The events leading to the just concluded governorship election in Edo State which should ideally be shaped by debates about developmental issues and how to broaden social opportunities to the people of Edo State became for some actors, a devotion to trivial matters of lizards challenging lions, of buzzing mosquitoes and political recriminations. Even Patrick Obahiagbon of the land of Igodomigodo, would have been impressed with the rich content of linguistic grandiloquence on display. And talking of mosquitoes, lizards and lions, we have always known that mosquitoes have the capacity to cause collateral damage but if there is any take-away, (and perhaps eat-in) from the elections for politicians, it is that some fables may not be fables after all, if the pitiable sight of almighty lions sprawling on the floor from the deadly jabs of mere lizards serves any useful lesson.
On a brighter note, there were several videos that surfaced during the build-up to the election – some hilarious, some full of histrionics, hubris and hot air. Yet, there is a particular video that will not fail to catch the attention of any music lover – that of some very popular boys in Benin, who clearly possess the gift of music but not the discipline to excel in it, piping sublime Edo music with so much dexterity and euphoria that anyone could, at first glance, have dubbed them as Osayomore boys until you realise it is an unholy gathering, the last dance for survival of some desperate non-state actors who have held market women, drivers and the people in the jugulars for so long. They are street urchins. Some of them have become billionaires in the course of their unholy alliance with politicians and government.
Even Pastor Ize-Iyamu, in whose camp they pitched their tent, was a guest of the boys in one of their performances. Governor Obaseki should not stop at retiring these boys, he should help them to realise their more noble calling by creating a platform for them to better hone their musical skills and ultimately become worthy progeny to the famed musical maestros whose talents throb Edo musical landscape over the years such as Sir Victor Uwaifo, Ambassador Osayomore, Waziri Oshomah, Leo Fadaka, Young Bolivia Osigbemhe, Benji Igbadumhe, Adviser Nowamagbe, and among many others.
Let us now negotiate a detour away from the tales of lizards and lions to the more central issues of the election itself and what it means for the Edo People. To be fair to Pastor Ize-Iyamu, the election was never about him and he should therefore resist the temptation of putting on the toga of a loser neither should he feel the urge to seek judicial intervention even when such is recognised as his inalienable right to exercise. The outcome of the election bears more credence to POI’s association than his character. Some will argue that character defines association but not in all cases. It is beyond debate that Ize-Iyamu was more popular in 2016 than in 2020 and in fact had an edge in 2016 but for federal might (a euphemism for subversion of the people’s will) he probably would have won.
Rather, the election should be seen as a referendum against Killy-Looism, the practice by a mythical Killy-Loo bird bent on flying in a backward direction either because it didn’t care or was acutely unaware of where it was going but was awfully interested in where it had been. It was an unambiguous message to mortals who assumed extraterrestrial character and feigned the appearance of direct conversation with God and therefore arrogated to themselves the sole entitlement to the dispensation of political fortunes at their pleasure – the rejection of a political sect whose idea of politics is essentially predatory, devoid of moral conscience. They are in all the political parties.
Such was the angst across the state that in a fair game (the election was free and fair they say, but relatively free and fair, is more apt), the performance of the opposition party could not have averaged more than 35 percent overall and less than 20 percent in Edo Central, for the obvious reasons of perceived government neglect and politics of exclusion suffered by Esanland during the last administration and the permutations of tripodal balancing come 2024. We are all victims of neglect. Yes, even in Edo North, the odds were heavily stacked against POI’s aspiration.
The people have made their choice and spoken in clear terms. The election of Godwin Obaseki may well portend an excellent prospect of social and economic progress in Edo State and ultimately extricate the public interest from the grip and spirited advocacy of a small coterie of feudal lords whose only mission is nothing but misguided enterprise, with controlling impulses possessed solely by the vices of privilege, profits, prestige and power, and completely stripped of any cause greater than self-gratification.
Once the message of September 19 is fully seized with clarity by Governor Obaseki, it will then become less tasking for him to realise that the statement was wrapped in sure-footed expectations. Expectations which make a rightful claim on the Governor’s self-love and humanity. Self-love in the context of immortality is rooted in the Indian religious philosophy which admonishes that what should I do with that which I do not become immortal. The people have placed a moral burden on Governor Obaseki. How he responds will be recorded by and for posterity.
No doubt, Obaseki posted some admirable success during his first term. Yet the success could have been better and more broad-based if the second half of his first term was not mired in fratricidal war. The governor now has four more years left to show that his quest to retain his tenancy of Osadebe House is borne out of altruistic desire to serve rather than a mere romance with sophistry, as claimed in some quarters. It did not take Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli (may God bless his soul) a decade to etch his name in the minds of Bendelites with his visionary leadership and inclusive distribution of infrastructure even with far limited resources. Edos voted en masse for Governor Obaseki, it is time to reciprocate by pursuing a more comprehensive development strategy which does not leave any part of the state behind. It is time to reverse the restraint of grinding poverty that pervades the state through social provisioning and job creation.
“E Pluribus Unum”, “Unum de multis”, Edo Òkpa ‘Nó.
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