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When godfathers play puppet masters

‘My greatest landmark in Edo State is not the issue of infrastructure, whether it is in education, roads, and others; it is the weeding away of godfatherism” –Adams Oshiomhole on TV (June 21, 2014)

I have never met him, and I have never had the opportunity of feeling his impact or otherwise first hand either through projects and or pronouncements because he is not the governor of the state in which I live – Lagos. But what has happened to Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, the Governor of Edo State, in his abortive quest to enjoy a crack at a second term in office on the platform of the party that gave him the first opportunity, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is symptomatic of the way politics is played in the ‘Giant of Africa’. As often is the case, the native of Benin City was not denied a second term ticket by his party for lapses on his part as governor of the ‘Heartbeat of The Nation’ but, rather because the powers that be felt he was not ‘appreciative enough’ to those that made his 2016 dreams a reality.

Like I said earlier, I have not had the luxury of being able to judge Obaseki’s performance since I have not been to Edo State since he took over Government House, but from interaction with a number of friends and colleagues from the state, and what I gleaned from the media, he did not do badly overall. Nonetheless like we all know in Nigeria, performance or merit more often than not take the backseat when people are being considered for positions in the country – a flaw that has played a major part in putting Nigeria where we are today.

Rather than merit being the number one consideration; instead for our decision- makers’ allegiance and clannishness is their number one priority – is he from my area, will he be loyal to me, protect my interests, and so on? In other words rather than the citizenry or the nation at large being the beneficiary of the person being put into the position of authority it is the so-called godfather and his cohorts. Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was governor of Edo State for two terms, and told the whole world that the above quote at the top of this piece as his major achievement since according to him: “the reordering of Edo State political environment, giving people confidence and breathing air into the concept of a multiparty democracy where no one political party can continue to lord it over the other and in the demystify of people who celebrate electoral fraud and those that have persuaded Edo people to resign their fate that they are only going to be distant spectators in a democratic process where they are supposed to be the key drivers”. Sadly, after leaving the stage, the same thing he said he had consigned to the dustbin of history, is what he has once again. Dusted up and is now trying to do.

Although an Appeal’s Court sitting in Abuja removed him from his perch as National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) on Tuesday, his action in the Obaseki saga has further exposed the cynicism in our so-called democratic practice in the country. Incidentally, a chieftain of his own party and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu is basking in the former governor’s setback describing the appellate court’s affirmation of Oshiomhole’s suspension “as good riddance to bad rubbish”. He said: “It is good riddance to bad rubbish. He was playing God. One is vindicated as I had maintained that Comrade Adams was no more a valid chairman of our great party. “That out of narcissism he glossed over his valid suspension by his ward executive and with the culture of impunity failed to adhere to the provisions of APC Constitution. “A man who lost his Ward, LGA and State Exco has no reason to remain chairman.” Incidentally, although like most politicians the National Chairman preached democracy in reality he never practiced it.

Before the Appeal Court’s ruling, he had told the whole world that he had no personal issues with Obaseki but was only following the party’s constitution “We are just following our party constitution. We have a screening committee, they turned out a report. And the report is subject to the appeal committee for anyone who chooses to appeal against the findings of the screening committee. “The purpose of the screening is to take nothing for granted. And until they go through the appeal process, I as the National Chairman cannot comment on it.” He said 24 hours after the Screening Committee’s action. And yet the same constitution which he laid claim to had also spelt out how to suspend a member, which is exactly what they did in Edo but rather than accept it, Oshiomhole chose to ignore it with devastating consequences as exposed by the Appeal Court’s ruling. However, what often beats one’s imagination is the inability of our politicians to learn from the history of previous attempts at foisting a successor into office.

There are countless incidences of such attempts backfiring in the long run. Is it Anambra where Peter Obi backed Willy Obiano into securing the keys to the Government House only to fallout afterwards or Lagos, wherefrom nowhere Akinwunmi Ambode became governor and yet four years later failed to return due to his differences with the powers that be, to mention but a few.

So, what is the guarantee that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who only four years earlier was on the receiving end of some caustic words from Oshiomhole in the run-up to the 2016 election, would not now fallout with the same man later? At the end of the day, perhaps would be power brokers should take a cue from the ‘original Godfather’ Vito Corleone, who in the 1972 blockbuster movie of the same name said these immortal words: “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” At least this will ensure that if there is to ever be a parting of ways it will only be on the terms and approval of the ‘don’ – and not the other way round.

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