_*A call for caution and respect for the law to take its course. Okpebholo should not lack wisdom for God's sake...*_
I received several calls yesterday, July 18, 2024, seeking my opinion on the court reinstatement of Philip Shaibu as Deputy Governor of Edo State and the violence that erupted on Airport Road in Benin City. Initially, I thought it was a security matter that didn't require my opinion. However, I decided to share my thoughts, given the sensitive nature of the issue and the avoidable danger ahead.
Let me begin by asking a question. Who presided over the Edo State Security meeting when a vehicle was burned in 2019 to prevent Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu from decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Garrick Memorial School? What I do know is that the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was not in the country at the time. I wasn't in that meeting either, but I know that the burnt vehicle was allegedly taken or purchased from a mechanic's workshop and set ablaze to justify petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to review and revoke the permission granted to Ize-Iyamu to use the school for his decamping event. This forced Ize-Iyamu to resort to decamping in his house amidst threats to revoke his land. How many still remember this obvious truth? The question remains, who was presiding over state affairs in the absence of the Governor then?
While Obaseki may be a fighter but he is a systematic kind, and not known for promoting violence. Instead, he is calm and calculated. The unnecessary arrogance and abracadabra are traits often associated with student unionism and agberos. So, some individuals should know they are now bigger than that.
Regarding the court reinstatement of Shaibu, I think the court has a process that should be allowed to run its course. I would have urged the former Deputy Governor to be patient and not resort to what would bring about violence just to create a political narrative against the ruling People's Democratic Party and its Gubernatorial Candidate. Shaibu's decision to resume office without allowing the legal process to unfold beats my imagination. Only someone who wants to create unnecessary violence would act in such a manner. It's painful that lives have been lost in avoidable circumstances.
Moreover, it's disturbing that someone who aspires to be the next Governor of Edo State in the person of Sen. Monday Okpebholo is involved and finding himself to be present in a scene that is volatile and risky. That Okpebholo does not know that the unnecessary scene is not healthy for him as a candidate of a political party shocks me to the bone marrow. If you ask me, Okpebholo should not lack wisdom for God's sake. APC members can even kill him. After all, he was not the original choice of the Edo APC godfather. Only recently a Presidential Candidate, former President Donald Trump escaped assassination in a country that is said to be the most secure Nation in the world. If Trump had died, that would have been the end of his ambition. You cannot be contesting an election for the position of a Governor especially in the State of Edo which is now very volatile as a result of some enemies of the State and you are taking chances. I heard that Okpebholo was rescued. There is the possibility that APC members could be shooting themselves and if a straight bullet hit him mistakenly in the process and lead to something else, what will he go and tell God? Sometimes, it is always better to use wisdom.
The person who brought notorious APC thugs to welcome Philip Shaibu on a chartered flight alleged to be powered by the same Senator Monday Okpebholo is not looking for a serene environment. Who said that they do not want to kill Sen. Monday to create a vacancy for themselves? Why is Monday not smart enough to be extraordinarily careful? Edo State is currently volatile, and anything could have happened. The whole world knows that I am not Obaseki's spokesperson. Take it or leave it, Obaseki is a fighter but a systemic one, and not an encourager of violence. He can be dealing with you and smiling, but to say Obaseki can resort to attack is an unknown story. As former Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike would say, "The power of a Governor is enormous. No individual can fight a Government which the Governor represents."
My question for Phillip Shaibu is simple: as a Governor, will he tolerate a Deputy who is behaving like himself? I know the former NANS President knows very well the consequences of instituting violence against the Government. Even if Obaseki is not a violent fighter, some overzealous supporters will help him use his power by proxy and heaven will not fall.
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