At a time when Nigerians other than politicians are understandably finding it difficult to identify any benefits that independence or democracy have brought to them, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, are busy fighting over their personal interests rather than justifying their raison d’etre.
As the Edo 2024 governorship election draws ever closer, there is no consensus on which senatorial district Obaseki’s successor should come from, let alone what he should and should not do. There is, however, consensus that Edo State needs a new direction and can do so without continuation of the present administration’s policies.
In the run-up to the Edo 2024 governorship election, there are seven similarities between Obaseki’s situation and Buhari’s situation in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election. Firstly, in both cases, the electorates were eager to see the back of the incumbent. Secondly, both leaders were unable to articulate any known political philosophy to which they adhered. Thirdly, both Buhari and Obaseki were handicapped because they seemingly only sought power based on their messianic belief that the only reason why the government was failing was because they were not in charge! Fourthly, neither Buhari nor Obaseki ever truly understood how to develop society. Fifthly, both leaders failed to reach their potential because they surrounded themselves with sycophants who massaged their egos, poured invectives upon opponents, and hid the truth of their failures from them. Sixthly, both Buhari and Obaseki gave little weight to socio-economic factors such as human suffering inflicted by their policies. Lastly, despite their lacklustre performance both of them committed themselves to ensuring that their party retains the office.
No amount of twisted logic by political jobbers can alter the fact that Edo State simply cannot afford to continue with egoistic, uncompassionate governance for another eight years. From an initial overwhelming mandate, Obaseki AND Shaibu have undeniably lost popular support. Confidence was eroded when it became apparent that they either didn’t know, or simply didn’t care about the extent of Edo people’s suffering.
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Two recent public relations gaffes serve to illustrate this. Firstly, social media trended when Obaseki’s convoy was stuck on a bad portion of road. Onlookers laughed gleefully while ridiculing the penchant for distributing new imported SUV’s and Hilux vehicles for use on such roads! The second gaffe occurred when Obaseki visited Uromi in Edo Central to campaign for his party in the upcoming local government elections. He didn’t know or didn’t care that he was campaigning in a local government where for over three months the local government headquarters complex, the general hospital, police station, and various communities have been without electricity due to a faulty transformer!
Even though indigenes derided Obaseki, the truth is that Uromi is represented by a member of the State House of Assembly, a member of the House of Representatives, and a senator, none of whom is bothered about a situation in which the government hospital for their constituents remains in darkness!
When campaigning in 2016 Obaseki lambasted previous governments for not owning up to their failures, now he commits the same error! Surely it was never his intention that his administration would push citizens to the wall through draconian anti-people policies and an infrastructural deficit? Even worse, it’s an open secret that quite reprehensively, in the little time remaining of their eight years in office, the governor and his deputy have abandoned governance and concentrated efforts on their personal feud.
The team, which people voted for overwhelmingly in 2020, has lost public respect. Truthfully, the two of them were never in the same team, but only came together out of a mutually beneficial interest in conspiring to acquire power. Obaseki now accuses Shaibu of “scheming” to succeed him which isn’t a crime as every deputy governor has a constitutional right to contest for governorship.
While Obaseki doesn’t have to support Shaibu, he has no right to impede him. They are both schemers because it should be left to the electorate to decide who should or should not be their next governor. There is no disputing that while the governor and his deputy bicker between themselves the security situation in the state is atrocious, notwithstanding open allegations that Obaseki unconstitutionally appropriates to himself an outrageous monthly sum in the name of “security vote”.
In addition, more than half of the state’s population is either unemployed or un-gainfully employed. Furthermore, the state is replete with bad roads despite being a major transport hub between North and South, East and West. Unless there is drastic reversal in the little time remaining, history will conclude that Obaseki and Shaibu’s eight years in governance was yet another failed administration!
The deterioration of their relationship evidences the fact that both of them see politics as a self-interest-driven game. A study of their eight years in office exposes their defective character traits which should not be present in their successor. As the election draws closer, many aspirants from Edo Central are playing the ethnic card, claiming it is “their turn”.
It should be quite clear that it is far less important which senatorial district the next governor comes from, than that he should chart a new course and not possess personal characteristics similar to those of his predecessor. Thankfully, Edo State has not run out of political players of impeccable character, integrity and ability to turn fortunes around in 2024. It should be their turn!
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