THE TRAVAILS OF GODWIN OBASEKI AS EDO DECIDES 2024, by Believe Mukoro

A certain school of thought said, “Yeah though PDP is presenting a good product in Asue Ighodalo, the chief marketer Godwin Obaseki is notorious.”

Governor Godwin Obaseki is up against the great Oba Ewuare II, Tony Kabaka, Adams Oshiomhole, Philip Shaibu, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, etc all of whom raised him and made him a governor for the first time and second time. Obaseki has every reason to succeed as governor and write his name in the Hall of Fame but spent eight years fighting Oshiomhole, the great Oba of Benin (indirectly and by proxies especially with regards to the returned palace artefacts) and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu amongst others. Now, he’s fighting hard to enthrone Asue Ighodalo as his successor.

The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha is Wike’s cousin and the new Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo is Wike’s classmate. INEC chairman, Yakubu Mahmood once served under Wike when he was the Minister of Education. 

What are Godwin Obaseki many sins? He stirred rebellion against the Oba over the returned palace artefacts that he hijacked to put in the museum. And then, some chiefs aligned to him, sued the Oba over flimsy excuses, an embarrassment and taboo.

Obaseki challenged and insulted Wike several times over his stance on opposing an Atiku Abubakar’s presidency despite an initial agreement on power rotation to the south to either support Peter Obi or Bola Tinubu. Same Wike headed the campaign that brought Obaseki to power in 2020 after giving him PDP membership just after APC denied him the ticket.

Obaseki’s next fight was to publicly ridicule and humiliate his #1 loyalist and deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, so much that he relocated his official residence from government house. Not enough, he perfected his plan by using the rubber stamped Edo State House of Assembly members to illegally impeach Philip Shaibu (he’s been reinstated by the court).

All of these is attributed to Philip Shaibu’s ambition to contest the election and succeed him as governor. Even when the Most Reverend Father Obiyan intervened, Obaseki stuck his gun to punish his loyal deputy. Hell broke loose!

Virtually everyone who’s stood for Obaseki in the past are against him today because he bit their fingers just when he needed to be fed this time. The only person that’s not alive today to join forces against him is the late multi billionaire Captain Hosa Okunbo whom Obaseki also fought, blackmailed and oppressed with his executive power as governor, revoking ownership of some of his landed properties. Even when the Oba mediated, Obaseki disregarded the palace.

He did same to Tony Kabaka by demolishing his hotel, revoking it’s C-of-O simply because he’s loyal to Oshiomhole who made him (Kabaka).

When Oshiomhole lashed at Obaseki’s wife, First Lady Betsy Obaseki for being childless after her attack on the APC candidate for being wifeless (a claim that’s false because Monday Okpebholo is married with grown children), it seemed insensitive to many but to be sincere, people who are barren and refused to adopt children really DON’T love children and by extension can not show love to others. 

Dem dey get pepper body and they easily get angry with vengeance attitude towards every perceived form of opposition. They’re very bitter and brutal. That’s the attitude of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In many quarters, Governor Godwin Obaseki failed Edo State despite the goodwill he enjoyed at the beginning and as at when he had issues with ex governor Adams Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole, an Auchi man developed Benin City far more than the Bini homeboy Obaseki.

There’s no significant development in Edo State especially in education beyond what Oshiomhole did. His eight years administration is enough to convince Edo citizens to vote for whoever he presents to them as successor just the same way Oshiomhole presented him in 2016 and was widely accepted because of Oshiomhole’s success and achievement as governor.

Obaseki wants to enthrone himself as a godfather at all cost.

Fair and foul, APC is set to win Edo State, and even if Asue wins, Obaseki can place his best bet that he can not control him (Asue Ighodalo).

Believe Mukoro is a prolific writer with esoteric knowledge on politics and how it affects human endeavors
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