Stop Insulting The Edo People

  Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a former tailor in Kaduna who fought his way into unionism and used every machination with his raw brawn and loudness to reach the labour union leadership. He became the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC in 1999 to 2007. 

Adams Oshiomhole was labour leader at the time Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the Nigerian President. The labour leader was conspicuous in the Nigerian Polity, mobilizing people to kick against policies by the Obasanjo's government that were inimical to Nigerians. Whenever the government increased pump price of petroleum products, Oshiomhole would surface like an angry bull and strongly condemn the government's action, calling the government to reverse the prices. He would call for industrial action against the government and Nigerians would wholeheartedly heed to his call. He was seen as the man of the people. While Obasanjo was the president of Nigeria, Adams Oshiomhole was the unofficial President of Nigerians.

The government was always forced to negotiate with labour union and the increase in fuel prices was reduced but never reversed. From time to time, the drama went on. Oshiomhole was high in his ratings by Nigerians. However, later squeals were to show that in those times, Oshiomhole's labour union worked in tandems with the government of the day to increase pump price and the noise and strike actions were part of the script.

Oshiomhole's high rating amongst Nigerians must have spurred him to contest for the Edo governorship contest in 2007 after joining Labour Party. When he was rigged out, the people of Edo and indeed Nigeria were loud in their outcry. Motorcycle riders in Edo state accompanied him to court to claim his mandate.

In the end, it was judicial victory for Oshiomhole who is now popularly referred to as Oshio Baba. That was perhaps the end of the people's Oshiomhole. He transformed to an elitist and his disdain for the common people came to the fore.

Recall the sad episode of the widowed trader who pleaded with him to spare her wares, lamenting her tragic situation, the governor opened his mouth in the glare of the public and told her to go and die. His apology came only because of the media lashing he got. The disdain in which he treated Edo workers left so much to wonderment for a former labour leader. His former friends, the motorcycle riders who were accompanying him to court could no longer work because the governor chased them out of the street. He no longer needed them.

Adams Oshiomhole rode to government house on the mantra of 'one man, one vote.' He was strongly against electoral fraud and he preached against godfatherism which he had pointed as the bane of the Edo State progress. After becoming emperor of the heart beat state of Nigeria, Oshiomhole's perspective changed. He wanted to become the godfather of Edo politics and the one man, one vote slogan became an aberration to his ears. He must have loved the Lagos politics where one man holds the political destiny of the state in his hands and the fate of politicians in the state are subject to his whims and caprices. He decides who becomes governor, senators, house of assembly members and so on and the terms. Oshiomhole wanted to adorn that toga.

In 2016, he brought Godwin Obaseki who was relatively unknown in Edo politics and forced him on the state. He sold Godwin Obaseki as the best thing that could ever happen to Edo State and he completely went offensive against the then PDP standard bearer, the amiable Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. He called him a thief who could not be trusted with money. Oshiomhole swore that Ize-Iyamu was a liar and a thief. That was the extent that Oshiomhole went to destroy the good name of Pastor Ize-Iyamu. He also said that Ize-Iyamu who led his re-election campaign in 2012 had never been known to have any other source of livelihood except being in government. He did not stop there, he called Ize-Iyamu a fake pastor who was rusticated from the University of Benin for his attempt to murder somebody. These were very weighty allegations, perhaps, one that forced Pastor Ize-Iyamu to respond by telling the world how corrupt Oshiomhole was. He took and published an aerial view of Oshiomhole Texas styled Home in Iyamo. That was mindblowing and I wonder why the EFCC did nothing about it.

All these were told to the Edo people. Oshiomhole stood before Edo people and told them that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu could not be trusted and four years later, here he comes again before the same Edo people to tell them Ize-Iyamu is who they should vote for on September 19. That is an insult on the Edo people. Does Oshiomhole think he is the smartest man in Edo, a state that boast of powerful intellectuals? Does he think that Edo people are stupid to take everything he sells to them line, hook and sinker?

The only reason Oshiomhole has changed the rythym of his drumbeat against Ize-Iyamu is not because he is convinced that he made any mistake in demarketing the venerable clergy and assasinating his character, it is simply because he fell apart with Governor Obaseki who failed to be his lackey. It is instructive to bear in mind that Obaseki had said he would rather use Edo State money to develop Edo people than to service one Godfather. How pregnant is that statement?

I believe, like Obaseki, Edo people are smart enough to be independent minded to vote for their choice on Saturday .

Oshiomhole's desperation to install a replacement for Obaseki is glaring that he is bent on burdening Edo state with godfatherism upon which he obviously intends to build his political dynasty and pocket the political destiny of Edo state. He will definitely come to the harsh reawakening very soon that indeed Edo is not Lagos and he must stop insulting the Edo people. I don't even see Ize-Iyamu being his lackey should he win on Saturday. Definitely, he would disillusion Oshiomhole.

Obaseki's win on September 19 will dismantle whatever political grip Oshiomhole has on Edo state and it will begin the process for Oshiomhole to account for his stewardship between 2008 to 2016 when he held sway as governor. I even see Obaseki recovering every stolen kobo from Edo treasury.

As for Ize-Iyamu, a good man in my estimation, he should have kept Oshiomhole very far from his campaign. Whatever he had said to the people in light of the campaign with Oshio-Baba standing beside him, it is more than probable that the Edo people took it with a pinch of salt as the sacked APC chairman's presence remained a constant reminder of what he had told them about Ize-Iyamu four years ago. It was a slur rather than a plus to Ize-Iyamu's campaign.