New Telegraph

Nigeria democracy: X-raying Edo State politics

 

Drama is essentially part of life. It mirrors the roles of characters in the play of human engagements. The past weeks has made everyone a viewer of dynamism of characters and event.

 

 

One of the major gladiators in the whole scenario is the concept of godfatherism and the perceived betrayal of trust at the helms of affairs of Edo State. A very important interesting characters have been graphically demonstrated with the popular slogan of BE CAREFUL OF WHOM YOU EATS CORNS WITH.

 

 

The pictures portray Comrade Adams Oshiomole and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki as once upon a time a very close friend .It takes TRUST to hand over power to anyone for so many reasons. The meaning of such satirical photograph in the public domain is deep for future references and students of history.

 

 

It also reminds me of Brutos in Shakespearian play of Julius Caesar. A very close friend of Ceaser. Thanks to Mark Anthony on the power of irony in his usage of oratorical prowess. In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies but permanent interest only is sacrosanct. History and literature has taught me that a friend in power is a friend lost. There are exceptions to this but that is the power embedded in the chemistry of power and relationships considered so strong in the past with a friend which can become poisonous with power when it’s uncontrollably at play in motion. A moving train is unintelligent to be waylaid.

 

 

It is a normal expectations for anyone who understands the philosophy of power that it is ephemeral and transient to plant a successor for a number of reasons. One of it is protection of interest to avoid being probed. It is expected that the man at helms of affairs has the master key to unlock the wrong doings of the past on the financial transactions and engagement of yesterday if you are not responsible for his emergence or you are considered his enemy.

 

 

 

Facts can be extracted easily to bring the past actors into public ignominy. In our society there are so many financial skeletons in the cupboards of many of our past leaders. Predecessors are more concerned about planting a successor to cover the loot of the past without being traced. It is not because they like the successor but someone to erase looted treasury is needed at the expense of the masses. A terrible coup on the governed by the government using the franchise of the masses for actualisation and legitimacy.

 

 

Interestingly, successors are planted for continuity of elephants, projects and godfatherism chains of continuity with a clandestine password in the hand of predecessors to be used when terms of agreement are changing.

There are political umblical cord between the predecessors and successors that will forever represent allegiance for life if we’ll managed. The Nigeria political class landscape indicates that the incumbent must have a say in who succeeds him for numerous reasons one which is a say and relevance among others. godfathers financed and fight battles and possibly eats corns together to ensure his successor gets to the Promise Land.

 

 

Ordinarily, whoever paved way for your greatness in life ideally should be forever honoured if both successors and predecessors are not naturally greedy and assault every essentials of wisdom and cautions embedded in baseless struggle. TRUST is not a permanent T-shirt. In the game of power I might be number 10 today as a player and later become the goal keeper tommorow or suddenly.The most permanent thing in life is changes. Human nature can even shift goal post. I can also become the referee and blow unwarranted whistle even when there is no foul play. That is the dynamism of power.

 

 

This is significant in life The moment a successor knows that a predecessor is a big thief and at his mercy for cover up while in power it takes the Grace of God for the former to earn respect from the latter. Respect is earned not commanded.There is honor in dignity and good service delivery. Excellent account of stewardship has been handcuffed in Nigeria. In some cases some past governors would have looted the treasury of the state in broad daylight, even borrowed recklessly externally to make the new occupier of such position redundant.State treasury sometimes have been milked dry in the assumption of office. Successors mostly inherit huge debt that obstructs developmental indices.

 

 

Loyalty to a former Boss or godfathers becomes a poison if the successor has been rendered incapacitated because of paucity of fund in the face of strangulated IGR of the state. Some successor has been rendered a failure from assumption of office because of empty treasury. Internally generated resources that is not sustainable for dispensation of such a fellow excellency is confronting enough. This naturally creates frictions. The huge debt of some states in Nigeria stench a terrible odour sincerely. It is terribly colourless for the basis of franchise and sovereignty of the masses whose legitimacy brought them to power.

 

 

The Appeal court ruling against Comrade Adams Oshiomole, who was the former governor of the state on his Chairmanship position of APC and the defection of the incumbent governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki to PDP after his disqualification from APC screening primary election committee is a development that has made a brilliant template available to the electorates to determine who becomes the next Governor of Edo State without godfatherism and power of incumbency without federal might if carefully and cleverly utilized by the electorates.

In a nutshell, the sovereignty that belongs to the masses should be a determinant with the score cards of dividends of democracy with a blueprint for a better Edo State in their decision hour. A template has been established for the power of ballot box to speak with conscience and score card of dividends of democracy in Edo State to determine or warrant re elect or change of pilot of governance to enhance political navigation and safe landing for Edo State of our dream in the coming election.

 

 

 

The court of public opinion should determine whether we want a godfathers candidate, a party candidate or Edo people’s candidate as Governor. A mistake made twice is a decision. It is my submission that the present crisis is a blessing for an informed ballot box decision for the political emancipation of that state for decades of political godfstherism and optical illusions dividends of democracy if they can be wise with a choice.

 

 

Choose a governor that is accountable to the people. A choice must be genuinely made by the people of that state on a candidate that will at this moment lubricates the wheels of socio economic political engineering of the state in harnessing her potentials for a better tommorow without chains.

 

 

Edo electotrate in my opinion is the architects of their own destiny within the ambit of present political instructional ignominy to make or mar a change.

 

 

Afolabi Akinola is the Principal Marketing Officer of the office of Advancement, University of Lagos. He can be reached at afolabiola2002@yahoo.com. Phone No: 08034434757.

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