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| Godwin Obaseki, Governor, Edo State |
The
political history of Africa avails two major tactics to successfully deal with
what can be called Godfatherism we
know today. First is pretended subservience, playing a willing tool till such a
time enough balls and muscles are developed in what historians term playing Mohammed V of Morocco. The idea is to
pretend and hit when the iron is red-hot. How?
Mohammed
V was chosen by France instead of his elder brother as Sultan of Morocco in 1926.
They thought of him a pliable tool for colonial administration. For many years,
Mohammed aptly played the sheep to the disgust of his compatriot nationalists.
Things came to a head when the Second World War exposed the underbelly of
France. Morocco made immense contributions to the French contingent of the
allied forces that at the end of the war, Mohammed secured the commitment of
the US President Roosevelt to
Morocco’s freedom. France demurred and wasn’t ready for concession. Mohammed
wasted no time in rebelling and demanding immediate independence. France was
alarmed, deposed and exiled him to Madagascar. But the popular support for the
deposed Sultan whose real colour emerged, grew the more, leading to incredible
protests and mass action, forcing France to bring him home in 1956 with
independence granted the same year.
The
second strategy consists of an out-and-out ruthlessness, scorched-earth
encounter that leaves zero consideration for vulnerability in the eventuality
of loss. The option repulses failure even if it stares in the face. Samouri Toure, a West African military
adventurist and Mandika Empire builder(18881-1889)
who brutally resisted the French, defeating them in pitched battles while
losing others; shunning suspicious alliance with the rival Soninke Ahmadu of Segu is a perfect example. Samouri was the first
West African ruler to engage the Europeans in modern warfare.
He was
mercilessly destroying and devastating villages, towns and farmlands as he
retreated from the furious advance of the French forces, leaving behind
desolation that deprived the aggressors’ means of sustenance. Samouri somehow
played diplomacy along the way by setting the British in Freetown against the
French but failed. He however, saw on time the dishonesty of imperialism and
immediately denounced the Bisandugu
Accord of 1886, ready to defend the Mandika Empire. Samouri so devasted the
French that he was beseeched to cease fire with a huge offer to retire unharmed
to his village in modern day Guinea.
However,
the two strategies can also be combined as a suave option especially where the
subject has the benefit of time. It may involve Fabianism. Menelik II, Emperor
of Ethiopia successfully employed this in long-stretched skirmishes and failed
negotiations that readied Ethiopia to humiliate Italy, then a world power, with
a crushing defeat at the battle of Adowa in 1896. Italy lost about a thousand
men!
In
Nigeria, godfatherism is largely associated with the administration of Dr. Chris Ngige as Anambra Governor,
though a kinder form had existed. The very moment he became the flag bearer of
the PDP in November 2002, was the very instance his godfathers led by Chris Uba
unveiled chains to gag his independence and strip his executive powers when
elected. Just like the French thought of a pliant in Mohammed V, the Anambra
godfathers erroneously thought Ngige was a puppet that would rubberstamp their
stranglehold on the coffers of the state.
And
Like the Moroccan Sultan, Ngige, played along, won election, sworn in and bared
his fangs in battle of his life and future of his state. July 10, 2003 was the
climax; the overthrow of the godfathers and the liberation of the state . But
that was only a battle as other theatres of war raged. Similar to Samouri after
the fall of Bisandugu Treaty, Ngige was ready to die for the cause he believed
in. Top PDP leaders were ready to broker a deal to afford him respite, at least
finish his term. All, he turned down, delivered unprecedented stewardship and
unbowed until a conniving judiciary joined forces with the godfathers. For
bluntly refusing to sell the state to free only himself, Ngige became a Messiah
and amassed a huge political capital that will last the end of time. He left
office but not without banishing the godfathers.
Peter Obi who succeeded him is an
attempted godfather but his handpicked successor, Willie Obiano rebuffed him. Dr.
Chimaroke Nnamani, like Samouri Toure ruthlessly banished Chief Jim Nwobodo from Enugu, while Adams Osimohole who today plays avatar
to godfatherism brutally dismantled the father of all fixers, late Chief Tony Annenih. Only Rashidi Ladoja fell to the garrison
commander, Lamidi Adedibu in Oyo
State.
Drawing
from the above therefore, what currently happens in Edo indicates Governor Godwin Obasaki has not adequately
mastered the art of dealing with godfathers. He failed to incipient ambivalence
over which of the two strategies to use while his later decision to apply a
combination got fraught with indecisiveness. Lest, when Menelik decided on
battlefield to settle the Italian question, he never looked back and when
Samouri repudiated the Bisandugu Treaty, he didn’t disguise the wounded lion in
him. When I saw Obaseki lose the battle to oust Oshimohole last year and failed
to follow up with another tenterhook, knowing his election was by the corner, I
concluded he is not a student of history. He would have learnt that no amount
of plea from powerful Cleopatra of Alexandra stopped Augustus from
assassinating Caesarion, her son for Julius Caesar. “Two Caesars are one too
many,” Arius of Didymus had warned Augustus.
Fortunately,
Obaseki is said to have a brilliant stewardship, hence the support of Edo
people. Consequently, no option would rival unconstrained scorched-earth.
Attack every object that looks like Oshimohole is the mode. That Obasaki
sometime last year tried to play a Brutus on Mark Anthony on the Ides of March
or Ambode on Tinubu during the 2019 elections is a fatal error. Oshimhole was
far too bruised for placation. Recall that Brutus spared the life of Mark
Anthony when Cassius had already penciled him down to die with Julius Caesar.
Anthony would later join forces with Augustus to kill Brutus at the battle of
Philipi in BC 42. Anthony only paid him back by singling out his body for
decent burial with purple linen. Similarly, Ambode cowered away when he had the
opportunity of making things extremely difficult for his oppressors and paid
dearly.
It is
not late but a lot more effort is now needed to save the prince of Benin from
the barely literate textile worker that climbed on the back of unionism. He had
an opportunity to open up more frontiers of war to ensure Oshimohole is never
king over the Edo governorship primary and has fellow governors willing to
support him. He failed to do this, thereby placed Oshimohole sure-footed at the
bridge exit. But he still has the opportunity to pull down the entire bridge
while he concentrates on his new option. Good lawyers abound. The bridge can be
repaired thereafte, after all, the Biafrans pulled down Niger Bridge and shut
out Murtala’s three bloody attempts to cross the river. A pun on the word
bridge, anyway!
My
stand is that godfatherism be dismantled so that democracy will be in word and
in deed.
Nwachukwu
Ngige, a journalist writes from Abuja
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