In several quarters, Oshiomhole is regarded as a pseudo ‘comrade’ – a minus to democratic ethos, a pretender to progressive politics, an incurable opportunist and an alleged institutionalize of political brigandage in Edo State, believed to have sacrificed all those that brought him to political limelight on the altar of his inordinate political ambition. We have not forgotten the inglorious role Oshiomhole played in bastardizing electoral sanctity in Edo State when he led the APC to hoodwink the State Independent Electoral Commission to organize a charade, called local government elections, and other anti-people/democratic practices he perfected as Governor.
On July 30, 2013, the All Progressives Congress (APC) – a conglomeration of four major opposition political parties in Nigeria was registered as a political party by the nation’s electoral umpire – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in what became known in the country’s political lexicon as the ‘Mega merger.’
They were, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – the party that gave Oshiomhole his ticket to Osadebey Avenue; Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Like every good thing that normally faces obstacles at the initial stages, the battle for the registration of APC met fierce challenges right from when the merger plan was conceived.
After the historic registration of the party, the first acid test that confronted it was the convention to choose the national chairman.
It must be recollected that Chief Bisi Akande, former Governor of Osun State was naturally saddled with the position of the Acting Chairmanship of the party. Chief Akande is credited with the fact that he successfully waded through the expected storms that waylaid the party as soon as it was registered until the first national convention was held in December 2014.
Choosing the national chairman of the APC in 2014 had its peculiar internal squabbles and high-wired politicking. More so, when the APC had zoned the position of the national chairman to Edo State.
Therefore, it was not long before Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Chief Tom Ikimi became frontline contenders for the topmost job.
As soon as the duo began to move around stalwarts and the rank and file of the party, a kind of frenzy took over its affairs across the nation. The big question which persistently agitated the minds of people was: who should be chosen between Ikimi and Oyegun?
As usual the then sitting Governor of Edo State, comrade Adams Oshiomhole exhibited his traditional trade mark of ‘politics with bitterness’ by trying to muscle every Dick and Harry within the APC in the State to file behind the candidacy of Chief Tom Ikimi.
It is on record that some principled party leaders distinguished themselves by refusing to be intimidated by Adams Oshiomhole’s draconian style of dragging the Edo APC along.
Meanwhile, Chief Ikimi’s unpleasant antecedents as the former leader of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) under ex-President Ibrahim Babangida’s fraudulent transition program in 1993, and his position as Foreign Affairs Minister under the notorious dictator, General Sani Abacha made him a political leper to be avoided, and most unlikely to succeed Chief Bisi Akande.
Well, the rest is history as the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had succeeded to mobilize like minds at the national level to give the national chairmanship of the party to the amiable, gentle, focused, reliable and progressive Chief John Odigie-Oyegun (former Governor of Edo State).
An insider within the APC made it clear in a recent well publicized interview that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his foot soldiers were disgraced and humbled as the pendulum of victory moved in the direction they had not worked for in 2014.
Since that time, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has never removed his eyes from the position of the national chairmanship of the party or forgiven Chief Oyegun.
Now, what crime did Chief John Odigie-Oyegun commit against Adams Oshiomhole? From available records, the current national chairman of the APC supported Oshiomhole to the tilt during his two tenures in office.
Adams Oshiomhole threw caution to the winds when rooting for the current sitting Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki; he fought everybody ruthlessly out of the way within the Edo APC to push Obaseki to where he is today.
Now, he has triumphed so to say. What does he want now? Oshiomhole wants to be a man for all seasons! It is believed that the Comrade who just did two terms in office as Governor of Edo State wants to take the position of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
He allegedly started serious moves against Chief Oyegun’s position two years before his exit from the government house in Benin City.
Till date, Oshiomhole is allegedly scheming behind the scene to pull down Chief Oyegun at all cost and by every means available to him within the Edo APC and at the national level.
That is why the likes of Louis Odion, his former Commissioner for Information, now media agent has been drafted to do the bidding of his ex-boss without resort to common sense and facts of the matter.
In several quarters, Oshiomhole is regarded as a pseudo ‘comrade’ – a minus to democratic ethos, a pretender to progressive politics, an incurable opportunist and an alleged institutionalize of political brigandage in Edo State, believed to have sacrificed all those that brought him to political limelight on the altar of his inordinate political ambition.
We have not forgotten the inglorious role Oshiomhole played in bastardizing electoral sanctity in Edo State when he led the APC to hoodwink the State Independent Electoral Commission to organize a charade, called local government elections, and other anti-people/democratic practices he perfected as Governor.
Is it the alleged wicked connivance he set in motion that fragmented the national leadership of the labor movement recently? Louis Odion, unfortunately is playing the flute as massively powered by Adams Oshiomhole, and he should never be taken seriously; he is not sincere, honest and truthful in his recent submissions.
Just recently, Adams Oshiomhole was booed at the Eagle Square, Abuja during the occasion to mark Workers’ Day in Nigeria; his perennial doubled standard disposition to issues of fundamental national/workers interest is known like the design of our palms.
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has done well so far as the national chairman of the APC. As a leader he is not expected to be loved by everybody including Adams Oshiomhole or Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others who are currently feeling uncomfortable with his style of leadership. After all, there is no permanent friend in politics anywhere in the world!
Adams Oshiomhole must never be allowed to have his way or political ‘pound of flesh’ from Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; he is every inch like the rejected Chief Tom Ikimi, whose insatiable penchant for personal gains and unprincipled politicking caused him the national leadership of APC in 2014.
As the 2017 national convention of the APC gets closer, this is a clarion call for all proposed national delegates to do the needful by queuing behind a man who do not believe in rocking the boat of leadership for peculiar parochial interest.
