Primacy of Truth: Interrogating Okpebholo, Obaseki and Ighodalo’s Characters

By Sebastine Ebhuomhan

Many videos, audios and materials have found their ways into public space since the 17 political parties contesting Edo State’s 2024 governorship election concluded primary elections on February 25, 2024.

One of those in the public domain is an old, dark, unclear video, where a man is allegedly spraying what is suspected to be currency at a dim-lighted party in the night. A busybody petition by the politically partisan Network of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria purported the unseen man to be the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

The NOCSON letterhead-inked petition, a litany of spelling errors, uncoordinated grammatical infelicities, complemented with wrong name, was attached to the undated video, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, signed by one Victor Kalu, who purported to be the National Coordinator. But its three-page content urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate and charge the culprit for abuse of naira notwithstanding that even the EFCC has clarified its focus to be on recent and clear cases of 2024. Contacted by one of the editors of Nigeria’s most read newspaper, this independent writer dismissed the allegation with a wave of hand. Such haphazard work of hired groups shows how fearful Okpebholo’s rivals have become seeing him attained unbeatable election-winning status in a short time.

In another video, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Asuerinme Akintunde Ighodalo, is clearly seen telling his listeners: “I would work 27 hours in a day. I would work nine days in a week.” No hyperbole, irony or pun intended. Ighodalo’s befuddled language deployed for exciting and retaining his depleting listeners is questionable. Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on campaign, he has become infamous for linguistic twiddle-twaddle that even his supporters find perplexing. Using language as a tool of deception, he conveys neither meaning nor addresses campaign issues. Voters must take note of this observation to avoid one-chance.

A confused PDP supporter rhetorically asked, “How do you work for 27 hours in a day of 24 hours?” Another asked, “How do you work for nine days in a week of seven days?” Only Ighodalo can satisfactorily answer them. Further analysed, his statement proclaims desperation. It is similar to the desperation that brought and sustained Governor Godwin Obaseki. Immoralities such as ingratitude, disrespect, greed, bullying, lying, failure; and unfulfilled memoranda of understandings (MOUs), were not engraved in Edo State political lexicon by mistake. They highlight the character of a puppeteer who wants to install his puppet in an unfolding puppetry.

In yet another video, Ighodalo promised to continue from where Obaseki stopped. “I promise to start from where Godwin Obaseki stopped…,” he declared. According to residents, if this promise is ever fulfilled, it will mark the continuation of PDP’s anti-people policies.

A clergy from Ughiehudu community, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, Reverend (Dr.) Abel Audu Michael predicted failure for Ighodalo based on Obaseki’s “total failure” of governance. As reported by OpenLife Nigeria, Audu expressed doubt for PDP’s hope. He warned Ighodalo about unguarded utterances that might “have robbed him of over 50 percent votes on September 21.” Indeed, Ighodalo’s utterances made other PDP factions to change his AI monicker to ‘Another Idiot’.

“Obaseki was publicly humiliated abroad because of failure in governance. Is that what you are going to continue? Governor Obaseki took the Oba of Benin to court. Are you saying you are coming to continue with that case against Oba of Benin? Are you saying Obaseki has done well by taking the Oba of Benin to court? With that statement, you have lost 50 percent of votes from Benin Kingdom. No Benin voter will vote for you except that person is a bastard.”

“You have been closed to Obaseki for several years now. Sometimes, you organize summit for economic development and empowerment but Obaseki has not empowered the people out of hunger and starvation. Is that what you are coming to continue? Please, you need to tell us,” Audu courageously demanded.

Obaseki and Ighodalo are ex-school mates, friends and associates with many years of family friendship between them. Both men are tall, charcoal-dark, expressively deceptive with their English, and in love with dark goggles. Though one read Classic, the other Law, both boast about themselves as successful investment bankers. They have played identical roles of chairing Edo State Economic Management Committees with limited success, however. Obaseki, under the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration before becoming governor in 2016. Ighodalo presently under the Obaseki administration since 2016. It is certain from the foregoing that Ighodalo would continue from wherever Obaseki stops as promised. So, what would the election of Ighodalo mean for Edo people? What is he certain to continue from the Obaseki majority of Edo people are cursing daily? The governor is running against time to leave his print in the sands of time. But from what the people have seen of him in over seven years now, they can safely predict what Ighodalo would continue, if elected to succeed Obaseki.

As a teaser, it’s clear in 1 Kings 12: 10—11: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! “And now whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’” The Holy Bible, NKJV, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1994.

A continuation of ingratitude? No evil can be worse than using people to achieve your selfish dream and dumping them. In 2016, Obaseki won a difficult election. He quickly turned against his benefactor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as a result of which he dumped most of the people who toiled to hand him victory on a platter. Instead, he recruited strangers to pilot his government. He repeated the same thing in 2020 by consigning the leaders of Legacy PDP to the dustbin after using their platform to secure his re-election. With the support of Ighodalo, he has continued by dumping the caucus for a loser from another political party as replacement for the impeached deputy governor, Hon. Philip Shaibu. This has made citizens to safely predict that those supporting Obaseki and Ighodalo today would also be dumped, if he wins.

A continuation of disrespect? The Swedish Government’s return of 39 artefacts stolen 127 years ago by colonialists to the palace coincidentally at a time of litigation by suspended enigies and friends of Mr. Governor translates to disappointment and humiliation for the government, which aides have been targeting people tackling their nefarious plan to balkanize Benin Traditional Council and re-steal its treasures. As at the time of this report, the government was yet to congratulate the monarch. In a statement, Okpebholo hailed Oba Ewuare for redefining the African cultural heritage both as a diplomat and as a royal father. He condemned those “who have used their exalted offices to undermine the value of the Benin Monarch by infringing on the way of the return of the stolen artefacts to the palace of the great Benin Kingdom, where they truly belong.” The serving Senator promised to respect and support the Benin monarchy to achieve the collective gains for the people of the state, when elected into office. The governor and government’s silence question his plan to mediate in the crisis he clearly instigated against the monarch, long before a palace press statement on Wednesday denounced Obaseki’s move as “an abomination.”

A continuation of lies, high-handedness and bullying? Obaseki’s government lied that Senator Oshiomhole and APC leaders turned against him because he refused to share Edo State money. He discontinued the flagship projects of the Oshiomhole administration, especially Benin Storm Water Project, after announcing he is probing the ex-labour leader. Seven years later, Obaseki awarded Oshiomhole a state honour and named a new Labour House after him. Worse still, he is yet to make his probe result public. Those who shared political differences with him, he found cheap excuses to destroy their houses, businesses, potentials etc. In specific cases, individuals were softly targeted. For example, in the case of Elder Curtis Ugbo, President of Benin Solidarity Movement, a vocal aide of Oba Ewuare, government agents allegedly obtained his loyalty test rite video, where he sat on the floor inside the palace, and publicly distributed same as an arrest for crime. It took a spirited effort from Ugbo to deny the lie. Ugbo said, “That video is an old one that was recorded in December 2020. I am a confirmed clean man with clean hands and with no criminal records, whatsoever.” Indeed, the lying game continues. Unlike APC’s Okpebholo and his running mate, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who have been voting before their election as lawmakers, it is alleged that Asuerinme Akintunde Ighodalo has never voted or registered to vote in Edo State. Thanks to INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) beginning on May 27th, the case of PDP in Edo State would have been like the party’s case in Kogi State where its candidate did not vote in his own governorship election.  It behoves Ighodalo to publicly display his voter’s card before the CVR therefore to negate his ‘stranger’ or ‘desperado’ tag and rationality of Okpebholo’s homeboy status.

A continuation of failed MOUs and low priority projects? As Obaseki continually yoke Edo State with debt burden, borrowings, and unaccountability, questionable MOUs and low priority projects underline his policies. In 2019, Obaseki announced a USD$250 million deal with a Chinese group for the establishment of a cotton-weaving and spinning company at the proposed Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park. Five years later, this deal is a mirage. In 2017, Obaseki announced a Fabrication Village. The same year, he invited Vice President (Pastor) Yemi Osibanjo to flag-off the N200bn Industrial Park. In 2020, he signed a deal in Malaysia for the University of Innovation in Edo State. There is the Gelegele Sea Port with Chinese Harbour; Auchi Airport. These and more exist only in costly MOUs; like his promised 200,000 jobs per term.

For voters who do not know the ocean of difference in leadership between Obaseki, Ighodalo and Okpebholo, it is summarised below. Floundering in darkness occasioned by the Obaseki government’s abandonment, Emuhi in Esan West Local Government Area hosted the campaign visits of both Ighodalo and Okpebholo. While the former regaled the rustic agrarian community with promises in misunderstood grammar when he visited, the latter changed the community trajectory and narrative with simplicity. Okhebholo courageously waded into the pervasive darkness in Emuhi, noiselessly solved its electricity related problems, compassionately paid its huge debts in millions, and left Emuhi people dancing joyfully. Comparing this to the pervasive darkness ravaging Ewohimi, Ighodalo’s birthplace, how do you expect Obaseki, Ighodalo and PDP to gain votes in Emuhi and Ewohimi in September? It’s the same everywhere. This is the primacy of truth!

A continuation of mismanagement? Underlying last week’s viral Okpebholo video of G.R.A. floods, Edo State government needs to explain with evidence how and where it spent a whopping USD$150 million on flood control between 2019 and 2022. This claim calls for a probe as videos to edofloodchallenge@gmail.com have shown.

As Okpebholo internationalizes his campaign engagements in the USA and Europe (as your read this), Obaseki must, first and foremost, apologize to Oba Ewuare, Chief Dan Orbih, President Bola Tinubu, and other leaders and citizens he used, dumped, scammed, abused, threatened and destroyed while Ighodalo must openly denounce Obaseki for their bleeding PDP, where members are resigning in droves, to have any hope of winning Edo governorship election. If not, even with Ighodalo’s emergency meetings, appointment of a thousand spokespersons, buying-up of media space and platforms, dissolution of Edo PDP Campaign Council, reconstitution of the campaign council with new leadership, and alleged planned registration of under-aged voters, Okpebholo would win with wider margin than the secret government poll-predicted 55 percent victory!

Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is an award-winning journalist and media consultant from Edo State, writing from Abuja. He can be reached on: usie007@yahoo.com or 08037204620.