I  AM sure that Senator Yisa Braimah, representing Edo North Senatorial District, is still nursing his wounds in the quiet recesses of his bedroom.

For his indiscretion in re-opening the never- ending squabble amongst leading members of the Edo State PDP in the most inauspicious circumstances, he was roundly berated by President Goodluck Jonathan. According to newspaper report of the incident, it was Comrade Governor Oshiomhole’s introduction of Elder Sunny Uyigue as the Chairman of the Edo State PDP that triggered off the Senator’s quarrel this time.

As a staunch member of the opposing faction of the PDP in the state, Senator Braimah was quick to realise that the Comrade Governor’s seemingly innocuous introduction of Uyigue as Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, amounted to a tacit recognition of his (that is, Uyigue’s) faction as the authentic Edo PDP by the government of the State. Yisa Braimah immediately protested, unmindful that the occasion was improper. He was carpeted by  President Jonathan, himself the number one PDP member in Nigeria.

What bothers me is not the embarrassment that the Senator suffered, because as many have said, he got what he bargained for. I am more concerned with what the incident and other similar political developments in Edo State since Prof. Osunbor left Edo State’s Government House, tell about the vaunted political wisdom of some PDP leaders of the state.

I am surprised that a number of these leaders did not seem to know what they were letting themselves into when, by their devious political manipulations, Prof. Osunbor was eased out of office as Governor of Edo State. Many would still recall that soon after Comrade Oshiomhole was declared winner of the disputed 2007 gubernatorial election by the Court of Appeal, one former frontline national leader of the PDP said, his happiness only thinly disguised, that the PDP loss of the political and administrative leadership of Edo State was the prize the party had to pay for its disunity.

It was his short hand for saying that the story could have been different if only Prof. Osunbor had been prepared to do the biddings of some ubiquitous political over-lords in the state. It is instructive that the said PDP national leader was (and perhaps still is) in agreement with the position of Senator  Braimah’s faction of the Edo State’s PDP.

Well, from the way things have turned out, I think it is right to say that the continuing erosion of whatever political influence the belligerent PDP leaders wield in Edo State and the nation at large is also part of the prize they have to pay for their refusal to allow former Gov. Osunbor play by the rules. This is why I think all, including Senator  Braimah, must be urged to come to terms with the reality of the political situation, pending the resolution of the crisis between the leaders of the party in the state.

On the question of the resolution of the crisis, I have always held that the recognition of the contributions of all leaders, not just one man or woman, to the realisation of the over-riding political and administrative objectives of the PDP in Edo State, is the first crucial step that must be taken in any genuine effort to mend whatever cracks there are in the relationship between key members of the party.

Additionally, all must play in accordance with the rules and regulations of the party, especially as these rules and regulations concern the extent and scope of responsibilities of elected officials. It is germane to an understanding of the point here to stress that one of the many factors which explains the electoral victory of the PDP in the 2007 gubernatorial election in Edo State has to do with the people’s correct perception of Prof. Osunbor’s leadership qualities.

Edo people knew that a renowned intellectual, one that is self-respecting, confident and imbued with the talent to analyze knotty social, economic and political issues, as Senator Osunbor is, would not be an easy recruit of ubiquitous political overlords. To tell the truth, the lingering PDP crisis in Edo State is rooted in the (failed) attempt to make Osunbor carry on in a manner that is contrary to the people’s expectation of him in this regard.

This is why the question of the supremacy of party rules and regulations, rather than the supremacy of anyone member, no matter how powerful, deserves to be addressed squarely in any genuine efforts to resolve the PDP crisis in Edo State.

By the way, while Senator Braimah and his bickering members openly lament their steady glide into political irrelevance in Edo State, no one is concerned that Edo people are the ones who have to continually bear the brunt of the PDP crisis in the state. The overwhelming majority of the people are still missing Osunbor. The recent series of strikes by workers in the state, for example, speak volumes about their declining condition since Comrade Oshiomhole came in.

The people have not forgotten that before Senator Osunbor assumed the mantle of administrative and political leadership of the State, Edo workers ranked amongst the least paid in Nigeria. Osunbor increased their salaries and provided them with car and housing loans. All these benefits have been made paltry now by the Comrade Governor’s arm-twisting tax policy.

Edo people are not in a hurry to forget Prof. Osunbor’s commitment to curbing crime as well as his passion for the development of the basic infrastructure for sustainable socio-economic growth in virtually all areas of the state. They also remember his emphatic concern with the basic problems of underdevelopment, some of which manifest in low regard for issues affecting women and children, ravages of diseases (including HIV/AIDS), high infant mortality, unhealthy environment, and so on.

These are the problems that have been of traditional interest to First Ladies world-wide; and all agree that Lady Osunbor’s unique methods of confronting these problems pointed the way to better, more enduring result in Edo State.

From day one, Lady Ussieh Osunbor was quick to recognise that so much more than the management of Prof. Osunbor’s home front would be required of her. And she did a lot; she achieved a lot. Through her influence, for example, the peculiar problems of children were brought to the front burner of government attention; women were encouraged to shake off those out-dated social and cultural beliefs that have held them down since ages.

Today, the complementary role of the outstanding First Lady Ussieh Osunbor has been lost to the people of Edo State, as Edo women no longer have a First Lady they can look up to for leadership. These are the objective issues that should bother Edo State’s PDP leaders. Rather than engaging in a show of shame at the Presidential Villa, genuine efforts must be made to address the root cause of the crisis.

Mr.  Idada, a commentator  on national issues, writes from Benin, Edo State.