Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo State, hates the word ‘god-father’. As can be expected, he dislikes all those who are described as ‘god-fathers’. I understand why it has become part of his being. God-fathers are parasites who reap where they do not sow, ho lord it over every other person like they are truly God in human flesh, who plunder and appropriate to themselves the commonwealth of the people, who arrogate to themselves the power to decide for everyone else how to live their lives. Oshiomhole would not take any of this so early in his life as a trade unionist, he made it clear that oppression and suppression of the ordinary man would be fought and eradicated. There is no doubt, Oshiomhole performed well as labour leader. He achieved success in the defence of the rights of the working people of Nigeria. It was with this confidence of being an achiever and popular leader that he came back home to seek political relevance.
There is a groundswell of opinion by his traducers that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is now turning himself to a godfather in Edo state. It is clearly against his cherished character to want to act God father, not when he had fought the evil to a standstill in the last seven years. Lest we forget, Adams Oshiomhole sauntered into the murky waters of partisan politics soon after he left office as president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in 2006. After romancing with the Labour Party and ANPP which did not have much following, he tried the ruling PDP. It was here Oshiomhole saw in vivid colours what god-fatherism is all about. He was told he had to visit Uromi to seek the support and blessing of Chief Tony Anenih, the czar of Edo politics whose anointing even councillorship aspirants from Ogbese and Ologbo to Ibillo and Agenebode required to make them candidates. He came away utterly bruised after the Uromi fixer told him pointedly that it was not the turn of Edo north senatorial district to produce a governor.
Oshiomhole, thereafter, got the Action Congress (AC) to accept a working arrangement with Labour Party, the double platform on which he ran for and won the governorship election of 2007. Governor Oshiomhole’s experience at the hands of the god-fathers of PDP, particularly Tony Anenih, informed his determination to fight and eradicate god-fatherism from Edo politics. The extent to which he has succeeded in this daunting self imposed but popular task is arguable. Chief Anenih the god-father and Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion his god-brother are still very much alive and performing all duties of the god-father in the PDP without let or hindrance.
But Oshiomhole has never missed an opportunity to glorify his prowess at dealing decisively with god-fatherism in Edo state. The people, he insists continually, must lead. Oshiomhole has repeatedly pointed out that “godfathers had virtually turned the state into personal fiefdoms, appropriating the resources accruable to it to themselves and their acolytes to the detriment of the larger needs of the people of Edo State”. I have also read somewhere that “Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s crusade against the scourge of these godfathers at all levels of the state’s life has been successful in that for the first time in Edo state, their activities have been put on the front-burner in the people’s psyche as evil and retrogressive. Hitherto, the godfathers were sacrosanct and treated as sacred cows despite the fact that they were responsible for rendering Edo State prostrate and underdeveloped”.
There is no doubt that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has resurrected the state from that “prostrate and underdeveloped” state. This he achieved by ensuring that his administration and Edo governance were not encumbered unnecessarily through pressure from party leaders. Aside the slogan “let the people lead”, Oshiomhole has always maintained that “Edo money is for work” and not for sharing as was the practice in the past. Having recorded laudable achievements in road, health, education, transportation, water, electricity, urban renewal and beautification, erosion control and human capacity development, Oshiomhole is leaving behind a legacy of development requiring sustainability. It is, therefore, Oshiomhole’s concern and duty to ensure that his successor not only has the capacity to build on this solid foundation laid by him but is able to maintain and sustain the present level of infrastructural development in the state. Is it this concern that is being misconstrued as godfatherism on Oshiomhole’s part? Or is it godfatherism for a governor to prefer one aspirant to the other? It is an inalienable right of Comrade Oshiomhole to hold opinions and make choices.
The number of persons aspiring to succeed Comrade Oshiomhole, particularly in the APC, are many with varying backgrounds and capacities. All of them he knows, some he has worked closely with. Would he, therefore, not be reasonably expected to have a preference for one aspirant going by his deep knowledge and understanding of the intricacies in governance and the abilities, capacities and capabilities of the aspirants? What Oshiomhole must do for Edo people, without seeking to be a godfather or sprinkling anointing oil, is to act as coach with ability to separate the perfect strikers from the good midfielders. Edo deserves a brand new governor who can be described as the best striker in the team, the goal-getter.
It is reassuring and heart warming that Comrade Oshiomhole and the party have promised that a level playing field would be provided for all aspirants to contest at the primaries. There is, therefore, no grounds for an aspirant to feel incapacitated by the much talked about anointing of one aspirant by the Comrade Governor. All aspirants will be placed at the mercy of the delegates to the primaries where the “striker” will emerge.
NASAMU JACOBSON, A POLITICAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, LIVES IN BENIN CITY.
