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Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud precisely sums up how people perceive the relative outcome of the political family feud engulfing the Edo State APC Family.
It is over the bar as both parties took losses on their respective ways to achieving their political objectives.
This narrative is ridiculously apt as it was spurred by a soccer video I recently came across online.
In the video, a Nigeria fan shouted “over the bar” repeatedly at Iceland’s Gylfi Sigurðsson stepped forward to take a penalty during the 2018 Russian World Cup clash against Nigeria.
The Nigerian fan yelled with fervour from behind the goal, the mantra had the desired effect as Everton’s Sigurðsson sent the spot-kick over the bar. Nigeria went on to win the match by a scoreline margin 2 goals to nil.
Seemingly, a Nigerian custom, “over the bar” is also the refrain I adopted for the proceedings from Edo State in the last few months.
Pervasive intra-party conflicts are the biggest project of the government of the day in Edo state.
While intra-party conflict the world over, may arise in different forms, the most debilitating, not only to democracy itself but to the society as a whole, are those arising over the selection of gubernatorial candidates, especially when there’s a crisis.
Catching the reminiscence of the past, the case of Ambode comes in handy as the quintessence of the political mess playing out in Edo State now.
Ideally, political parties are expected to put in place adequate institutional frameworks for mediating conflicts that may occasionally arise among them, as the crisis is more or less, an integral part of politicking.
Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud
The Many Sins of Governor Obaseki
His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, the Executive Governor of Edo State, no doubt, has been a strategic decider of his own fate. He openly accused Adams Oshiomhole, now erstwhile National Chairman of the All People Congress (APC), of hijacking the state party leadership for his personal aggrandizement.
In order to rescue the Edo State party leadership from Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Mr Godwin Obaseki has been involved in some decisions, either for or against some party stalwarts in the state.
A prime example of such move was the case of some notable demolitions of choice properties and Hotels, belonging to political adversaries in the State, as well as the repossession of some properties, as well.
For example, the T. Latifa Hotel belonging to Comrade Tony Kabaka, an APC Stalwart and supporter of Adams Oshiomole was destroyed on the order of Governor Obaseki in February 2020, on the ground that it was built on government land, among other reasons.
Governor Obaseki also played a major role in the eventual removal of Comrade Adams Oshiomole as the National Chairman of the APC, and the cacophony of lawsuits that made it impossible for him to discharge his functions as the National Chairman.
Governor Obaseki, other APC Governors, and some Ministers from the South-South Geopolitical Zone had collated their political might in a scheme to remove Mr Oshiomhole before the commencement of the party governorship primaries, and of course, they succeeded.
At first glance, it looked like the surest route for Governor Obaseki to pick the APC ticket to run for a second term as the Edo Governor after a once cordial relationship between him and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole became bitter.
Comrade Oshiomole, in return, usurped the APC dreams of Governor Obaseki, thereby forcing him to defect to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged plans by the Executive Governor to use the inflated cases of COVID-19 as an excuse to scuttle the party’s primary election, slated for the 22nd of June, 2020. Yes, you read me right, the 22nd of June, 2020, just because it is a primary exercise that he would no longer be a part of.
The letter was signed by one Mr Lawrence Okah, the Factional State Secretary of the APC Party in Edo State, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, and alleged that the State Governor has instructed the testing of fictitious 300,000 persons, with the ultimate desire to announce fake positive results to serve as a foundation for the scuttling of the party’s primary election.
The party, therefore, stressed that with the President’s COVID-19 Regulations made on the 30th of March 2020, 13th of April 2020, and 27 April 2020 being in place, the authority of the Governor to make Regulations to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in Edo State is legally weakened.
He stated further that the President’s Regulations are made according to the powers conferred on him by the Quarantine Act, a statute of the Federal Government made under item 54 of the Executive Legislative List in the 1999 Constitution.
Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud
In none of the extant Regulations made by the President is Edo State listed for lockdown, so was his argument.
This tactic, which was debunked by Chief Osaro Idah, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Edo State on Political Matters, asserting that there is no attempt to truncate any political party’s primary election.
hE tried to use a similar weapon used in ousting the former governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
Another tactic engaged by the Governor Obaseki’s camp was taking the National Chairman to court over the plan to conduct a primary election at a period when the intra-party conflicts have not been settled in order to counter the letter written by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to INEC that the party would do direct primary.
The Governor, in a gazette, signed on the 28th of May, 2020, and published, gatherings of more than 20 people were banned thereby making it impossible for political gatherings that could make direct primary possible in the state.
It was over the bar, all these rigmaroles were exercises in futility as the party game planners knew all his spot-kicks will be over the bar.
They delayed his screening which he quickly announced in the media on Wednesday, 10th of June, 2020.
Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud
He was later screened on Thursday, the 11th. It was also over the bar for the Comrade Oshiomole’s camp as their leader lost his leadership seat as the National Chairman of the APC Party.
We thought we have seen it all until the early hours of the 12th of June, 2020, when it was announced that he was disqualified on the basis of anti-party activities, violating Article 21 D (V) of the party’s constitution, which forbids members from taking the party to court, as well as alleged certificate scandals.
There was confusion about the authenticity of Mr Obaseki’s certificates. Allegations of multiple inconsistencies in his presented academic certificates, including a Higher School Leaving Certificate that the Governor claimed to have obtained from an Institute of Continuing Education in Benin City, Edo State.
More so, his NYSC Certificate was also flagged as faulty, as his name was incorrectly written. The poser then is that, how did he manage to emerge as the party flag bearer in 2016 with the same set of certificates?
As it stands now, the governor is not eligible to contest at the primary elections on the platform of the APC, that he has been strategizing and fought for.
Let’s pity him as he rallied around the Presidency for support, visited Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the APC, for Support, as well as the APC Governors’ Forum for support but all to no avail.
He deserves pity as it could rightly be said of him that, as long as securing the rerun Gubernatorial Ticket for the APC Party in Edo State is concerned, it is over the bar for Governor Obaseki.
Conversely, it could be said that it is over the bar for Comrade Oshiomole when it comes to wielding the executive power of the APC Party to influence things in Edo Politics.
Comrade Oshiomole should be pitied because all he has to rely on now is his body of political influence, comradeship and friendship. He can no longer dictate things from the part headquarters. So, for him as well, it could relatively be said that it is over the bar.
Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud
Looking like an Inadvertent Win-Win Situation
Governor Obaseki has since joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and successfully clinched the party’s gubernatorial ticket.
So, he’s in now a prime and desired position to fight for his re-election.
His re-election bid is not dead, after all. On the other hand, Comrade Adams Oshiomole might have lost his APC National Chairmanship seat, he succeeded at ensuring that his anointed candidate, Pastor Ize Iyamu clinched the APC Party Gubernatorial Ticket.
More so, feelers from the Presidency and the APC Party hierarchy appears to be determined to give the former National Chairman a soft landing. So, it is a win-win situation for both sides.
So, the ground is set for a rematch, so to speak. Between now and the September 2020 gubernatorial election in Edo State, there is going to be more dramas to come.
With respect to the initial desires and plans of both Governor Godwin Obaseki and Comrades Adams Oshiomole, it could be rightly said that it was ‘over the bar’.
Although, it appears to be a win-win situation for both parties now. We await the next bend on the road.
https://issuu.com/thisdaylive/docs/tdla_1017
Over The Bar : A Phrasal Depiction Of Edo State APC Family Feud
