After Burying Obaseki’s Unfounded Legacy, Ighodalo Burning Own Political Future

After Burying Obaseki’s Unfounded Legacy, Ighodalo Burning Own Political Future

 

By Sebastine Ebhuomhan

 

Thursday, 1st May, 2025. Abuja. All is not well in the factional opposition led by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s predecessor, Godwin Obaseki. The leaders and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are at war with themselves in Edo State as they are up in arms nationally.

By this claim is neither meant the handful of people the faction huddled like sardines under three canopies at its state Stakeholders’ Meeting last Thursday in Benin City nor the party’s collapse at all levels responsible for ongoing defection of its elected leaders, appointed members, key stakeholders and daunted followers across the country. It is yet unknown whether the party’s emergency National Working Committee summoned to prescribe a solution has found an antidote.

To rub salt on the party’s cancerous sore, the PDP’s perpetual presidential candidate, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, who has been contesting since 1992, is in the dive again to annex, elbow or buy the party’s ticket for the 2027 presidential election. He is personally negotiating with smaller parties he hopes to cobble into a doomed coalition to launch his vexatious, opposed 33 years aspiration.

If you think any of these problems are responsible for PDP members’ unhappiness in Edo State, you are dead wrong. Simply stated, the absence and continuous abandonment of Edo PDP by the state leader of the party, Mr. Obaseki, is no longer seen as a joke, convenience or hope by the remnants of the party resisting the sweeping gale of defections that have drowned countless members across the country.

Notable party leaders at the emergency state meeting includes: ex-Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan and former Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Ogiadomen; ex-Governor Lucky Igbinedion; ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi; Edo PDP Chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi; the PDP candidate in the 2024 Edo governorship election, Dr. Asuerinmen Ighodalo and his running mate, Barrister Osarodion Ogie amongst others.

Addressing the few adherents, Mr. Ighodalo gave a glimpse of the internal crisis tearing Obaseki’s faction apart. The helpless and hopeless situation made him palpably unhappy despite the smile that masked his face.

In a mixture of English and Pidgin, Ighodalo aimed his salvos clearly. “I thank our youth. I thank our women. I thank everybody, and I can’t stop thanking.

“I assure everybody that by God’s grace when we get our mandate, we will run this first-class government we’ve been talking about. We’ll start from where people like Governor Lucky Igbinedion stopped. We’ll start from there. We’ll move this state. I don tok am say no bi rocket science. We go get Edo State wey nobody poor. Pipul think say I just dey tok. It’s easy. Its not hard like that. No bi rocket science...”

In his Sermon on the Plain, Luke Chapter 6, Verse 45, Jesus tells us how we can judge a person’s character. He states that people can be judged by what they say and do because what a person says reveal what is inside the person. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Rather than give Ighodalo the benefit of the doubt for speaking his mind, the genesis of his reaction should be highlighted.

In a preview of the Edo election petition tribunal judgment published early Wednesday, 2nd April, 2025, this journalist unimpeachably disclosed how PDP members and leaders were awaiting Obaseki’s return and leadership at the tribunal to inspire the dispirited party ahead of the judgement. Such a bold and fearless return would have also proved to his detractors that his hands are clean, contrary to the mind-boggling revelations of economic mismanagement, multi-billion-naira sleaze as well as stripping and looting of state assets and funds that are now oozing out of his administration’s books.

According to a report, Obaseki, who was conspicuously absent at the meeting, “has not publicly identified with the PDP since he exited office in November 2024. Blueprint gathered that the former governor reportedly doesn’t answer the telephone calls anymore.” Some other reports labelled Obaseki as a transactional politician, who simply used and dumped the PDP.

Before fleeing into his self-imposed exile after eight years in power, Obaseki praised and mentored Ighodalo for governorship as the chairman of his government’s economic team. He displaced, forced out, and impeached those who nursed the ambition of succession before securing the party’s ticket for Ighodalo. Dubbing himself a technocrat, he campaigned for Ighodalo on the basis of establishing Edo State economically, socially and politically from its past.

In 2016 as the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, with technical and tactical support from Ighodalo, Obaseki’s campaign exposed the underbelly of Igbinedion’s eight-year PDP-elected administration. If Obaseki indeed campaigned in the past against the record books of Igbinedion, who the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission prosecuted for corruption, why would his political godson, who is presently fighting to claim a mandate the winner is expressing to the satisfaction of majority citizens now start from where Igbinedion stopped without mentioning Obaseki’s acclaimed success?

In a critical analysis of the meeting, titled: The Shameful Gathering of Deflated and Expired Political Elements Led by a Displaced Former Chairman, the Acting Publicity Secretary of Edo PDP (an arrowhead of the Legacy Group under Chief Dan Orbih’s leadership), Bob-Manuel Umoru described Igbinedion as an expired power-broker “turned ex-convict, known for liquidating the state’s treasury.” The statement attacked many other leaders of the party.

In Ighodalo’s revived hope of overturning the unanimous tribunal judgment against his election petition at the Court of Appeal, which birthed his dream of a first-class government, there was no other way to bury Obaseki’s empty and unfounded Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) legacy that shaped PDP campaigns and distance himself from the fleeing ex-governor than starting from where Igbinedion stopped. So, not acknowledging his political godfather at the meeting was deliberate.

Continuing his speech at the meeting, Ighodalo said, “All our witnesses that came to give evidence are men and women of strength. I was sitting down there (the tribunal), they were offering one N30 million; N40 million. Dem say, Oga, come listen to phone call. We, we no get N30 million. We no even get money to give dem. Na only transport money. Go, come. People were offering them N30 million; N40 million. So, na thank I go thank una. And I keep thanking.

“I for kneel down but someone don spoil kneeling down. The pesin? One pesin dey. Na so-so kneels down everyday. So, I no want make I com spoil kneel down. So, when I make am, I think say I go kneel down. But I no wan spoil kneel down. Because kneeling down is supposed to be a genuine show, like saying you are thankful. But when person don useless am, dey kneel down everywhere like say im no get work, make we leave dat one.” He concluded.

Notably, side comments at the meeting were already mentioning names of targeted persons long before Ighodalo concluded his speech. Was the mockery necessary? No. Painstakingly analysed, the statement is akin to Ighodalo angrily burning his own bridges or political future.

Considering how ingratitude drowned Obaseki, Ighodalo’s statement is a veiled attack on the humility and gratitude of Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo. It refers to the occasions the governor knelt to thank and appreciate his helpers. According to reports, Okpebholo knelt to thank Nigeria’s first citizen: the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He also knelt to appreciate the Senate President, Chief Godswill Akpabio, CON, for helping to quell the acrimony that trailed Edo APC governorship primary, which ultimately united the party for victory. In contrast, Obaseki, the leader of Ighodalo’s PDP, encouraged the defection of his party members, telling them to leave if they are dissatisfied.

But the most pointed target of Ighodalo’s disrespectful arrow is the revered monarch of Benin Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR, who Okpebholo continues to kneel down to venerate as custom demands whenever he visits the palace since his election as governor.

Ogidigan Ewuare is a big contributor to the progress the Okpebholo administration has made since 12th November, 2024. Not forgetting so soon how Ighodalo and Obaseki failed in their attempted destruction of the Benin Traditional Council because of their inability to grab the palace’s returned artefacts, this latest statement unleashed a fury of criticisms with many thanking God and their ancestors that Ighodalo did not win Edo governorship election. If he had won, as they are saying, he would have gone further than just investigating the artefacts as he promised during the campaigns to fighting the monarch and showing disrespect to Mr. President and other political leaders.

A peaceful, simple, honest, jovial, frank, cerebral and progressive traditional ruler noted for few words, integrity, courage, sagacity, and international pedigree, the diplomat and ex-Nigerian Ambassador to Angola, Sweden and Italy currently chairs Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs. Needless to say, his throne deserves the respect of subjects and visitors, including Ighodalo and Obaseki.

Furthermore, Ighodalo’s statement actually reminds Edo people the good reasons they voted for Okpebholo, despite the severe de-marketing and shame the latter suffered during campaigns. Described by John Mayaki in Asue Ighodalo: When Pride Campaigns, Defeat Votes as a successor Obaseki cut from the same rough cloth that veiled the ex-governor’s political scam, Ighodalo is the complete opposite of Okpebholo. Mr. Mayaki was a campaign spokesman for Ighodalo.

To understand the differences between these two men, you will need to watch acclaimed Anglo-Irish author Oliver Goldsmith’s timeless classic, She Stoops to Conquer. The play humorously explores social norms, class differentiations and different characterisation in the pursuit of love, marriage and happiness. The comedy satirizes the divide between urban and rural society, highlighting the absurdity of fake and artificial lifestyles, manners and expectations that instantly places Okpebholo and Ighodalo at different polar ends of reality versus deception.

As a man of peace, love, care, connection, empathy, humility, respect and courage, the leadership virtues, ethos, and ideals of Okpebholo have never been in doubt even though they are beguiled by his gentle and quiet mien. In less than five months, he has shown more than enough capacity in the Office of the Governor of Edo State.

Okpebholo may not dance well enough to charm PDP. Yet, he is not overwhelmed by pride so as not to express gratitude in anyway he dims right. By the way, kneeling to appreciate benefactors symbolises gratitude, joy, respect, humility and peace in Edo culture. As the saying goes, a river of blessings flow through a valley of gratitude.

The Roman philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero posited that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” What does that mean? The notion of gratitude as a ‘virtue’ is the notion of moral excellence or greater character. In other words, gratitude is not fleeting but a way of life that requires a commitment to other virtues.

According to author, researcher and award-winning educator, Dr. Kerry Howells, there are Six Pillars of Gratitude. They are: relatedness, sincerity, empathy, self-regard, integrity, and humility. If Ighodalo, Obaseki and their followers find gratitude too big a task, then they are definitely lacking the six pillars of gratitude, according to Ms. Howells.

Benin tradition and custom demands that a visitor to the palace kneels to greet the monarch, rubbing hands together, lifting them, and hailing: Oba ghator kpere, Ise! But Ighodalo, who once accompanied his principal to the palace, where both forgot to produce kola nuts for the blessing they came to receive is probably stating that he will never visit Oba Ewuare again as long as the monarch mounts the stool of his ancestors or he will not kneel to greet when he visits again.

As the PDP affliction approaches death certification, the only respected voice that can rally life into the dying party, according to observers, is ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Even Jonathan as a sitting PDP-elected president knelt to greet the then Oba Erediauwa whenever he visited the palace. So, what has Okpebholo done that has never been done before or weirdly out of this world to warrant Ighodalo’s mockery and ridicule? It is quite baffling that the Edo State Government has not replied to this embarrassment until now.

To conclude, Obaseki was the first Nigerian sitting governor to promote State Residency Card. But he has since abandoned Ighodalo to bear his heavy cross alone by preferring the lonely and sedentary life of a fugitive in the cold weather of abroad to helping his godson to challenge Okpebholo at the courts in Benin and Abuja. On this basis, therefore, it is wise for Ighodalo to begin to carve his own name, politically, by gradually distancing himself from the palace enemy and ingrate, chieftained Ogbonmwanyese of Benin. What is not advisable or wise, however, is to burn the bridges to his future elective or appointive political offices through unbridled anger at the disappointing manner Obaseki abandoned him.

Even if Ighodalo does not win at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, he can still win a governorship election in the future. If he does not win a governorship election, he can be appointed into a similar or any other capacity office. Whichever and however the future turns out, he will need these men he is mocking and ridiculing today because there are no permanent friends and foes in politics but only permanent interests.

As an African proverb states, you do not apply the force that the stingy bite of a tsetse fly demands to scratch your painful scrotum.

 

Mr. Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is an award-winning journalist and a media consultant from Edo State. He can be reached on: usie007@yahoo.com and 08037204620.