A former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, who is now a serving Senator, is clandestinely plotting with a prominent Nigerian businessman and the incumbent Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, to ensure victory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) major contender, Asue Ighodalo.
As former governor of the state and former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it would be expected that Oshiomhole would be pulling all strings to ensure that his party regain its foothold in the state, and reclaim the key to Osadebey Avenue, come September 2024 when the governorship election holds.
But strange things do happen, especially in politics where the predictable becomes easily unpredictable as a result of the fluidity of the character of political players in Nigeria.
As in 2020 when Oshiomhole’s show boating and political machinations ruined APC’s chances with the party given a bloody nose by the PDP, the erstwhile governor of the state is working towards a similar political outcome and answer.
Certainly, not a few are taken aback by the recent public display of political affection between Oshiomhole and his erstwhile godson, Obaseki.
Since both men fell out in the events leading to the 2020 governorship election, where Obaseki, against Oshiomhole’s wish, was re-elected in an overwhelming fashion, there has been no love lost between both men. Indeed, they have been at daggers drawn against each other.
But in recent times, there appears a resuscitated political alliance between both men who have been acting as sworn enemies since the governorship election of 2020.
The frosty relationship between the godfather and his godson exacerbated in the events prior to Obaseki’s quest for re-election in 2020.
Apparently, Obaseki, who was imposed on Edo people, especially those from Edo South Senatorial District by Oshiomhole as governor in 2016, turned out to be the Achilles’ heel of the diminutive ex-governor Oshiomhole.
The political calculations of the former governor was to maintain a vice grip on politics of the state, thereby guaranteeing him unbridled access to the state’s resources as godfather.
The pathway to such realisation was the planting of a pliant and implacably submissive character as Obaseki, who fits the bill, in the reasoning of Oshiomhole, especially as the former worked with him for eight years as Economic Adviser.
Sadly, Oshiomhole failed to reckon with the dynamics of power. He received a shocker when Obaseki, his anointed godson, refused to play ball. Hence, as National Chairman of APC in 2020, Oshiomhole disqualified Obaseki as a sitting governor from participating in the primaries of the APC, against the advice of then President Muhammadu Buhari. That led to Obaseki cross carpeting to the PDP and subsequently, won the 2020 governorship election to secure a second term in office.
The humbling of Oshiomhole drove him into political irrelevance for a while. However, latching on his closeness to President Bola Tinubu, he was able to get APC’s senatorial ticket for Edo North and won the election to secure a seat in the upper legislative chamber.
With Obaseki’s motor park politics of perpetual disagreement with fellow party members, he soon fell out with the PDP’s party big wigs. He is also locked in a bitter fight with his Deputy, Philips Shaibu.
Now counting days to exit his exalted office as Chief Executive of the ‘Heartbeat of the Nation’, the self-acclaimed technocrat is desperately seeking alliances to ensure that he produces a successor that will watch his back when out of office. Herein, the alliance with Oshiomhole has become necessary and inevitable.
The reconciliation between Oshiomhole and Obaseki wasn’t difficult, especially given Oshiomhole’s penchant for political power, relevance, attention, and greed for wealth.
More so, both men have a common friend who pulls the strings behind the scene in most political happenings in Nigeria. A certain ubiquitous businessman of Northern extraction is said to have brokered the need for reconciliation, between the estranged political godfather and godson, especially for the preservation of their mutual business interests.
The said businessman has business interests and investments worth millions of United State dollars in Edo State. In short, it was the same businessman who introduced Obaseki to Oshiomhole as Economic Adviser, insisting that he must be assisted to succeed Oshiomhole in office back in 2016. The three men are bound by their quest and desire to maintain a stranglehold on Edo State resources, cornering them into their private pockets through phoney contracts and deals.
Now, the baton is about to be passed on to another member of the group, who is believed will retain and protect their interests. Ighodalo, a corporate player and lawyer, is their choice.
Therefore, Oshiomhole’s grandstanding of appropriating the powers to screen governorship aspirants in the state is part of the grand plot to destabilise APC and field a weak candidate that could be a mince meat for the PDP, which is the ruling party in the state.
According to those knowledgeable about the plot, “there is a secret pact between Oshiomhole, Obaseki and the nation’s top businessman to deliver Ighodalo in the next governorship election in Edo State”. Hence, it was authoritatively stated that Oshiomhole is a mole for the businessman and his own private business interests.
Consequently, he is determined to use subterfuge to destabilise his own party, APC, and make it easier for Ighodalo of PDP to emerge as governor. That is said to be the reason for the recent cosy relationship and political romance between hitherto sworn enemies.
As a matter of grave importance and urgency, some political observers note that if President Bola Tinubu does not checkmate Oshiomhole, the man will sell APC’s victory on a platter of Naira and US dollars to the businessman and Obaseki with PDP being a major beneficiary that will retain power in the state.
