Throwback On Oshiomole 2006
In 2007, Adams Oshionmhole announced his intention to run for the Governorship of Edo state.
One particular man was highly disappointed by that decision.
According to the man, this was a clear case of misplaced ambition. He felt Oshionmhole should have aimed higher and instead vie for the position of the president of Nigeria.
This sentiment by the incomparable late Gani Fawehinmi was one that was shared by not a few Nigerians.
At the time, Oshionmhole was just fresh off being the NLC President. His reputation as the “Man-of-the-People” was staggering. He commanded a stupendous nationwide cult following. His popularity stretched from the coast of Lagos to as far as the hinterlands of Bornu.
Arguably, Oshionmhole was Nigeria’s most influential social crusader – ever!
Indeed, some of us saw the wisdom in Oshionmhole’s decision. This is Nigeria. You don’t aspire to be the President with a meager political structure – or with very limited financial base. It would be patently delusional to even imagine it.
Of course, Gani ought to have known better. He once made an attempt at the presidency himself. It was a futile endeavour that was powered solely by his vast reputation as a Civil Rights lawyer.
And so, just like Rochas Okorocha – Oshionmhole saw the governorship as an incubation platform for bigger political aspirations.
And those of us of Edo extraction, who desired better for our dear state, campaigned for him the best way that we could. It was the only reasonable thing to do, especially after the calamity that befell our state in the form of a certain Lucky Igbinedion.
And fatefully, after an initial judicial squabble, Oshionmhole took over the reins of affairs in Edo state.
His first term in office was a bit eventful. He tarred some roads and reconstructed a few. He replaced the old and tired roofs of some primary and secondary schools in Edo state. He also gave the school buildings fresh paint jobs.
He introduced the “Comrade Buses”.
He installed a water fountain at King Square, Ring Road in Benin City. This scandalous project cost Edo state tax-payers a whooping N386 million. It was a fountain that also required N90million annually for its maintenance, etc.
Tragically, in Edo state, these accomplishments were enormously celebrated – no thanks to the abysmally low standard set by his predecessor, Lucky Igbinedion.
In any case, all these formed the basis for some of us to campaign for his re-election with the hopes that he would up the ante.
And indeed, he was re-elected.
Sadly, Oshionmhole’s re-election would turn out to be a state’s tragedy; a total betrayal of the hopes invested in him by the Edo people.
And so, in the nature of second term governors in Nigeria, Oshionmhole completely went to sleep upon re-election. He woke up only a few times in order to make news with episodes that had absolutely nothing to do with the governance of Edo state.
For instance, in 2015, in a desperate attempt to project a veneer of loyalty to the new Buhari administration, Oshionmhole installed himself as the official attack dog of the government. He attacked the real and imagined enemies of President Buhari.
One time, in a forlorn attempt to demonize the previous administration, he shamelessly fabricated an account of how a US Government official took him in confidence on how a member of the previous administration surreptitiously lodged $6 billion dollars in a bank in the US.
Of course, this story was hastily dismissed by the US government as a figment of Oshionmhole’s creative imagination, and a product of a delusional mind.
And then there was his inexplicably attraction for Okonjo-Iwealla and his numerous altercations with her.
And there were numerous cases of famous tantrums, notably the “Go and Die” episode.
And needless to mention how he unblinkingly blamed the climate for his failure to provide Edo state with public infrastructure in 7 years.
And only just recently, Oshionmhole openly and unashamedly accused his deputy governor of “witch-craft”. He went further to accuse the deputy of nursing an agenda to bewitch and kill him in order to pave the way for him to become the next Governor. This allegation would have made a whole lot of sense if Oshionmhole was running for a third term.
Simply, Oshionmhole degenerated to the status of a celebrated nuisance.
Today, the man is engaged in a frantic “Do or Die” campaign for self-preservation.
Ironically, this same man whose ascendancy to the office of Governor of Edo State was aided by the slogan “Say No to god-fatherism” is now desperate to institute a stooge at Dennis Osadebey Avenue.
This same man whose rise to power was fueled by lofty promises and ideals that he espoused but all these have been jettisoned having been consumed by the trappings of executive office.
And due to this man’s failure, he has effectively made PDP – a party that, not too long ago, earned for itself a pariah status in Edo state – to regain popular acceptance.
This is a very sad story of how one man frittered the mind-boggling and unprecedented goodwill he once enjoyed from the good people of Edo state.
Come September 10th, and baring any shenanigans by INEC, the Edo people are about to make an important statement: Unlike Lagos state, Edo state cannot become one man’s empire.
Edo state cannot be an empire where the state resources is privatized and used to shore up a god-father’s political equity.
Indeed, and by the means of the ballot, the sons and daughters of Edo state must rise up to oppose any agenda to produce in the state another version of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I
