By John Mayaki
Godwin Obaseki, the embattled governor of Edo State, sat down with Channels TV journalist, Seun, for an interview. That was on Sunday and Seun, without further ado, asked Godwin Obaseki if he thinks he deserves reelection. “Definitely, Seun. Definitely!” Obaseki exclaimed with alacrity and earnestness that his entire administration has so far lacked. And so began a 30-minutes exchange that is consistent with Obaseki’s character: lies, deflection, evasion, slowness of mind.
To justify that he ‘definitely’ deserve re-election, Obaseki went into a long ramble, citing statistics that are nowhere to be found for corroboration of his claim that he had revamped Edo State education sector, setting the system on a digital trajectory on which from his bedroom in the government house, he could tell when a teacher has completed his lesson note and exhausted his class periods. At that point, Obaseki laid the groundwork, giving the clear warning that he had come prepared with a truckload of outright falsehoods and polished half-truths – and according to Rt. Hon. Samson Osagie, “Obaseki lied profusely”.
More and more of it followed, these jaw-dropping untruths ensconced in shambolic oratory that broke and quench here and there. So while Obaseki might have prepared greatly for the charade he put on, a little window of conscience still opened up in him, casting prickly rays of fear on his shameful show. And that is the only way to make sense of the pallid dispositions of the governor. He was visibly shaking, uncontrollably fidgeting, and for almost all through the interview, stuttering. One may ask: why is a governor who claimed to have done excellently well now lacking the confidence and ability to properly utilize the opportunity of publicity thrown his way?
Well, maybe because he hasn’t really done well as he would delude himself into thinking. And critical light now cast on this trench of delusion, the grandeur began to crumble, giving way to the emergence of a man-child whose best strategy is to evade questions and dodge giving clear answers. Chief among them in this interview was Seun’s innocent quest to buttress the claim Obaseki has made over and over again in the past years.
For a man who had claimed that some integral party actors had demanded of him to share the state’s resources, to give them the public money (if we must be raw and clear), it wouldn’t be a task to, at a whim and to solidify his story, boldly mention this bad behaved party actors. For years now, Obaseki has held on to this narrative, weaponizing it, using as justification for his longstanding belligerence. For Obaseki, he is being fought out of power because he refused to share the money.
Enters Seun, journalist extraordinaire, offering Obaseki a chance at closure, to mention the name of these gluttonous money sharers, and forever become a saint and a king—the king of upright governance. But Obaseki stuttered his way through the opportunity, choking in the mirth of his own lies and confusion.
But it wasn’t over. Soon the Oshiomhole factor was broached. Obaseki, in his usual pretentious sanctimony, claimed he has no rift with the man he had sent thugs after, declaring him exiled and only allowed to enter the state if and when he obtains a written permit. A man he went public to threaten, saying he has the capacity to deal mercilessly with Oshiomhole. But Seun wouldn’t let him have it this time and so in Obaseki’s posturing of peace, of being the harmless and harmed victim, he was asked: “have you spoken with Oshiomhole?”
Another great round of mumble-jumble, stuttering, and meaningless words crumbling, colliding, falling over, as they climbed their way out of his shaky mouth. So much for a man who claims to be in love with peace, who went public just recently to constitute a commission of peace. The stinking hypocrisy!
“You mean no rift with Oshiomhole”, Seun asked in utter shock and disbelief to Obaseki’s act.
“No rift” Obaseki said, shaky.
“Have you spoken with Oshiomhole?” Seun asked.
Obaseki became a fine bag of deafening silence and then a mammoth collection of meaningless gibberish. But then, with more pressing, he ended up saying “not recently”, as if he had spoken with the National Chairman on the last week of May but not this nascent month.
Asked why the 75% completed Edo Specialist Hospital remains shut down, Obaseki had nothing tangible to say. His best response came after another eery silence and the answer that followed was itself more bizarre and numbing. “I am interested in moving Edo forward, I don’t want to concentrate on the mistakes of the past.”
Arriving, finally, at the behemoth issue of mode of the primary election, Obaseki entered a fine line of cognitive dissonance. “It is the people that should drive democracy”, he said while actually suing for an indirect primary mode which will alienate the same people who drive democracy. Of course, Obaseki rehearsed his chorus that he isn’t afraid of any mode of primary, neither is he afraid of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, citing the statistics of the previous elections where he beat the Pastor. But he ignored the fact that the dynamics are no longer the same.
Nevertheless, there is a looming danger for everyone. Asked if he will concede defeat if he eventually loses, Obaseki who had earlier said he wasn’t desperate and had never been desperate for anything in life, now began to list conditions. “If the process is credible, free, and transparent, why shouldn’t I; but if it isn’t, why should I?”
Anarchy is coming, Obaseki loosed upon men, Edo goes under serious risk of falling apart. The tyrant has bared his fangs and all men must brace up.
