Let me retell the story as reported in the newspapers. You will first permit me the liberty of a little digression, or if you like, a short background you will not find in the story as reported. On Thursday August 4, 2016, the campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate, Philip Shaibu, made a stop-over at Uromi, administrative headquarters of Esan North East council area of the state. As is usual of the APC candidate and his running mate, the first point of call was the palace of the traditional head of the town, HRH Anslem Eidenojie II, Ojuromi of Uromi Kingdom, who, by the grace of his ancestors, is the custodian of the customs and traditions of Uromi land. He acts as chairman of the traditional rulers’ council in the local government area.
I do not think anyone needs reminding that Uromi is the birth place of Chief Anthony Anenih, the 83-year old politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is believed to hold Uromi (and possibly Esan land) in his political vice grip. Other notable Uromi sons include two-time Minister, Architect Mike Onolememen; two-term federal house member, Hon. Friday Itulah and former council chairman, Hon. John Yakubu, running mate to the PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, all of whom are members of the PDP.
Now, it is copiously reported for national consumption that there is a revolt, quite unexpected, in Anenih’s home. If all had seemingly been well between Anenih and the Ojuromi of Uromi, the visit of the APC governorship candidate and his running mate has exposed the frosty relationship between the two. While receiving Godwin Obaseki last Thursday in his palace, HRH Anslem Eidenojie said, most pointedly: ‘’I do not trust Pastor Ize-Iyamu enough to become governor. My people want Godwin Obaseki. I am not a politician but a business man. Politics is not about sentiment but development’’. To remove all doubt as to what he meant, the royal father declared that he is in charge of the political affairs of the Uromi people and does not owe any political leader any explanation about his kingdom and dismissed the claim by the leadership of the PDP that Uromi belongs to the party.
The Ojuromi, who threatened to expose the dirty dealings of the opposition party in the state, frowned at what he described as the disrespect and desperation of Pastor Ize-Iyamu who, he noted, cannot be the next governor of Edo state based on PDP’s track record of under-development. He, however, said he was impressed by the performance of the APC governor in less than eight years in office. He recalled that he was on the entourage of the Comrade Governor last year to commission three roads and a town hall in Uromi which were part of the promises made by the Oshiomhole administration.
‘’I supported him before and he has been nice to the people of Uromi, so we have no fear in the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate. I will pray and the ancestors of this land will support them to make sure that they fulfilled their dreams’’, he said. The royal father has sounded it clearly that as the person responsible for pointing the political direction for Uromi Kingdom and its people he is willing, able and capable of discharging that responsibility to the admiration and contentment of the ancestors of the land. This is as it should be, particularly at this time that performance in public office is the major consideration for giving electoral support.
Last Thursday’s bombshell from no less a personage of the Uromi monarch confirms the unanimity of the resolve of Esan traditional rulers to break the political stranglehold of Chief Anenih in the Edo Central Senatorial District. Recently, the Onojie of Opoji and first Vice Chairman of Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, HRH Ehidiamen Aidonojie 1, said that the traditional rulers in the state will back any governorship candidate endorsed by Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the governorship poll. He described as tremendous the opening of rural communities and infrastructural development of the state by the governor, adding that traditional rulers in the three senatorial districts of the state have been accorded their privileges and respect by the governor as stipulated in the constitution.
Onojie Aidonojie 1, who debunked the claim that Esan traditional rulers had endorsed the PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, after a meeting in Uromi, said: ‘’We want a governor that will have gthe kind of heart like Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole has made sure that we are confortabloe. We do not want governor that will bring us back to poverty. What I mean by that is thqat whatever4 percentage you are sending to the council even when they say it is five per cent, they give you one and a half per cent or two per cent, we don’t want that kind of government’’. He alleged threats against Chief Anenih, saying the Uromi chief called him on telephone to threaten him for exposing the lie that Esan traditional rulers had endorsed Pastor Ize-Iyamu.
There is no doubt that, aside other areas of disagreement, the deputy governorship slot zoned to Edo Central Senatorial District (Esan Land) by the PDP has thrown a pebble into the political waters of Esan land Chief Anenih once bestrode like a colossus. The Onojie of Opoji revealed that there was an agreement that what the area wanted was the governorship. ‘’Rather, what he brought to Esan people now was deputy governor and he still kept it in Uromi. And that was the same thing we have been complaining, all the ministers have come from his place in Uromi and in every election, he will ask Esan people to vote PDP’’, he charged. It is, however, left to be seen how far this royal revolt can be sustained.
NASAMU JACOBSON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR, LIVES IN BENIN CITY.
