Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State was given a glimpse of his future during the recent elections, and it left him traumatized and filled with sorrow. The vision he saw was one of a desolate future and a permanent place in the state’s hall of shame. He has become the worst governor in Edo State since the return to democracy, surpassing even the infamous Lucky Igbinedion.
Similar to the haughty and evil Queen in the fairy tale who demanded to know the fairest in the land, only to be disappointed by the answer, Obaseki made the election all about himself and his records. He assured Atiku, his party’s presidential candidate, of 500,000 votes from Edo State. His minions were promised an easy ride to the Senate. He believed the contest would be a referendum on his performance as governor. However, the people of Edo State responded appropriately.
Atiku was decisively defeated in Edo State, and the PDP lost all the Senate seats. Obaseki led the party to its poorest electoral performance since 1999. Even in his own polling unit, where he cast his vote surrounded by his empty hallelujah boys, he suffered a defeat. Never before has a governor been so embarrassed at the polls. To avoid a repeat of this nightmare in the State Assembly election that followed, the humiliated Obaseki embarked on a statewide apology campaign.
He went to the markets and was greeted with boos. He walked the streets in a contrived show of humility, hoping to elicit a positive response. However, the people merely looked at him scornfully, gave a long hiss, and carried on with their day. Not even children spared him a second glance. His security aides were useless on that day because nobody cared. It was then that he realized, like the disobedient Saul, that God’s anointing had long left him.
Realizing that winning the people over was futile, Obaseki resorted to scorched-earth tactics. Despite his efforts, he could only secure 50% of the seats. It was a poor return for the resources he expended. He had to bring back his discarded supporters, who now bombard the people with absurd claims of the governor’s achievements on a daily basis.
However, he is not deluded into thinking that these tactics can cover up the deep-seated problems. The dark vision he saw of his future remains unchanged. Now, he desperately searches for salvation, something to show for his years in power. He promised 200,000 jobs in his first term but delivered 200,000 tribulations. His copycat Make Edo Great Again (MEGA) plan, borrowed from Trump’s MAGA campaign, has disappeared. Those who led the MEGA campaign have resigned and are confessing their mistakes. They now admit that the man they promoted is Making Edo Grounded Again.
Perplexed and desperate, Obaseki seeks a lifeline, any lifeline. His expensive consultants in Lagos have suggested that salvation may lie at sea. Thus, his hallelujah boys have spent the entire week trying to generate excitement over reports of a bidder for the Benin Seaport. They carefully avoid using the term ‘MoU’ to avoid bringing back memories and negative feelings. Instead, they use more sophisticated and technical terms, hoping to conceal the fact that it’s just the completion of a secret bidding process.
Obaseki has failed on land, as Edo’s roads remain death traps. He has failed in the air, as the promised airport in Edo North is merely a figment of his imagination. Now, he is trying his luck at sea. The seaport is his new benchmark, his supposed “most ambitious legacy project,” as the paid hacks attempt to salvage his image. However, the outcome of this venture remains uncertain.
They say a man encounters destiny on the road he takes to avoid it. Through his past and recent actions, Obaseki is bringing to fruition the dark vision he saw months ago. He will exit the stage just as he entered it: unknown, disliked, and without any noteworthy accomplishments. He has sown incompetence and wickedness, and he will reap infamy and neglect.
John Mayaki is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and a former Media Aide to the Edo State Government