Comrade Oshiomhole As An Enigma in The Political Fortune of Edo State

By Samson R. Osagie, PhD

Hate him or love him, the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District in the 10th Senate, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, former Governor of Edo State and indeed former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Adams Eric Oshiomhole has remained an indomitable political persona in the Nigerian political hemisphere, and particularly in the Edo State socio-political millieu.

When he stormed the political stage in or around 2005/2006 and contested the governorship election on the platform of the Action Congress in 2007 not many political gods and goddesses of the time gave him a chance.

Lo and behold, after an initial setback, he gamely retrieved his electoral mandate and took over the reins of government of our beloved Edo State on November 12, 2008 as the ninth Governor of the State.

His governance of Edo State for eight solid years will remain unforgettable and remarkable for the tremendous infrastructural transformation and the people-friendly administration he led.

He was accessible, compassionate and incredibly responsive to the yearnings of the people, and unpretentiously respectful of the traditional institutions in the State.

However, like the human being that he is, with all the possibilities of falling into innocent misjudgment, he supported a successor who has turned out to be a torn in the flesh of virtually all well-meaning Edo people including the revered traditional institution of the State.

Remarkably, and as the consumate realist and statesman that he is, Comrade Senator Governor Oshiomhole seems to have accepted the indelible mistake he made in the choice of successor, which has become the greatest setback in the sustained efforts to lead Edo State into a more prosperous and progressive State which caters for the greatest interest of the greatest number of citizens.

In spite of this setback in the choice of successor, Comrade Oshiomhole has remained enigmatic in his determination to continue to provide Edo people focused political leadership that harnesses the vast material and human potentials which abound in the State.

As National Chairman of the ruling APC, he recruited an unprecedented number of human resources from Edo State to serve in numerous party assignments.

Even with this unprecedented feat, he was plucked down from that exalted position through an evil conspiracy orchestrated, funded and masterminded by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his now estranged Deputy Philip Shaibu with the active connivance of a certain element in the Buhari Administration from the South South, driven solely by inordinate presidential ambition which eventually failed. The rest, as they say is now history.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has since reinvented himself by successfully contesting and wining the 2023 Senatorial Election in Edo North Senatorial District of Edo State.

Today, he is the Senate Committee Chairman on Interior. Although this rendition isn’t the main _raison d’tre_ of this piece, yet the chronicle is important in order to capture the Oshiomhole political dialectics.

As the Deputy Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, he has since the enthronement of the President Tinubu’s administration exhibited an incredible degree of tact and influence for the benefit of Edo State particularly in terms of relevant and strategic appointments.

Let’s peep into the last two appointments he just pulled through for the State, in quick succession.

First, but for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Edo was going to have a less impactful federal cabinet position.

Besides, securing the ministerial slot for Hon (Alhaji) Abubakar Momoh, a consummate  politician and grass-root developer, he successfully secured the Ministry of Niger Delta Development for him to oversee.

It is not in doubt that this Ministry is strategically connected to the development of States in the Niger Delta region including our own dear Edo State.

Hopefully and by the grace of God (Allah) what is expected to follow from this singular accomplishment will surely redound to the collective progress of Edo State and other oil-producing States in the Niger Delta in particular, but also to the entire country as a whole.

Second, a new National Woman Leader has just been appointed by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress. She is Dr. (Mrs.) Mary Alile Idele.

She was nominated by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in consultation with leaders of the South South Geopolitical Zone This, for Edo State, is an incredible feat which must be celebrated.

I say this for a couple of reasons. The lady is a first class achiever. Despite her personal struggles, she has initiated women empowerment across continents.

Dr. (Mrs.) Mary Alile is not one of the regular women politicians around but she has supported the party with her self-propelled charity work together with her husband, Hon. Pius Alile.

They were both not even visible in the hay days of Comrade Governor Oshiomhole’s administration, but have been working hard to ensure APC regains Edo State since 2019.

Her appointment as facilitated by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is unarguably in recognition of her accomplishments as a philanthropist and women empowerment czar in the last few years of her participation in the APC political activities.

It is an appointment well deserved, for which Comrade Oshiomhole deserves accolades.

Now, to the high point of this piece. Against the run of play and contrary to the expectations of his traducers who felt that using eight gullible executive members of Ward 5 in Etsako West local government area to dislodge him as National Chairman of APC would diminish his enigmatic persona, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has again risen meteorically to national prominence as a leader with tremendous influence to the discomfort of his detractors.

He is sure to command even more attention and appeal within the vortex of the nation’s power matrix.

As events continue to unfold, the ultimate price which will surely gladden the heart of the teeming supporters of Comrade Adams Aliyu Eric Oshiomhole and a vast majority of Edo people is see to the return of the State Governorship into the APC political basket.

This will rescue the State from the failed clutches of the incumbent Governor whose visionless, rudderless and anti-people administration has become an embarrassing albatross in the neck of the greatest number of Edo people, everywhere.

Therefore, as the dynamics of the Edo State political landscape begins to alter against the calculations of naysayers, thanks to the resilience, dynamism, leadership and consistency of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the spring of greater Edo will sooner than later be re-born!

Alas, one recommendation which is apt for the sustainability of this positive trend is for a broader level of consultation, collaboration and expansion of the decision making process within the APC in Edo State, to secure the buy-in of all followers and supporters at different levels and stages without narrow sentiments.

The shift in perception of the APC by the people in Edo State is significant and the imminent collapse of the tenants in the State’s seat of power is inevitable, all thanks to the leader of the party and the erstwhile Comrade Governor, the enigmatic Comrade Adams Aliyu Eric Oshiomhole!

Dr. Samson Osagie is a Lawyer and former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives