By Daniel A. Noah Osa-Ogbegie, Esq.
I find it disappointing that Olusegun Obasanjo, an otherwise unremarkable fellow, who has had the privilege of superintending over this country twice, first as a military head of State and later as elected civilian President is now calling for civil disobedience because his candidate lost an election he was never primed to win.
Somehow, knowing Obasanjo over the years and how narcissistic he is, the disappointment becomes annoyance and pity. I urge Nigerians to ignore Obasanjo as he has never wanted any Yoruba to be President of Nigeria apart from him. He showed it with the great Obafemi Awolowo and MKO Abiola. Anyone with genuine grievance should use the established legitimate institutions to get redress, if they are sure of their complains.
Edo results reflected the wishes of Edo people across the State. We don’t know what happened elsewhere because we weren’t there. Let other States complain about their results.
Edo people should go about their normal daily lives and ignore busy bodies and meddlesome interlopers who are calling for protests.
In Edo North, a traditional APC winning ground, Adams Oshiomhole was on the senate ballot. He was always going to win there with a landslide because of the love the Afemais have for him. His votes helped the APC in the Presidential ballot and the House of Representatives ballot. There would have been more votes for the APC here if not for the Godwin Emiefele’s monetary policy, the fuel scarcity and the various propaganda against Tinubu orchestrated by opposition elements, IPOB media and Nigerian Pastors.
Edo Central is the traditional home of the PDP, but their civil war that caused schisms in the PDP before the election, made the genuine leaders of PDP to take a stand to vote for other Parties. Their decision was to vote APC for Senate, House of Reps and House of Assembly and vote Labour Party for President. That was what they did and it reflected in the result with PDP finishing a distant third position.
Edo South is the more cosmopolitan part of Edo State, where Benin City is located. It is the melting point of all the Edo tribes and other Nigerians. Once their mind is made here, you can’t change it as they are largely independent and exposed. They were mostly influenced by the propaganda against Tinubu and the exhortations from Pastors. I am from this district, living in Benin and voting at Obazagbon, Ugieghudu, in Uhunmwode Local Government Area. If I was not strong and independent minded, I would have been swayed myself by that video of Pastor Chris analysing three candidates he claimed he saw in a vision. I quickly denounced it and sent it out of my spirit. At the end , the APC won my unit overwhelmingly in the Presidential election, Senate and House of Representatives against Labour Party and PDP. Inshort, my unit was the only unit out of the 10 units in my ward the APC could win in the Presidential election. This, apart from the Peter Obi effect, is because the candidate of Labour Party in the House of Representatives is from my ward and the mother of the candidate of PDP for senate is from my village. It was a bad result for the APC in my ward, but I was happy I did my part, with strong supports from my brethren in my unit, to deliver for my candidates.
Elsewhere in Edo South, the APC won Orhionmwon Local Government because of the top political personality the party has there who were determined to win. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Dr. Pius Odubu, Hon. Patrick Aisowieren and Hon. Etinosa Ogbeiwi are from here. The APC won narrowly.
APC won the House of Reps seat for Ovia federal constituency as well because of the popularity of the candidate, Hon. Denis Idahosa.
Seeing that the outcome in Edo State was the actual reflection of the votes, I hereby urge Edo people to allow peace in the State. They have made their point and I am sure no government would take them for granted again in the future. Godwin Obaseki has also seen the people power now and would surely agree at this time that he’s not a superman who always win. Power truly belongs to the people and can’t be taken away.
Daniel A. Noah Osa-Ogbegie writes from Benin City.
