Obaseki vs Oshiomhole: Cry My Beloved Edo

It is necessary to review the political situation in Edo and especially within the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has been in power and in government for the third consecutive electoral cycle. In the process, real tangible progress has been made, relative to the period before they wrested power from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through electoral, and eventually, judicial process.

Why is this progress under threat of implosion? The recent extensive interviews that were given by a key actor in the crisis, also, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole provides ample windows to X-ray the under currents and distill the real issues.

In the final analysis, it is the primordial tussle between real change, the type that President Muhammadu Buhari described as Next Level, and certain existing subterranean, unbridled and blatant assaults on the paths and in the wheels of progress; the unhealthy encroachment of politics into government priorities to the entire citizenry.

Power retention by the party and by the incumbent seeking reelection, are at the core of the agitations by politicians for empowerment, even though such empowerment is often “privatised” rather than deployed to building up the party. This is logical in a multi-party democracy with keen, even desperate contests for power. Unfortunately, the majority of voters, outside of real partisan politicians, hold shallow ideological positions and exercise their franchise on the whims, yet some and a significant number, carry on with apathy.

As a matter of fact, even the political class has progressively become very fluid in switching parties. In this game, the politicians as the gate-keeper on who can or cannot fly their party flags are in a very strong position relative to the silent or passive majority. A pragmatic balance is required between the imperatives of power retention through the political party and the financial responsibilities of an elected government to the people.

In Edo today, there is an attempt by the Governor, to shift this balance towards the people, a tilt made more compelling by dwindling resources, as a result, the Governor’s popularity with the people has reached a level never before seen, in decades.

A government can be very popular within the political party but unpopular with the vast majority outside of the party; it is a question of where resources are steered

This has generated fault lines within the ruling party, years of enjoying the ubiquitous title of “party leader” or “my leader” has created another upper cadre of politicians who believe that they must have a direct bilateral one-on-one with whoever is the governor, capture him and be treated preferentially.

Governor Godwin Obaseki has started building a new system, blind to cronies and fat cats feeding on public resources; the savings from these wrenching but laudable changes, have been channeled to deliver concrete results, through transparent templates to the people.  The fall-out from these changes and reforms is the intra-party resistance that some few but vocal “party leaders” have mounted; and also, the Governor’s popularity has ruffled big feathers, in the run up to who becomes the new godfather.

The internal opposition wants a full return to business as usual as laid out under Comrade’s 8-year tenure and appear to have found support in Comrade, who they mistakenly compare to Governor Godwin Obaseki, despite the obvious differences in style, in the changing political evolution and the economic realities of the times.

In the recent interview, Comrade Oshiomhole, made it clear that, for now, the Governor is not under any threat, but unless the Governor retraces his steps, then it will take a miracle for him to return for a second term. Let us examine some of the main, open issues, revealed in that interview.

Adams Oshiomhole said that “Merchants of Confusion” are at work and responsible for the crisis. He did not name these “merchants”, leaving us to figure it out, so who are those benefiting materially from the crisis? The government in Edo State was configured at the highest levels by Comrade Oshiomhole who threw his weight behind Godwin Obaseki, and imposed on him Phillip Shuaibu and Osarodion Ogie, as Deputy Governor and Secretary to the State Government, respectively. This trio have forged a tight ship, ensuring that Comrade’s foundations were continued and consolidated. Are these two the “merchants”? Let us give Comrade the credit for creating the team and also, give Godwin Obaseki the credit, for running fast, smooth and not aggrandizing power but properly devolving them to his deputies in line with the constitution.

The governor has set very high, even stretched standards, evidenced in unprecedented transformations in hard infrastructure and soft, fundamental reforms.  The situation in Edo exploded with Comrade’s promotion to Abuja as National Chairman. Before then, he worked behind the scenes as ex-governor and political leader of the party in the state, with all political meetings, held in his house at the Governor’s instance and insistence. Comrade’s promotion left two critical vacancies: leadership of the party in Edo State and Edo North. Adam Oshiomhole is straddling all roles, National Chairman, Edo State Leader and Edo North Leader, without allowing any latitude for other people, including the Governor of the State to operate un-fettered.

This is the real “Merchant of Confusion”.  By sidelining the Governor, other politicians, including pretenders, are working hard to fill Comrade’s withdrawn support by assuring the Governor that they can check-mate the National Chairman; these too, are Merchants of Confusion.

For motor parks, Comrade Oshiomhole said they have a right to exist and should be accommodated. It is well known that Benin is one of the hottest hubs for transport business in Nigeria. The genuine transporters operate freely, even with the Transport Unions. They include Edegbe Line, Efosa Express, God Is Good Motors, to name a few.

The issue is the role of motor park touts who have, over time encroached and dominated, revenue collections at the local government level, ostensibly on behalf of government, using opaque procedures and extortionist tactics; elected government was gradually becoming subordinated to un-elected revenue warlords.  The reforms by Governor Godwin Obaseki, to rescue the local governments in the state, created an epic clash with these people who have become part of the political system in view of their cash war chests and army of enforcers.

The role of these Motor Park touts in mobilising for election victories and power retention cannot be over-stated given our stage in the developmental curve; on the other hand, progress with electoral reforms and culture, as well as the need to more transparently harness government resources, means that the overbearing power of these warlords must be curtailed and tilted down so that government can reclaim its crucial role as revenue collector.

In the interview, Comrade appeared to agree that the Governor has not “carried politicians along”, even though he disagreed that the Governor is under pressure to share out money.

But “carry along” is a euphemism for you know what. Comrade, who refused to name the Merchants of Confusion, has challenged Governor Obaseki to name those asking him to share the money. Throughout the interview, there were no references to the fact that the government has done marvelously well, under serious financial constraints and has demonstrated concrete continuity with the programmes of the APC, along the lines initiated by Comrade.

Any government that puts priority on these cannot but redefine a different environment that will require genuine politicians to readjust away from the past culture which has evolved over time.

There is the accusation of Governor Obaseki building a parallel political structure. Again, Comrade did not give out the name of the parallel political structure, not even a code name. The visible, even vociferous, parallel political structure, within APC in Edo, is the EPM, Edo People’s Movement, which is viewed with Comrade as grand patron. Analysts may go and read the issues canvassed by EPM in their various press releases, compare it to Comrade’s recent interviews, and you will agree, that Comrade came out in those interviews as the big masquerade, heavy lifter behind EPM.

Throughout the interview Comrade spoke for EPM without mentioning their name. EPM has claimed victory for all the political appointments that have been made by Abuja; it seems that the accusations of starvation against party members have found an escape valve in Abuja. The exodus of elected House of Assembly members to Abuja was another example of the real parallel political structures. EPM is made up of two core groups, those that have complained of not being “carried along” and the Revenue Warlords, who now seem to finance and keep the parallel body afloat, until the recent appointments from Abuja (except Dr. Osagie Ehanire), have joined. It is indeed EPM onslaughts that woke up the Governor to an imminent existential threat; the Governor seems to have relied fully on political cover from Comrade.

One view is that having failed to fully control and remote the Governor through the executive branch, as originally programmed, the state House of Assembly became the next target to hijack in order to force the Governor to do three things: reinstate the Revenue Warlords,  enter “carry along” undertaking and recognize Comrade in whatever role he decides to play as the godfather. These conditions defeat the oath of office of a Governor and run centrifugally against the style and substance that have made the Governor resoundingly popular in the state and in the country.

Answers to those posers, take us to the conclusion. Cry my beloved Edo! Edo has started rebuilding, it must not lose the momentum; it must not return to the ugly past.

Edo should build political parties that deliver mainly to the public and not private individuals who become godfathers. Comrade should put his house in order, especially as National Chairman. He needs to demonstrate that he can resolve real political issues by learning to be a neutral and trusted mediator; and the Governor should rebalance the equation by closing ranks whilst continuing with his laudable reforms.

The Abuja parallel tracks should be streamlined with the base in Benin so that Edo can benefit from being in the same party at state and national levels; for now, this advantage is being frittered away, in a show of dysfunction. It is sad but true, that mass movements tend to be more cohesive during real struggles than in power, where the spoil of office and how to share it can become sources of disintegration; it is obvious that some complacency arising from APC dominance over PDP, is creating intra party tensions, around petty issues of “carrying along” and “godfatherism”.

A combination of Comrade Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki under a sincere truce that trim the extreme edges, on both sides, will keep Edo within APC easily for real consolidation. Cry my beloved Edo, if the rescue that started under Comrade is splintered.

Adams, a public affairs analyst, writes from Benin City, Edo State