OBASEKI: IN THE EYES OF THE STORM
By Baron Mike Osaghae
With the continued conflict in the ruling APC in Edo State, political pundits, ideological activists and social commentators are bemused by the nuances that comes with it each new day. Beyond Edo State, the crisis has become a veritable case study for sociologists and psychologists.
No doubt, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was central to the emergence of Godwin Obaseki as governor of Edo State. How could Obaseki have undermined the goodwill that he enjoyed from Comrade Oshiomhole to that extent of subjecting his whole political career to threat and destruction?
What is that degree of offence that could make Obaseki approve of threat to the life of Adams Oshiomhole? Can ambition drive a man to the dimension of indulgences Obaseki is being alleged? What lesson does this portend to those who wants to politically assist the elevation of others in the future? Drawing from these questions, no doubt, the crisis has delivered spiral effect on the moral capital of our entire social order as a country.
Therefore, if the crisis is positioned as contention between Adams and His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, its impact transcends these two personalities. It has ricocheting effect on the entire social space. For instance, the manner of induction of the 8th Assembly of the Edo State legislative organ offended the moral psyche of many who are not politicians. These persons were, by deduction, drawn into the war zone as an army whose interest is to challenge a fundamental infraction. If these people are eventually on the side of the Adams loyalist, it is an exigent alliance against a common enemy.
Essentially, the crisis has since gone beyond these two persons. There are currently those who were drawn into the crises deriving from what they considered as an affront on the people of Edo State. Drawing from the nihilistic drive of the governor and his allies, there are those who feels that the use of violence as a tool of intimidation by government must be checked. All these other later time intrusions cannot be ignored and are in fact critical to the course of the crises. Therefore, the decision of a party’s reconciliation committee cannot be effective excepting it recognizes and incorporate these other dimensions.