Edo 2016 War of Succession (4): Catholics In The Voodoo Place

In the telling chapters of the Bible, the bold warning is given that kings should not always eavesdrop into their servants’ conversations, lest they might hear their servants abusing them. Contrary to this warning, Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, AAO, apparently had his ears glued to the window and politicians told him what he wanted to hear. He was sold the dummy that His Deputy, The Rt. Hon. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, PEO, had contracted a native doctor to kill him. That was how Catholics began to deal in the voodoo place to the utter consternation of the Catholic authorities.

By Hon. Josef Omorotionmwan

Nigeria today is fast drifting toward Plato’s classic definition of a degenerating society, a society that encourages violence to prevail over reason; and a society that permits the voice of the mob to dominate the affairs of government.

The short journey thus far into the seemingly simple process of selecting a candidate to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has become thoroughly embarrassing.

Current happenings portend a frightening glimpse into the future. In whichever direction we look, we see a lot of people carrying on in a manner suggestive of the primary as an end in itself.

We see some turning the entire bush into snakes, perhaps oblivious of the fact that in the end, whoever emerges at the primary will require the support of the losers for the main election.

Meanwhile, some leaders who are supposedly separating a fight are fighting harder than those wearing the gloves.

The time has come to open a small window into some of the intrigues and the serial assassination plots – real and imaginary.

If all this could be happening at the intra-party level, what do we expect when the struggle becomes interparty?

In the telling chapters of the Bible, the bold warning is given that kings should not always eavesdrop into their servants’ conversations, lest they might hear their servants abusing them.

Contrary to this warning, Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, AAO, apparently had his ears glued to the window and politicians told him what he wanted to hear.

He was sold the dummy that His Deputy, The Rt. Hon. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, PEO, had contracted a native doctor to kill him.
That was how Catholics began to deal in the voodoo place to the utter consternation of the Catholic authorities.

You can tell the witchcraft story to the marines! For PEO, “Why would I do that? Like William Shakespeare, ‘If fortune would have me king; let fortune crown me without my stir.’”

Hear him further, “The alleged attempt to kill Mr. Governor is a wicked attempt by enemies of progress to drive a wedge between me and Mr. Governor.

“It is an old and tired lie concocted to tarnish my image in the eye of the public. It is politically motivated. You are aware that the governorship election is around the corner and I am one of those vying for APC’s ticket.

“They failed when they tried during my re-nomination as Deputy Governor in 2012; and they will certainly fail again now… For me, nothing in the world is worth the blood of a fowl, not to talk of that of a human being.

“I leave these enemies of progress to the all-knowing God. I know and I do believe that He will manifest Himself in this matter in the fullness of time. Time they say writes the ultimate history and history delivers that final judgment”.

On the sideline, many are quick to ask, “If PEO had eight years to kill AAO and reap the full benefit of becoming Governor, of what benefit would it be for him to wait till the eve of their departure from government?”

So far, we have dealt with what looks like the imaginary assassination bid. The real assassination attempt came in the opposite direction on 30 April 2016 when PEO’s campaign team was attacked at the APC Secretariat in Auchi, Headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. This writer was part of the team that was attacked.

No sooner had the meeting with the delegates started than gunmen opened fire outside the Secretariat on both security-men, members of PEO’s entourage and delegates. It was such a shocking and gory sight to behold. PEO had to be shielded inside the hall to avoid direct bullet contacts.

The gunmen who were armed to the teeth succeeded in shooting and brutally wounding the following persons:

1. Patrick Amakri (SSS Official attached to PEO); 2. Inspector Agge Felix (Escort Police Commander attached to PEO); 3. Zibiri Yakubu (Driver); 4. Miss Nice Ogbeso (Delegate); 5. Inu Umoru (Delegate); 6. Osabuohien Igiebor; 7. Matthew Ajayi (Musician) and 8. One man whose identity was not immediately known.

It was by the grace of God that PEO was not hit by bullets but it was also obvious that the attack was directed at his person and geared towards the disruption of the aims of his campaign.

Meanwhile, from the group’s investigation, three principal culprits were identified and their names have been given to security agencies.

We owe our survival to the Almighty God and to the gallantry of the Security-men who repelled the attackers as they surged towards us.

We shall remain eternally grateful to the Auchi Zonal Commander of the Nigeria Police who promptly assembled a crack team of senior police officers to escort us back to Benin that night.

At about 8.00 pm, we went to the hospital to see the victims. As the conditions of six of them became fairly stable, we transferred them that same night to UBTH, Benin City while the other two were still convalescing at the Auchi hospital.

While the circumstances around the PEO attack were still being investigated, the news has just come that the campaign team of one of the APC aspirants, Godwin Obaseki, GO, was attacked yesterday, 8 May 2016, at Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Details of the recent attack are still sketchy. For all we know, it is becoming messier by the day and something must be done to arrest the ugly scenario.

The APC will soon overcome these teething problems. After all, things normally get worse before they get better. All that is required now is the realization that Edo State can do without this degree of desperation.

“One-man-one-vote” is no longer a term in the abstraction, it is real. In a democracy, the ultimate right to choose who rules belongs to the people. Desperation and violence do not win elections; but hard work and good campaigns do.

Hon. Josef Omorotionmwan is a public affairs analyst and Chairman, Board of Directors, Edo Broadcasting Service. He can be reached at: joligien@yahoo.com