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Edo and the APC house of commotion by Lateef Adewole

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Oshiomhole said, I do not support the brutalization of any Labour leader

The Insight by Lateef Adewole

“The way Oshiomole is dashing us states, sometimes we would think he is our agent working for us for free. Since he became chairman of APC, we have recovered 6 states, and Edo could be next.”

The above quote was attributed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus. Even though PDP has not really fared much better as the opposition party in this democratic dispension given their docility and uncoordination to give APC a run for their money, the ruling party has continued to swim in muddled water. They have always moved from one confusion to the other. This seems to justify those who inferred that the APC and its party members are better being in opposition. They have not shown the maturity and leadership required of a ruling party. At least, not the kind we saw presented by the PDP while they were in government at the centre, despite all their inadequacies.

The latest of the kind of commotion within the party is the crisis befalling it in their bid for reelection in Edo state. The incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki has been battling for survival with regards to his second term ambition. This pitched him against his benefactor, the “former” National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole. Between them, there has been no-love lost over two years. It has been one disagreement after another.

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For whatever reason, genuine or not, altruistic or selfish, Comrade Oshiomole seems to believe that Governor Obaseki does not deserve another term and should not be given a return ticket, not to talk of being reelected. As a result, all kinds of huddles were placed on his path to actualise the party ticket. The height of it was an outright disqualification of a sitting governor from participating in his party’s governorship primary election. That was new.

Even if that was the plan, many had thought he would have been given what has now become popularly known as the “Ambode treatment”. No one anticipated that a sitting governor would be disallowed to recontest by preventing him from the primary. What many hoped was to test the powers and popularity of the warring parties at the primary election, which would have actually shown who is in charge democratically, rather than an ambush as was epitomized. That only showed that the faction against Obaseki was jittery that he might even defeat them at the primary.

Worse still, the process was against natural justice of “nemu judex in causa sua” (you cannot be a judge in your own case). In all of the shenanigans that has happened, the two major actors are Comrade Adams Oshiomole and Governor Godwin Obaseki. When the process that will determine who is qualified to participate in the primary was to be set in place, a party in the matter, Adams Oshiomole, presided over it. Which immediately put the governor at a disadvantage.

Governor Godwin Obaseki is presented the Peoples Democratic Party membership card

Governor Godwin Obaseki is presented the Peoples Democratic Party membership card

So, it was unsurprising that “dirts” about the governor were dug out and used as justifications to disqualify him. Only that, the reasons were laughable. Not because they may be untrue or not, but because it is coming from the Oshiomole led party and screening committee constituted by the same Oshiomole led NWC of the party. Reasons being that, this is a governor under the party for almost four years. Did they just wake up to such realisation that his certificates were defective?

This prompted people to exhume a deluge of archived information about the activities of Oshiomole while he campaigned for Obaseki four years ago. They include his interviews in print and electronic media, videos of his commentaries on Obaseki, his oratory eulogies and excessive praises of Obaseki as their candidate then. How he told the Edo citizens that Obaseki was the most educated and qualified even more than himself. That Obaseki was well read, attended the “premier” university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, went abroad and obtained plenty other educational certificates. How he worked in many organisations, had experience and exposures, and on and on. We all know how loquacious he can be. That possibly is his undoing as well. So, what has changed? Personal Interest!

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Ironically, his supposed “preferred” candidate to take over from Obaseki is no one else but Pastor Ize-Iyamu, his former political “arch-enemy”. The same Ize-Iyamu contested fiercely against the then favourite candidate Obaseki on the platform of the opposition party in the state, PDP. It was a battle of the titans then. This was because, many actually believed that Ize-Iyamu was more of a grassroot politician, was on ground, understood the terrain, knew the state and the people better, and appreciate their problems and had better chance of solving them, but Oshiomole thought differently then.

Just like he praised Obaseki in his speeches during the campaigns, he casted virulent aspersions on the person of Ize-Iyamu. Many will say that was politics. The table has now turned. Ize-Iyamu has decamped from PDP to APC with the nudge from Oshiomole, and he is being surreptitiously positioned to take the job of Obaseki, something the governor had sensed long ago, unlike the case of Ambode of Lagos, whose own was similar to the Yoruba forklore of “A o merin joba, eweku ewele”.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has switched from PDP to APC

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu switched from PDP to APC

It was an interesting story of how the people of a community planned to kill a troubling elephant but they did not know how. Then, they devised a means by telling the elephant that the whole town has agreed that he should be made their king, so he needed to come to the palace to take over the throne. Unknown to the elephant, just before the well-decorated beautiful throne ahead of him was a huge pit already dug but covered with patch of leaves, like what we could call a “red carpet” in today’s paraphernalia. Immediately the elephant strolled forward towards the throne to mount it, he stepped on the mat and fell inside the groove. Everyone started throwing things at him until he died.

Just some months into his first term, the friction between Obaseki and his “Godfather”, Oshiomhole began to show. Though, Oshiomhole claimed to be against Godfatherism, it looked like that was what he wanted to do. The governor seemed to be operating outside the control of his “boss”. He wanted to be his own man. This started all kinds of bickering which was managed for many months. They continued to paper the cracks, especially to the public. They both denied any rift between them and even shook hands and hugged in many photo-ops as testimonials.

However, things were actually falling apart. Every effort at reconciling them failed. While they managed the rift till after the 2019 general elections, which also affected their fortunes in the state, considering that they lost the presidential election in the state, 2 out of 3 senate seats and 4 out of 9 house of representative seats to the opposition, PDP. Obaseki lost his local government to PDP. That was incredible and almost “unpardonable” politically. A sitting governor fa!

This is where Oshiomole must have possibly concluded that Obaseki will be a wrong choice to be represented in this year’s governorship election in the state. Sensing all this too, Obaseki has been using everything at his disposal to fight Oshiomole, to the extent he became “persona non grata” in a state he once “ruled” over. Obaseki tried to “exile” him to Abuja as he did to 14 Edo state lawmakers suspected to be loyal to Oshiomhole. He refused to swear them in since 2019 inauguration. He even demand that their seats be declared vacant.

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David Ayele abducted on Sunday have been released

He was said to have sponsored 12 lawmakers who were sworn-in in the wee-hour of the night, to elect his preferred candidates as principal officers of the assembly. A case of 12 vs 14! All entreaties to him to reconsider and reconcile were dead on arrival. The governor seemed recalcitrant and irreconcilable. He also highjacked the party structure in the state. Otherwise, nothing could explain the audacity of a ward chairman in Oshiomole’s ward 10, Etsako West LGA, to have expelled him, the National Chairman of the party, from the APC at the ward level, rendering him as non-member, a decision that was ratified by the local and state executive of the party.

But, like the Yorubas will say, “igi ti a ba foju re, o le foniloju” (a twig that one underrated could blind one’s eyes). Oshiomole dismissed such “misdemeanours” as childish and wave it aside. Unfortunately, that now seems to be his albatross now. Court cases have been built on that singular seemingly inconsequential action of a “mere” ward chairman of APC. Comrade Oshiomole was previously sacked by the court some months ago but he escaped by the whimsical. The case reared its ugly head this Tuesday when the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision, upheld the decision of the previous lower court that suspended Oshiomole as the National Chairman of APC, pending the determination of some other suits in court. It is like he can not extricate himself this time around. How the cookie has crumbled.

Coincidentally, that same day, Governor Obaseki, his deputy Philips Shaibu and all their supporters dumped the APC and announced their decamping from APC. They have now joined the PDP following the series of meetings that Obaseki had with other PDP governors and party leaders. Funny enough, the same PDP criticised Obaseki as a non-performer few months ago and said he should be kicked out. What has changed? Personal Interest. Many politicians will not make heaven (lol).

Consequently, since the sacking of Oshiomole, it has been another war at the headquarters of APC about who becomes the Acting National Chairman. In a spate of 48 hours, three people laid claim to that position. Chief Victor Giadom, the former Deputy National Secretary who resigned in 2018 to contest as the deputy governorship candidate of APC in Rivers in 2019 general elections, claimed that he is the authentic Acting Chairman based on the pronouncement of the court.

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In fact, he immediately took many actions which included the cancellation of the concluded screening and reversed the disqualification of Obaseki from contesting the primary election. He disolved the committee. He sacked some members of NWC and reinstated some others previously sacked. Whether these actions were valid or not, remains to be seen.

Likewise, one wonders who will implement his “orders” since the NWC of the party rejected his leadership as we saw, but opted to follow the APC constitution which recognises the Deputy National Chairman (South) to take over in such situation. It is in the person of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who unfortunately is said to be sick and undergoing treatment right now. We wish him quick recovery. So, in his absence, the Vice Chairman (South), Chief Hilliard Eva was appointed to act on his behalf, with the support of 16 out of 20 members of the NWC.

He has been carrying on with the administration of the party. He has constituted the primary election committee headed by the governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma. Oshiomole has been silent in the face of all these. That triumphalism and grandstanding that he was known for has suddenly mellowed. He said he is consulting his lawyers to know the next line of action to take. Supreme Court is his lifeline.

While all these are happening, the president is obviously aloof, in his characteristic manner of not getting involved in important issues that rock his party. Similar attitude bear on the governance of the country on countless occasions to the extent that many people no longer expect the president to act as and when necessary again, in the time of crisis or emergency. Whenever he does, it becomes news.

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In all of these, it is important that the ruling party APC puts its house in order as they are constituting serious distractions to the government and the country as a whole. Whatever troubles, any ruling party is expected to positively affect the running of the government. This we can only hope for at this precarious time that we are in Nigeria, with Covid-19 still ravaging, the economy at it lowest ebb, and the insecurity at its peak. Nigeria is on a “long thing”.

What fuels the crisis and worsening it the more is the politics of 2023. How vain and foolish can we be as human beings? Someone who may not see tomorrow will be scheming for 3 years or more. Who told them they will live till then? How many of their contemporaries with similar plans and aspirations have died in these few months since we entered coronavirus mode globally and how many more will still die? There is a need for all of us to be circumspect in our deeds and have sober reflections. No one knows tomorrow.

May God continue to protect us and guide us aright.

God Bless Nigeria.

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Lateef Adewole is a political analyst and social commentator can be reached by email lateefadewole23@gmail.com or via WhatsApp +2348020989095 and @lateef_adewole on Twitter

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