EDO 2024: Much Ado About Endorsement

By; Prince Kassim Afegbua

I just stumbled upon a press statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary condemning the endorsement of Honourable Dennis Idahosa by the chairmen of the sixty-four (64) Wards of Edo North Senatorial District. Reading through the said statement which exposes the dubious intent of the Publicity Secretary, I was wondering how a Publicity Secretary that has been asleep just suddenly develops uncontrolled erection over an endorsement that was well captured within the legitimate electoral rights of the persons involved. One would have expected Peter Uwadiae to be more circumspect especially as he had kept mute over the litany of woes that has befallen the state under Governor Godwin Obaseki. As a Publicist of the opposition party in the state, Uwadiae has maintained a conspiratorial silence over the misgovernance in the state, reason why the Wards Chairmen decided to endorse a man they feel could uproot the taproot of bad governance in the state; Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, and set the tone for a robust political engineering in line with renewed hope agenda of the Federal Government.

One would have expected an active publicist to devote time in exposing the halitosis of a state that has been under the spell of bad governance and poor service delivery. Rather than constructively engage the state Governor to help educate the good people of Edo state of the danger in allowing Godwin Obaseki produce a successor, Uwadiae is preoccupied with patent vigour as an agent provocateur to lament over internal party matters that were meant to deepen the conversation about APC’s chances in the coming election. Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, as a loyal party man, respects the wishes and aspirations of party members and feels so elated over the endorsements that have been extended to him by the Distinguished members and officers of the party from Edo North in particular and the state in general. We have seen aspirants going across the state seeking for such endorsements, yet Uwadiae has never complained about any of such, why he has decided to ventilate his erection in this manner is what still confounds our collective sensibilities.

When party primaries are by the corner, it is a usual practice for aspirants to seek endorsement of those who will vote at the primaries. Only two weeks ago, women leaders from Edo South Senatorial district reportedly endorsed one of the aspirants, Mr. Lucky Imasuen. I didn’t read a statement from Peter Uwadiae nor was there any directive to contradict the news reportage. Why he suddenly decided to issue a statement on the Edo North endorsement leaves room for suspicion that this must be a hatchet man’s job. As one of the Governorship aspirants before it was pruned down, I am privy to many underhand plots and scripts meant to ambush the aspiration of Hon. Dennis Idahosa, simply because some people feel he is Senator Oshiomhole’s preferred aspirant. Those who had privately assured Senator Oshiomhole that they won’t behave like Governor Obaseki if they were privileged to get his nod, are the same people who hurriedly flouted the decision of the committee that pruned them out of the list. They readily showed their Governor Obaseki’s traits too early. What a contradiction.

Mr. Peter Uwadiae, who was imposed on the party by one of the Leaders is the same Publicity Secretary shouting about imposition and condemning endorsement which is a legitimate act in all known democratic practices. We must come to the realisation that only one aspirant will emerge as the candidate of the party at the primaries. We need to be magnanimous at the end of the day as good politicians to serve as models to upcoming younger politicians rather than threatening to bring down the roof of the house because the odds do not favour one’s interest. Politics is all about consensus building, constructive engagement and collective bargaining.

PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA
MEMBER, APC WARD 5, ETSAKO EAST LOCAL GOVT.