Gibbers

Osun: the morning after the storm (1)

Ordinarily the family feud in the Adeleke dynasty over the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket should dominate political discourse in Osun State, but the family seemed to have found a way round the stormy petrel, Davido. His energy is now on doing better than Wizkid’s fabulous London concert, and all now seems quiet in the Adeleke homestead, though Bamidele is yet to yield total ground to “Uncle” Demola.

Expectedly or otherwise, the storm arose from what was thought a bubble in a political family, where associates were assumed to stick closer than brothers.

Well, the ground eventually erupted and there was a volcano. Now, everywhere appears calm, but the rubbles are not completely cleared. The wounded from the minefield are in different corners, some smarting, some sober, some still simmering. Even the victors aren’t celebrating that much. The mutual feeling is what Yoruba will capture as, ohun to wa leyin efa o ju eje lo, literally meaning that what is after six is more than seven. Is guerrilla warfare loading?

Am I being too proverbial? It is because the agidigbo drum is wired to belch in proverbs. (Lowe lowe la nlu ilu agidigbo). The concluding part is only the wise can dance to it and only men of understanding can decrypt it.

In Lagos power caucus that spilled over to Osun, Minister Rauf Aregbesola, is almost an orphan now. Associating with him openly after daring the apex leader has suddenly become problematic, including for those who used him as the ladder to start associating with the apex leader.

That is the first lesson in the quotable quote of a former governor, now a minister. “May your loyalty not be tested” is his usual line when godsons take on their godfathers. He has been there. He had his fire baptism years back.

Strangely, even their common associates who now see Ogbeni as the alaseju (the unrestrained one) will readily tell you the former Osun governor was the most loyal of Tinubu’s mentees. As governor, Ogbeni was ready to box another South-West governor over Tinubu. That governor then, who is now a senator, and another governor who is still in office, must be having a good laugh at Ogbeni, who reportedly removed his agbada to give the governor-colleague the beating of his life for opposing his Bourdillion leader.

Another associate quoted the embattled minister as always telling them, Tinubu could never be wrong, when some of them started the rebellion to achieve internal democracy in their corridor of influence as Lagos ruling elite.

Alas, Ogbeni’s loyalty was tested and the scorecard is crimson. The loyalty of his own self-professed local associates now ditching him is also being tested, even his right hand man in Alimosho ported. This is the central message in the Tinubu/Oyetola/Aregbesola triangular war.

The scripture in Micah 7:5 says “Trust ye not in friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom”. The day I read this scripture to my children, I had to explain God isn’t asking them to distrust their spouses, but to always remember man remains a man. Yoruba will encourage you to give allowance for moments of disputation in great friendship. The moment a man is elevated beyond reproach, both the one being deified and the one pouring libation, are seeking real troubles.

Somehow, I find the outsize reactions to the disputations between Asiwaju and Aregbesola, funny. If there are openly disagreeing after two decades and a half of deep friendship, both had tried in accommodating each other’s excesses. Allowing it to boil over is where the Minister missed it.

Proverbs 3:30, says “Strive not with a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm.” From words within, both Aregbesola and his boss have reasons to fight and while their common associates are panning the Minister’s outbursts and bailing on him, they are not privately exonerating the leader too.

The common line with variants is “Aregbesola should not have spoken, though Asiwaju and Governor Oyetola offended him.” Somehow, I find this argument curious, without exonerating the Minister’s word choices and deployed proverbs. If truly the governor has been ghosting him for close to two years and the leader appeared to have taken side, was he expected to be dying emotionally in silence or resort to what other angry but silent associates of Asiwaju are doing; which is literally using the obe eyin (unseen side of the knife) to surreptitiously eat the leader’s yam? That is crass betrayal. It is worse than an angry man, who has never been a master of o’to ge in speech.

But Yoruba will say intoxication from alcohol can only give expression to saved thoughts and convictions. Asiwaju should be grateful that his closest confidant spoke out. Those words, as hurting as they are, can become a source of strength for Asiwaju as he seeks the presidency. Maybe, like countless of us who now assume throne of judgement on their matter, he used to take his very close friends for granted. It might not be deliberate. But people do it, in the assumption that the friends would overlook crucial denial to them, in favour of others. Well, there is a wisdom in that assumption, only that the caveat to it, must be properly situated before the “victims” are chosen. Wisdom demands you offend only a friend you know will forgive you.

Of course, the tongue and mouth in Aregbesola and Asiwaju’s now-fractured bromance, would have been doing closet spat, long before now, but had somehow developed ways of settling it, like a friend to a top government official who told me that after a fallout, both of them, would sit together looking away. After a few minutes the official will call his butler and bellow, “won’t you give him (his vexing friend) his usual”. That usual, is wine. I had a good laugh when told of their peculiar ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution).

Like Muiz Banire, SAN, would say, I can tell Asiwaju for free that despite the current episode between him and his now out-of-favour mentee, the Minister, like the Biblical Jabez, is still more honourable than most of his peers roaming Bourdillion today. Those playing the pests under the garden egg plant and systemically ruining harvest, should be Leader’s immediate worry. For the Minister, he should be too old now, for the Ajantala monicker. That character in Rotimi Ogunjobi’s Ajantala The Terrible Child And Other Yoruba Folk Tales, is better a fable. There is nothing inspiring about him, including his so-called bravery.

(To be continued.)

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

“It is gladdening that only six months after that memorable event, the Minister of Interior is back in Enugu to perform another significant and symbolic ceremony. This time, the Minister accompanied by the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, is in the Coal City to unveil the enhanced E-Passport and Commission the Passport Production Centre for the South East situated in Enugu within this Complex.”

Speaking also, the Acting Comptroller General enthused that the people of the South East can now rejoice, pointing out that it was not that his Service oblivious of the suffering of the people but that time and resources had not permitted earlier action.

He commended Gov Ugwuanyi for his support and assistance to the State Command that had culminated in the realization of the project.

Responding, Aregbesola showered encomium on Ugwuanyi who he described as his good friend and one who has been of immense assistance to the Immigration Service in Enugu state.

The minister said not only does South East have a passport production centre within reach but also that the people now have access to an array of choices of the enhanced E-Passport that will aid their globe-trotting disposition.

Our Reporter