Web of apologies in Edo

An apology, ORDINARILY is the act of declaring ones regret or remorse or sorrow for having wronged another. Curiously, Edo State has in recent times been inundated by unsolicited apologies. First, it was Chief Frank Erewele who apologized during a Television programme for the role he played in facilitating the election of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State in 2007.

He did not elaborate. Next, was Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former Secretary to Edo State government and now, State Coordinator of Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign. He expressed regrets that he was in the frontline of the efforts that produced Comrade Oshiomhole as Edo State Governor. The apologies are stiff, bumptious and without remorse.

It is significant to note however, that both had fallen out of favour and parted ways with the Governor before they realized their so-called mistake. Would they have been caught in this web of apologies if they had remained in APC and obtained endorsement for Osagie Ize-Iyamu to succeed Comrade Oshiomhole ahead of 2016? Certainly not. An apology proceeds from a burdened heart and represents the moral strength of the one who realized where and how he/she erred.

It is critical to reconciliation of broken relationships, restoration of dignity, stimulation of reflection and healing of wounds. But for an apology to achieve these goals, it must be authentic, honest, straight, undiluted and most importantly, it must come from the heart. The said apologies are peripheral and lacking in values. They are smoke screens meant to play on political sentiments and more like a feel-good strategy contrived to promote the electoral interest of the PDP.

Such stiff apologies are indicative of harum- scarum and lack of appraisal of the hurting impact of their action on individuals and the State. Upon sober reflection, they will come to the knowledge that their action was ironically poor on individuals but positive on the State. That means that the emergence of Comrade Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State was God’s divine arrangement to lift the people out of insular backwaters.

However, the operators of the chosen platform snookered the polity with malarkey thereby trampling on the rights of some other individuals. Thus, they have continued to be weighed down by a heavy burden of apology!

One wonders why it has become such a nightmare for them to factually recount the actions they are apologizing for? The inability of offenders to contend with the defeated state of mind that comes with confessing wrong doings amount to deviant denial of responsibility. In any case, the facts of that episode in our political trajectory are bare enough to be summarized thus: The then opposition party, the Action Congress (AC) was birthed in Edo State by few individuals including Hon. Charles Idahosa. Shortly after establishment, a faction of the PDP in the name of Grace Group under the proxy leadership of Osagie Ize-Iyamu dissolved into the new party but Osagie Ize- Iyamu was still wielding superfluous influence in the PDP government of Lucky Igbinedion. The new entrants emerged as the dominant political bloc in the party.

In the run up to gubernatorial nomination in 2006, the then governor and his proxy leader of the Grace Group effectively manipulated the party from the back stage. Thus, several gubernatorial aspirants were either bought over or muzzled out of the race save Charles Idahosa.

Consequently, gubernatorial primary was reluctantly planned and organized to pick the party candidate between Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who was suddenly drafted into the gubernatorial nomination race of the party and Hon. Charles Idahosa, who refused to be bought or persuaded out of the race. However, rather than organize free and fair party primaries for the contestants, the result of the primaries were simply written and announced at the party Secretariat in favour of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and thus, he became the candidate of the party in 2007.

From the above account, is it not clear enough that the most injured in the subterfuge is Charles Idahosa, who was conspiratorially schemed out of the gubernatorial nomination of a party that he founded along with few others? The reasons as widely speculated at the cocktail of their actions were that Idahosa was too independent minded, too courageous and fearless and may be uncontrollable if made a Governor. The offenders must however realize that there is no short cut to apology.

If you have wronged anyone, you must come clean and confess it straight to the one you have wronged because the injured person wants to be vindicated and healed as well. In this case, not only should the apology be properly delivered and specifically directed at the injured, it must be done in a humble manner that diminishes the offender. Lastly, the transgressors have a binding obligation to apologize to Edo State for the monumental rape, pillage and sleaze that she suffered during the dark days of Ize-Iyamu – Igbinedion led PDP administration.

Interestingly, the same Charles Idahosa who was clothed in the image of a bugaboo has worked closely, peacefully and harmoniously with the people-centred government of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Special Adviser on Political Matters for six good years. Not many would recall that Charles Idahosa was only in the government of Chief Lucky Igbinedion for only a little more than three years, out of a total of eight years in office.

It is therefore, to the chagrin and utter amazement of the manipulators, that not even once has the relationship between Idahosa and Comrade Oshiomhole been unduly pressured to the point rupture.Therefore, if indeed, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Frank Erewele apologized for helping Oshiomhole to power, the apologies must have been deeply motivated by less ennobling grounds than the common good of the society.

Close observers of both political icons would have noted close similarities in their character traits. They have come to respect, admire and learn from each other! Idahosa has at different fora confessed that if had emerged as governor per chance, he could not have had the courage to take some of the tough decisions that Comrade Oshiomhole had taken and executed. For instance, he confessed that he could not have had the guts to insist on claiming government right of way in order to build the beautiful six lanes on Airport Road, which has now assumed the status of a legacy project.

By their miscalculations, it is obvious that they knew Oshiomhole not and mistook him for a perfect stooge in the hands of the cabal. They thought he could be a drain pipe to foster their accumulative instincts. Finally, they thought they could climb on his shoulders to regain gubernatorial glory. On these invidious scores, they were dead wrong.

Suddenly their ambition collapsed upon their heads and they saw the power they had long coveted slipped off! Indeed, their anger is understandable. But smear campaign will only expose the quilt of their apostasy. Edo citizens are saying that if Ize-Iyamu – Igbinedion administration had accomplished half of Oshiomhole’s infrastructural achievements, Edo State would have moved much closer to the ideal state of Eldorado.

Mr.Aiyevbekpen Osakue, a political strategist,  wrote from Benin City, Edo State.