his sleeves to get into the battle arena not for you or I, it has never been about us.Our friend will seek a majestic rebound into bringing Okpebholo/Dennis this time since he has always wanted to have his way in Edo State.By extension, Oshomole will come with another gimmicks and relics in 2024 gubernatorial election oooo.Since the national power belong to them. All hands are on deck to surmount all evils by the APC antics come September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election.
While I think we should not get injured in their war, I think we must protect the ultimate authority of the people vested on Godwin Obaseki just now as Governor.We must contain, sustain and retain the tenets of democracy where the best governorship candidate will be decided by people based on competence,character capacity,value and integrity.Godwin has impressed some and has not impressed some depending on their ambivalent or divergent views.
We have chased land grabbers, youth leaders and chairmen in charge of land racketeering to the baobab trees to rest with their kindred spirits, like the proverbial “abiku” who keeps coming and going these several seasons, we have exorcised the ghosts of division that they bring upon us when elections come and our tower of babel as a multi ethnic state has become our power of babel.
We the people will protect our sons and daughters from being enslaved ànew by Adams Oshiomole, we will rise up in Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North and resist the diabolical machinations of those who want to oppress us continually again in the days of APC governance.
Power must remain with the people by all means.
Our “abiku” is coming again, the grounds are wet with mourning, the pouring of libations have fingers pointed at him, “abiku” is calling for the 2024 Gubernatorial Election Ize-Iyamu was a scapegoat to the Santa Claus Governor .The lions and tigers are gearing up to abiku’s call again but in the coccyx of the baobab tree they will remain.Edo people will resist them.
APC is here again.But you know what? they went for the wrong combination.APC, prefers an illiterate, who could not even manage to pass NECO after trying to obtain high school result from a special centre in Jos in his late thirties in 2008?A man without discernable proof for his source of wealth.Whose base philosophy and approach to governance is the ‘creation of boreholes.’ Is that the choice for governor of Edo State?
The choice of the Governor seeking his successor must reflect fairness, equity, and a sense of inclusion, insisting his focus is on finishing strong and finishing well.
In conclusion, as Governor Godwin Obaseki focuses on breasting the tape of his 8 year Governance, finishing well, finishing strong and preserving his legacy should be his priority.I am committed to seeing my GOVERNOR, Mr Godwin finish well just like everyone of us should.We can criticize him constructively, objectively and positively but his finishing well and strong is to the benefit of the State and her people.
