OUR STAND: Democracy without democrats in Edo

On Friday, June 12, 2020, Nigerians watched in astonishment as the internal wrangling within the Edo chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reached a crisis head.

On that day, in what many have described as a predictable end, the party issued a terse statement in which it announced that the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, had been disqualified from its gubernatorial primary election scheduled for June 22, 2020.

It claimed that its screening committee, headed by Professor Jonathan Ayuba, had discovered incontrovertible evidence that Obaseki’s certificates contained alterations that could become subject of legal entanglements that might ruin the party’s electoral fortunes in the future.

Events leading up to the crisis have been well documented.

It had brewed quietly, first, with rumours gaining grounds that Governor Obaseki and his political god-father, Adams Oshiomhole, were going their separate ways. The once beautiful romance, however, turned completely sour on June 17, 2019 when the governor surreptitiously inaugurated nine members of the Edo House of Assembly, leaving out another fourteen allegedly loyal to his god-father, and now National Chairman of APC.

Since then, the people of Edo, and, indeed, majority of Nigerians have watched the state descend into a theatre of the absurd where democratic ideals have been turned on their heads.

Ripples Nigeria notes, with absolute disapproval, the irresponsible moves by a section of the political class to shred the very principles that uphold our democracy. We see through the charade and condemn the unwholesome attempts to manipulate Edo people into believing that the rift between Oshiomhole and his god-son is driven essentially by a commitment to returning value to the electorate.

We are convinced that the face-off is primarily an ego clash between two individuals locked in battle over who would control the levers of state, mostly for the purpose of primitive accumulation of wealth, for self and cronies.

It is our opinion that good governance has since taken flight in Edo State.

Indeed, we are disturbed that the ship of state is going rudderless with Obaseki running helter-skelter in pursuit of his political survival. Nothing illustrates this better than the hurried shuttles to Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, ostensibly to negotiate his defection into the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he hopes to agree terms and secure the party’s consent to fly its flag in the forthcoming gubernatorial election slated for September 19, 2020.

We call immediate attention to the fact that Edo is writhing in severe pains, and that Oshiomhole cannot totally absolve himself from the on-going political convulsions.

While we acknowledge the supremacy of APC to conduct its affairs within the confines of its constitution, unfolding events, as it concerns Edo gubernatorial primary, leave no one in doubt that the National Chairman had deliberately steered the course of the screening exercise to oust incumbent Governor Obaseki on grounds of perceived disloyalty.

Read also: Despite disqualification, Edo APC chairman insists Obaseki will contest, win gov election

We wish to stress unequivocally that the ruling party conveniently threw transparency and decency out of the window just to satisfy the yearnings of a few determined to offload Obaseki and make way for a supposedly more pliable candidate.

We see in Oshiomhole’s conduct an abuse of office and support for impunity, a double-edged sword that could breed tyranny not just at the state but also national level.

Ripples Nigeria refuses to be drawn into the infantile moves to wipe away from the memory of Nigerians Oshiomhole’s timed accolades which helped to propel Obaseki to power.

We dare to ask what has changed? Was Oshiomhole inebriated at the time or too blind to see the glaring fault lines which, today, he seeks to elevate to a level of national discourse?

We are disappointed that Edo, a once vibrant political space, has been overtaken by political jesters, and jobbers, masquerading as modern day democrats.

Between Oshiomhole and Obaseki, we have searched for outstanding qualities that could separate both and found none. The show of shame, as evidenced in their recent tussle for the soul of Edo State, simply indicates that both men have no respect for democratic principles, lack ideology, and have integrity deficits.

Caught in the mix of Edo’s muddled political pool is also Oshiomhole’s new protege, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Thoroughly shamed only a season ago by the same Oshiomhole, we are convinced that the new union is but a marriage of convenience designed to seize power and feather the nest of the collaborators, as their relationship is not underpinned by any ideological sway.

We call urgently on Oshiomhole, Obaseki and all those queuing behind them not to task the patience of Edo people through a manipulation of the electoral processes that could instigate political uprisings. Democracy without genuine democrats is a sham. Nothing more should be done to stoke the tension which is already threatening to boil over in the state. We warn that the time to arrest the descent into anarchy is now.

We also call on civil society organisations to maintain vigilance over Edo as desperate politicians attempt to rubbish the basic tenets of democracy. The country needs strong institutions and not strong men in the mould of greedy god-fathers intent on building unhelpful patronage systems.

Finally, the people of Edo must rise and demand accountability and transparency from their leaders across all party lines. This has become expedient in the face of claims and counter claims that the state’s meager resources are being cornered and frittered away by a class of people who can best be described as political scavengers.

A Ripples Nigeria editorial…

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