By Daniel A. Noah OSA-OGBEGIE.
Apart from the official reason I gave for quitting the APC, I was not comfortable with the fact that our Edo leaders of APC in Edo state were circumvented by the APC to impose the choice of Godswill Akpabio on Edo APC. Same Godswill Akpabio who could not succeed in imposing his choice on his Akwa Ibom state. Monday Okpebholo is the candidate of the Senate President, Akpabio. It was the height of “see finish” and “anyhowness” for me. It would be a crying shame for our Governor to be imposed by a man from Akwa Ibom and his Deputy to be imposed by Femi Gbajabiamila, from Lagos. Our Edo APC leaders are not happy at this, but are compelled to accept because of their own selfish political calculations.
The official reasons I gave for resigning my membership of the APC are as contained in my resignation letter dated 3rd May, 2024. I crave your kind indulgence to reproduce an excerpt below:
“I am an Edo centered person who believes strongly in an Edo renaissance driven by Edo people under a sound and correct leadership. The candidate of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election does not fill me with confidence as that leader that can lead the Edo renaissance I have always wanted.”
“With this dour governorship ticket of the APC, it was clear to me that Edo APC were not serious about the election or were not serious about presenting viable governance to Edo people or both. “
“As an honourable man, instead of working against the candidate of the party as a member, it was better for me to resign my membership of the party, as I cannot in good conscience campaign for the ticket of Senator Monday Okpebholo and Representative Dennis Idahosa. My conscience could not allow me and our ancestors would not have forgiven me.”
There are even more reasons for resigning and choosing to support the candidacy of Asue Ighodalo. The next Governor of Edo state must not only have the character, competence and personality to navigate the ship of our state, he must come from an area of the state that has never produced a Governor or even a Deputy Governor. This is to help preserve and foster our Edoness and carry everyone along. He must also have the right temperament to manage our affairs and different egos.
In all these, where can one place Senator Monday Okpebholo? Can one say he has the character, competence and personality to be our Governor at this time? Can one say he comes from the right area that has never produced a Governor or Deputy? Monday Okpebholo is from Esan central local government in Okpebholo federal constituency that has produced Prof. Ambrose Alli and Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor in the past. Does he have the temperament? The very rare occasions the senator spoke publicly, he ended up calling Governor Godwin Obaseki and Asuerinme Ighodalo armed robbers and “yahoo yahoo”, unfortunately, underscoring his blandness and inability to control his emotions.
Not having anything to campaign with, APC media representative pick on anything that they can use to vilify Godwin Obaseki. What they don’t see is that Obaseki is not on the ballot and that the ordinary Edo people who have seen and benefited from the good works of the Governor will laugh at floundering APC members and their bungling candidate with derision , having made up their mind to vote Obaseki’s pristine candidate.
I wept like a baby, seeing a man I have venerated for over 20 years struggling, during a meeting with some political pastors , to explain that Asue Ighodalo was a stranger that should be rejected. That Okpebholo was the chosen one by God, explaining how God chooses the foolish things of this world to despise the wise, totally misrepresenting scriptures for selfish political agenda. Their basis for calling Asue a stranger is because he did not grow up in Edo state. The paradox in this asinine argument is that none of their children currently live in Edo state. Not to make this essay personal, I would have mentioned names of at least thirty top leaders of Edo APC and list where their children live. I hereby challenge any Edo APC top state leader to prove me wrong and I will immediately support Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa campaign immediately and donate two million Naira to support their foundering campaign to help make caps and shirts for them. I will even wear the caps and shirts, as odious as it may be.
So if the children of Edo APC leaders live, school and work outside Edo state, will it make sense in some years time to refer to them as strangers when they come to seek our support for political offices? I leave this question for APC members and the general public to answer.
I bleed in my heart to see otherwise respected senior members and vibrant, intelligent soldiers of my former party labour to tepidly represent their candidate for this election making me appreciate the Lord Jesus, for giving me the courage to choose my conscience and Edo, over Party consideration and emotional loyalty to a leader.
In choosing their party careers and maintaining friendship with their leaders, these otherwise brilliant APC members appear ridiculous in their arguments and postulations. It was bizarre reading them struggle to justify Monday Okpebholo’s numerous gaffes. From justifying his inability to differentiate between a museum and a zoo, to his gaffe on the distance between Irrua and AKoko Edo; disheartening!
I hereby call on my nicodemus friends in APC to come out and be counted. Come out of a debilitating APC and choose Edo. The prosperity and wellness of our dear state should trump other consideration.
Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based lawyer, Managing Counsel of Noah Attorneys and spokesman for Dr. Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie Campaign.
