LEADERSHIP: Okpebholo’s proactive traits compared to Ighodalo’s failed promises

Having realised the failure of Tuesday’s protest in spite of the huge money government spent, the party is now locked onto sentiments aimed at whipping up a destructive mother of all protests against the Judiciary at month end, which funding plans with millions of naira are allegedly in top gear at government offices

 

By Sebastine Ebhuomhan I Monday, July 15, 2024

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s government, candidate, and members in Edo State and nationally are still struggling, fumbling, wobbling and groping from the impact of the debilitating judgement of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The judgement nullified the list of delegates that elected Dr. Akintunde Asuerinme Ighodalo as the PDP candidate in the Edo State governorship election of 21st September, 2024.

The party’s faction controlled by Governor Godwin Obaseki, who rigged the primary for his friend and puppet, Ighodalo, as well as his appointed Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, with a “manufactured” list of delegates after the exclusion of validly elected 278 delegates, were so dejected they mobilized members for a protest against the Judiciary at Ring Road in Benin City last Tuesday, even after lodging an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Reports have it that those who wore the Asue/Ogie campaign materials for the protest received N5,000 each while those who did not got N3,000 each. In a dramatic twist, however, not all participants were paid at the end as the fund the government allegedly provided for the protest could not go round the participants.

It remained unclear whether the bulk of the approved millions were stolen by the supervisors or it was just not enough to go round. What is clear, however, is that many of the protest participants are jobless and needy, a creation of the failed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and economy, Ighodalo helped Obaseki to create as chairman of Edo State Government’s Economic Management Team since 2016.

The unfounded protest was planned to harass the judiciary for delivering a sound judgment against the PDP’s lack of internal democracy in a suit initiated by PDP members.

As the PDP became a laughing stock, it’s government through the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, quickly organised a press conference to insult the humble, focused and lovable candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, alias Akpakomiza. Mr. Nehikhare described Okpebholo as a man who finds it difficult to express himself in the public. But Edo people know Nehikhare’s jaundiced opinion is untrue of Opkebholo, whose methodical campaign has severely depleted the PDP ahead of election.

Yet, the inability to express oneself can never equate to the criminal ability to forge an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) permanent voter’s card, which Nehikhare’s expressive PDP candidate, Ighodalo, is expected to confirm or deny this week in one of the subpoenas for Ighodalo’s alleged forgery.

The PDP extended the shame by formally thanking its protesters. Having realised the failure of Tuesday’s protest in spite of the huge money government spent, the party is now locked onto sentiments aimed at whipping up a destructive mother of all protests against the Judiciary at month end, which funding plans with millions of naira are allegedly in top gear at government offices.

This move goes against Obaseki’s attempt to stop with threats the people’s solidarity for their monarch, Oba Ewuare N’Ogidigan, whose court case instituted against him by Obaseki’s friends, comes up for hearing today, Monday, 15th July.

While Obaseki, whose seat was inexplicably vacant at the Niger Delta Summit last week and his godson, Ighodalo, said to be sad and confused because of subpoenas, are neck-deep in the planning of past and future protests with Edo State money necessitating the fat lies Edo Governorship PDP Campaign Organisation now rolls out daily, Okpebholo has been offering himself to social responsibility and care of Edo people who are genuinely in need of his proactive leadership. Though not yet Edo State governor, Okpebholo attended the Port Harcourt event held under the theme: Renewed Hope for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta. Other governors expressed the hope to work with him.

Contrary to the latest evil work of Mr. John Mayaki, Edo State’s cash-and-carry media spin doctor, titled: The Mute Candidate, Okpebholo campaigned all through last week beginning on Monday. But he raised his work rate to a higher level on Tuesday as a guest of the Youth Empowerment Programme in Benin City organised by the Paddy Emmanuel Foundation under the theme, Advance.

There, he addressed the youth and extolled their virtues and potentials. Passionately, he urged them, “Let us all work together, hand-in-hand, to advance Edo State towards a brighter future.” Moved by the philanthropy of Mr. Paddy Emmanuel, who had empowered some of the participants of the event with start-up capital for businesses, Okpebholo followed suit and donated N5 million (Five Million Naira) to 10 artisans made up of: panel beaters, hair-dressers, mechanics, and fashion designers.

In an endless shuttle that revealed Okpebholo’s humility, fitness, noiselessness, responsibility, connectedness, compassion, humanitarianism, and philanthropy, he darted to the family home of the Afegbua on Thursday to commiserate with them on the death of the lovable and venerable Prince Abdulmalik Afegbua, a leader of the APC. From there, he went to Jattu-Uzairue to commiserate with the community over the death of its members in a fire incident and rainstorm disaster in the market. He visited the injured ones in hospital, paid their medical bills, and assisted those affected with N10 million (Ten Million Naira) cash donation to rebuild the market.

From there, Okpebholo paid a courtesy call to the palace of the Ogieneni of Uzairue, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Kadiri Imonikhe Omogbai IV. In his brief with the royal father, the Senator pledged to support the community to achieve development as government and through collaborative efforts aimed at preventing future disasters, if elected to become Edo State governor.

On his way to Benin, Okpebholo made a detour to Idumabokhale Community in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, where the residents complained bitterly about their non-functional transformer when he went there to campaign 48 hours earlier. Okpebholo donated a brand new 500KVA transformer to the community and added N28 million (Twenty-eight Million Naira) cash to re-electrify the community. This follows the donation of another transformer to a community in Ubiaja, Esan South-East Local Government Area. Comparing the joy and prayer of Idumabokhale, whose people have seen the light to the seven-year darkness that enveloped Ewohimi, Ighodalo’s birthplace derived no benefit from his wealth. Ewohimi has no project to boast from Obaseki’s MOUs drafted by Ighodalo, the man who came with an interpreter to communicate to his community.

At Ekpoma, Okpebholo met students of the Ambrose Alli University seeking support for their needy colleague, Iyekeoretin Etinosa Raymond, aka Sir Ray, who is diagnosed with chronic kidney cancer that urgently needs a transplant to live. Okpebholo came down quickly, empathised with them, and transferred the sum of N7 million (Seven Million Naira) to the patient’s account for the facilitation of the treatment even though only N6 million was required.

Thereafter, he reassured them of concrete plan to establish vocational training centres and schools for the equipping of youth with practical skills to complement certificates for employment and entrepreneurship in addition to tackling the current high level of unemployment in Edo State with industrialization, especially through the establishment of IT hubs for the digital-savvy gen Z.

The Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, made a donation of N2.5 million (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). Likewise, the New Nigeria People’s Party candidate, Dr. Azeme Azena. He donated N1 million (One Million Naira).

But the story is about how these top four political parties’ candidates passed the placards-carrying students at different times that day during the course of their respective campaigns. While the three others empathised with the student, each supporting as his philanthropic spirit moved, Asue Ighodalo, the boardroom billionaire, candidate of the PDP, whose Banwo and Ighodalo Law chamber has no office in Edo State, and whose Sterling Bank Plc has no office outside Benin City even as both companies made billions of profits from Edo State through the Obaseki administration’s dubious consultancy services, saw the students, slowed down, waved at them, tightened his lips, and zoomed off. One of the students later confided that Ighodalo inaudibly muttered a promise to see the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin and the Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital before running away, attracting a rain of curses to himself.

Okpebholo left Ekpoma in a hail of prayer and blessings from the grateful students, who produced a video to salute his philanthropic spirit. With a promise to mobilize all the students in Edo State to vote for him on 21st September, they prayed for a crushing defeat of PDP’s Ighodalo and others.

Okpebholo’s meetings with party chieftains, engagements with groups and institutions as well as street campaigns continued all through Friday.

On Saturday, Okpebholo and his running mate, the Right Honourable Dennis Idahosa, joined APC leaders under the supreme direction of Edo State APC leader, the former governor, former labour president and serving Senator of Edo North District, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on a street-to-street campaign that literally set Benin City ablaze. They recharged the heartbeat of the state, drawing massive, overwhelming crowd as they wowed the people with incredible street credibility. The event saw party members, supporters and well-wishers singing, dancing, and waving banners in an electric atmosphere of faith, hope, and victorious feeling.

The intimidating campaign pushed opposition parties, especially the PDP, into fear, confusion and disarray as its leaders yearned to see Governor Obaseki campaigning in-between Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie in a similar manner.

Unfortunately, Ighodalo is now avoiding Obaseki like a plague after the PDP primary, to prevent a contamination of his governorship hope.

For Okpebholo and other APC leaders including Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who joined the congregation of Christ Embassy Greater Grace Church in Benin Zone 1, the activities climaxed for an early Sunday morning service in honour and thanksgiving for the birthday of Pastor (Mrs.) Edith Omobude, the wife of Pastor Frank Omobude.

From there, the APC candidate headed for the Assembly of God’s Mid-Year Thanksgiving Service, where he made a grand entry into the warm embrace of the shocked congregation. In his address, Okpebholo ascribed the construction of the church edifice to God’s grace. He acknowledged the poor state of the road that leads to the church and commended the worshipers for their dedication. He outlined his vision for Edo State with a promise to construct the road as a means to reviving dying economic activities in the area.

He donated the sum of N12 million (Twelve Million Naira) to the church. He gave N6m for church development, N5m for market traders and N1m in a support of a particular needy woman, leaving the church in rapturous mood. Okpebholo is not doing these because of election.

The day’s activities percolated into an anti-climax with the attendance of several APC leaders of a four-in-one birthdays and graduation celebrations at the home of Hon. Ambassador Johnson Enorense Iyamu, an Edo APC chieftain. The roll call at the event included: Oshiomhole, Okpebholo, Idahosa, Ize-Iyamu, Right Honourable Victor Edoror and others.

Considering this chronological account of Okpebholo’s week, how can a sane human being not suffering from bellyache refer to Akpakomiza as a voiceless candidate?

In the same week that Edo State PDP, of which Mayaki is the newest member, ran foul of publishing two lies: that Okpebholo has no PVC (published by Sahara Reporters) and that he has registered for current affairs lessons in Abuja. Mayaki himself knew these to be outright falsehood! They mark the degeneration of both the PDP and Mayaki. Unfortunately, too, the underlying issues that birthed Justice Inyang Ekwo’s judgment nullifying the PDP primary election that produced Ighodalo.

Today, Mayaki should be ashamed that the Ighodalo he sacrificed his name for after abusing Obaseki and the PDP for seven years now, could face possible prosecution for forgery even though he stands omitted from the poll. This is the reality as of now.

 

NB: Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is an award-winning journalist and media consultant from Edo State, writing from Abuja. He can be reached on: [email protected] and 08037204620.