The political tussle between the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has turned the state to a battlefield between two elephants. It is more like what turn out in Rivers State where two giants have tested their strength and many innocents paid the prize with their lives.
Many analysts have attributed the fight to the conflict always created by the theory of godfatherism. Although many people have condemned the concept of godfatherism in the Nigeria politics, pointing out the effects on the development in states. Even the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai had once boosted to have retired some political godfathers in his state and posited that same can be done in any state, but I still hold the opinion that godfatherism happens in all political space across the world.
In life, people help people to attain positions. In Nigeria, godfatherism happens in companies, in the civil service and other institutions. Yet we tend to condemn political godfatherism forgetting that politics starts from family, workspace before the larger community.
El-Rufai boosted of defeating godfatherism by going to the people and says it can be done anywhere else in Nigeria. However, what is easy in Kaduna might not be so in other states, this is because some godfathers are closer to the people than the governor and are even more intelligent and verse in the politics than the governor.
For instance, former Governor of Lagos State and current Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola related more with the people and still manage his relationship with godfather very well even when people tried to push him not to do so. His successor, Akinwunmi Ambode relate with the people but yet, the people still felt something was not right in the state as he was not respecting his Godfather, thus, he loss.
Adewolu Ladoja and Alao Akala of Oyo State, lost their political breath, not because they did not perform well as Governors but because they failed to integrate the proper management of godfatherism in their governorship endeavor. If El-Rufai has won in his state, that doesn’t mean it will work in other states. Besides, what is the tendency that El-Rufai is not working towards becoming a political godfather after his tenure?
Now, Obaseki is playing the game of fighting and losing his confidence at the same time. If democracy have been categorized as a game of numbers and popularity, I think direct primary should be a better option for the governor to test his popularity and know the number of people that are behind him rather than insisting on indirect election in the state primary election.
He had insisted that no political party can hold direct primary in the state. This is coming ahead of the scheduled June 22 governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress in the state. The Governor said that only indirect primary could hold in the state, which is in accordance with the rule gazette in the newspaper on Friday. Of course, it is obvious that the governor thinks indirect primary will favor him.
In a gazette signed on May 28 and published on Friday, June 5, Obaseki banned political gathering that could make direct primary possible in the state. In the Gazette, the Governor insisted that only indirect primary could be held in the state and in only one location.
The new rule reads in part, “That in respect of political gatherings for the purpose of conducting primaries for any of the parties desiring to field candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, gatherings of more than 20 persons may be allowed, subject to the written approval of the Governor, if such gatherings do not exceed 5,000 persons; hold in Benin City and in a single facility with a large seating capacity of not less than 10,000 persons; are provided with adequate health, safety and sanitary facilities and are COVID-19 response compliant with social distancing policy, hand-washing and proper use of face masks fully observed.”
The National Chairman of the Governor’s party, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who is believed to want to be a godfather to the governor and the governor had been resisting such move, had earlier written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party had adopted direct mode of primary in the state.
However, INEC, through its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, had told journalists that the commission’s rules, regulations and laws only permeate the commission to relate with the national chairman and national secretary of political parties, insisting that the decision of the party chairman will only be adhere to.
According to Okoye, “INEC does not deal with state branches of political parties in matters relating to or connected with the conduct of party primaries. Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) makes it mandatory for political parties intending to nominate candidates for elective offices to give the commission 21 days’ notice of its intention to conduct party primaries.
“In our rules and regulations, the letter to this effect is signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of political parties indicating the date, time and venue for the conduct of party primaries and the mode of the primaries.
“The mode of primaries to be adopted by political parties is a function of their constitution, the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the regulations and guidelines issued by INEC.
“So, we don’t have business with state branches of political parties because our rules, regulations and laws say we should relate with the national chairman and the national secretary in terms of fixing party primaries, whether direct or indirect.
“The commission will not dictate to political parties the mode of primaries to adopt as it is a purely legal and party affair. What is certain is that the commission will monitor the primaries and provide protective equipment for its staff that will be involved in the process.”
Now, will INEC give up its constitutional responsibility and adhere to a governor’s gazette? Will the governor now settle dispute with his supposed godfather that he has been fighting for more than three years? Can the two actually come to round table and let peace reign? If they do, will Oshiomhole bow to indirect primary in the state and let the governor have his way to win second time at this critical time? This and many other questions surround the call for peace in Edo state.
Godfatherism is human nature and a political pandemic in the Nigeria political parlance. As a Nigerian, you rather learn to cope with it and build your image before the people of the state in order to remain relevant in the political space rather than sacrifice one for the other. In reality, Nigeria is yet to find cure for the political pandemic of godfatherism.
No matter how much we sponsor media criticism against godfatherism, we will continue to fail. The only way out is to start rebuilding our education system and working toward reducing poverty to the barest minimum. These are the two major tools that the godfathers use against the governors. The Governors will focus on the state works, such as infrastructure and others, while the godfathers will go straight to the people and feed them.
The problems of poverty and our failed education system cannot be solved by one or two administrations in any state or the country at large. For instance, Fashola tried to lay the foundation in Lagos state. He did not just built schools, he encouraged children to go school and forced parents to send their children to school. Much of the training was of benefit to the people, both financially and professionally. Unfortunately, Ambode came and disrupted the system in the name of building his political kingdom.
Lack of continuity is another problem of the Governors in Nigeria. In the case of Ambode, the godfather explored this and the people felt something is not right in the state. For instance, the book given to students in schools became politicized and children were not getting the books, yet parents were forced to pay taxes in the name of getting things done. I think there are many holes to fill if we really want to fight godfatherism and it begins with the governors to start laying the foundation.
