The hard fought Edo State gubernatorial election has come and gone. A winner has emerged – until the courts state otherwise. Unfortunately, all those negative things that are usually said about politics came to the fore during this very bitter campaign – the emotions, the dirt, the fake promises, the lies bordering on character assassinations, the use and abuse of money and by far not the least, the manipulation of voters and votes. At the end of it all, the least qualified job seeker emerged the winner in my opinion if one was to use the normal employment yardstick or scoresheet. But he was always the one most likely to win for those who know about Nigerian politics. 

On the face of it, there really should have been no contest. Suave, urbane, articulate with an immaculate pedigree, Asue Ighodalo stood head and shoulders above the other contestants. His education and achievement in diverse fields stood him out. Besides, he is ‘clean’ to use a common slang and therefore, the kind of person you would feel proud and at ease to have representing you in public. But if there was going to be any contest at all, it should have been between him and Olu Akpata, a past President of the NBA who was his own man throughout the campaign and was not the surrogate of any Godfather. Both have the intellect; both have the stature.

Unfortunately, it takes more than intellect and stature to win elections in Nigeria – you also need to understand the politics of your locality. In fact, they could be an albatross when dealing with ‘King Makers’ most of whom have chips on their shoulders and could easily read intellect and erudition as arrogance. ‘King Makers’ and ‘Godfathers’ play a major role in our democracy, as they do in many democracies all over the world. An aspiring candidate must learn to stoop in order to conquer because politics first ‘humiliates’ you before it ‘elevates’ you especially for those seeking elective positions. It is a denial of reality to state that ‘King Makers’ and ‘Godfathers’ shouldn’t exist which was what led to the famous ‘Edo no be Lagos’ statement of a few years ago to decry the whimsical endorsement – or removal – of candidates by the strongman of Lagos politics.

 Yet, without Tony Anenih, there would not have been Adam Oshiomhole as Governor. Without Oshiomhole, there would not have been Godwin Obaseki. And who knew Sanwo-Olu before Tinubu endorsed him? So, as it is in Lagos, so it is in Edo.
So it is in every State in the country – we know the Wike/Fubara alliance, now albatross? We are aware of the Bello/Ododo
combination to mention just two. So it is in fact, in America where we got our Executive Presidency from – Obama would not have emerged without King Makers and Biden would not have agreed to step down without pressures from ome King Makers. The difference is that theirs are more shadowy while ours are too overbearing. Our ‘King Makers’ and ‘Godfathers’ – they are not always the same- must learn when to step in and when to step out. A Yoruba proverb says ‘ when you give a ram to a masquerade, you let go of the ropes’. Our Godfathers are yet to know when their job is done and learn to let go of the ropes of power.

It is ironic that those who in former years, decried godfatherism and shouted ‘Edo no be Lagos’, were in the forefront as Godfathers during the last Edo election. And they left no one in doubt who their surrogates were. In fact, Oshiomhole campaigned more vigorously than his candidate, giving the impression that Monday Okpebholo was not articulate enough; or knowledgeable enough. It was obvious that the reputation and the ego of Oshiomhole and Obaseki were on the line, possibly more than the interests of the State, and the do-or-die attitude of the two gladiators reinforced this.

The election had become a fight between a Godfather and a former Godson. And if Ighodalo lost at all – not sure that is concluded yet – it was probably because he was backed by a wrong Godfather. Rightly or wrongly, Obaseki had cut the image of an ingrate; someone who uses and dumps; someone who has seemingly allowed the hubris of power to bring out the meanness in him. The coalition he used to secure a second term had all but dissipated, a lot of the goodwill he had four years ago, had evaporated. He probably needs to learn about loyalty from the Asiwaju of Nigerian politics himself! 

Oshiomhole, on the other hand. worked with a better coalition this time; not necessarily because he is a better Godfather, but because he is a better politician and understands that an enemy of my enemy can be my friend and therefore useful, especially in politics. It is however interesting that Oshiomhole, the same man who described Obaseki in glowing terms eight years ago, has now demonized him just as he tried to demonise Anenih, his benefactor. That says something about his judgement, his character. Oshiomhole believes he has the gift of the garb. So he believes more in rhetoric than substance and hardly filters what he says. It is an unfortunate trait in someone who has risen to lofty heights from a very humble beginning. 

The result is that some of the rhetoric of the past has come to haunt him. It is likely it will still haunt him in the immediate future unless he learns to weigh his words and refrains from always shooting from the hip. Who knows what he would say about Okpebholo four years on? Or whenever the honeymoon is over?

Edo people have, at the end of the day, made a choice – if indeed Monday Okpebholo was their choice. They will have to live with that choice for the next four years at the very least while hoping that his Godfather would allow him govern. But from the outside looking in, I believe the Edo people have allowed emotions, sentiments and vicarious biases in places, to control their votes and in the process, to let a better man slip by.