Edo: It’s not too late to redeem our image

BY OSA IYINBO

Those who are privileged to speak in the face of tyranny and abuse of power but remain complacent or fail to do so are complicit, and as guilty as the perpetrators. In that regard, I have decided to revive my moribund hobby and write concerning the current unfortunate developments in the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Edo State. To even the uninterested, the situation that has arisen is repulsive and disgraceful considering the caliber of people involved in this travesty and macabre dance of absurdity. How do we expect Nigeria’s politics or democracy to develop to its full potentials when elites and political leaders engage in such brazen “robbery” and rape of her nascent democracy? What we are witnessing today in APC validate the common saying that: “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It also reinforces my belief, and that of many others, that most Nigeria politicians and elites are opportunists, unpatriotic, self-centered and wolves in sheep’s clothing. How do you disqualify an incumbent governor from a party’s primary nomination process on the ground that the incumbent failed to meet the qualification requirements when the only change is those charged with administering the rules, and not the rules itself? Where is the justice and objectivity when the judge and jury are selected by a flawed system or those who have selfish interests in the outcome? No one needed a witchdoctor to predict the outcome of the vetting process. Even, “Okhue” of the famous “Hotel D’ Jordan” TV program would have predicted this outcome, that His Excellency, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki (GNO), the incumbent governor of Edo State, would be disqualified by APC screening committee from the nomination process.

Over the last few months, the world has watched with utter dismay the public display of animosity between Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole (CAAO), the erstwhile governor of Edo State/current national chairman of the APC, and GNO. It is common knowledge that besides the closeness between CAAO and GNO, who have now become archrivals, it was the implicit trust and confidence that CAAO had GNO’s capabilities that led the former to bypass his former deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, and other visible and notable names during his eight years in office, to vigorously recommend and feverishly campaign for GNO as the governor of Edo State. At the time, CAAO, a former labor leader, poured encomiums and declared that GNO was the architect and brain behind the success of his administration. Conversely, he delivered scathing remarks about Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his new protégé, declaring to the world that Pastor Ize-Iyamu, is a known criminal whom he did not trust with a board membership position. What has changed within the last four years for CAAO to change tune and fervently recommend Ize-Iyamu as a governorship candidate? Why Ize-Iyamu, an outsider? Does that mean CAAO’s foot soldiers and diehard loyalists are not governorship materials? Just like many others, I am eager to know. CAAO has come to validate the saying that: ‘In politics, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests’. Perhaps as CAAO once said in an interview, Ize-Iyamu would only become governor if “memories fade.” Indeed, memories have faded, and in a very very short time.

My interest here, like that of many other indigenes of Edo State, is justice and good governance, the same that CAAO fought for in the past. As stakeholders, we must, rightly so, ask questions. In spite my very close personal relationship with family members and associates from both camps, especially CAAO’s, I must join other well-meaning indigenes to voice my opposition to the current unhealthy development in Edo State, no matter whose ox is gored.

Here are some questions for which we seek answers:

a. Is it possible for an incumbent to qualify with the same credential four years earlier and be disqualified this time around even though the criteria for qualification remains the same?
b. How did GNO pass APC’s screening four years ago and subsequently that of INEC to become the state governor?
c. Was CAAO and APC unaware until recently that GNO did not have the educational qualification needed to be the governor of Edo State?
d. If GNO did not have the requisite qualifications, even though CAAO personally vouched for him in the past, why was this issue not raised during the initial court challenge to GNO’s success at the poll by Ize-Iyamu and his team?
e. Or since the feud between CAAO and GNO began, why did the latter not challenge GNO’s governorship in court and have it declared void from the outset?
f. If the University of Ibadan, a revered federal institution, has openly declared that GNO is an alumnus of their institution, how could anyone state otherwise? The legal principle is: “He who asserts must prove.”
g. Did GNO perform the one-year compulsory NYSC program?
h. If another APC chieftain once declared that he went to school in New York with GNO, and there are proof that GNO attended Columbia and Pace Universities in New York, what other academic qualification does he need to possess to qualify for as a party nominee?
i. If there was an error, decades ago, in the names printed on any certificate issued to GNO which he, advertently or inadvertently, failed to rectify, how does that disqualify him from the party’s nomination process?
1. If anything, was this error known to CAAO and the party before now? Does that mean they were willing to overlook his numerous inadequacies when it served their purpose? How convenient!
2. If it was a “joke” when others canvassed that CAAO and President Buhari should be disqualified because their names were spelt differently, why is the misspelling in GNO’s name not now a joke? What is good for the goose is not good for the gander?
j. If CAAO declared four years ago that Ize-Iyamu was evil and not fit for the position of governor or appointment as a board member, what has changed between then and now to qualify Ize-Iyamu for the esteemed position of State governor?
k. Do CAAO core loyalists every wonder why he goes outside of the group to pick an outsider?
Personally, if CAAO’s grouse with GNO had been over his performance as Governor, you probably would not be reading any article from me on this topic. For all his quarrel with GNO, CAAO has not told the world and the good people of Edo State, precisely, how GNO failed to deliver good governance or the dividends of democracy. From all indication, CAAO is following the playbook of the former NADECO chieftain who executed the same plan in Lagos State because his successor in office was allegedly disloyal, insubordinate and failed to make remittance. I wonder how my late boss/NADECO/Afenifere leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya, would feel about this if he were alive.

Sadly, these same individuals have decided to engage in the very same conduct they once fought against. What travesty? How fast our memories have faded. Yesterday, it was Lagos State. Today, its Edo State. Where next and when will the destabilization tactics end? We must speak with one voice, irrespective of our backgrounds, and condemn this modern-day piracy and political banditry. Enough is enough.

The people of Edo State, and Nigerians in general, must be vigilant and not allow themselves to be beguiled or hoodwinked by anyone. The world is watching. The voters must vote for what is right and ensure that His Excellency, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, returns to power for a second term as the governor of Edo State, notwithstanding his platform. Our nascent democracy is being tested and a good, seasoned, and well-meaning individual is being maligned and scarified for mediocracy, sycophancy and pillage. We must not let this happen. We must stand up for what is right. For those who care, let us remember what we as a people did to late Prof. Ambrose Folunrunsho Alli. Let history not repeat itself. Let us not be ungrateful to those who have chosen to sacrifice themselves for the good of our state. GNO sacrificed eight years for CAAO to succeed and has so far performed admirably well, even with his imperfections. We must not waste this opportunity, which we have always yearned for. CAAO once called GNO a technocrat and a doer. That, I strongly believe, has not changed. GNO MUST be rewarded with his reelection, not just for his brilliant performance as CAAO’s brain and architect and also as governor of the state, but for his sincerity, sense of purpose and commitment to the development of the state. Further, he must be supported for his refusal to succumb to the wishes of the powers that be to squander the state’s coffer.

Reelect His Excellency, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, as the governor of Edo

Iyinbo is a political analyst based in New York.