Chief Tony Anenih, former chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is unarguably, one of the best political prophets to have come from Edo State and indeed Nigeria, in recent times. His political predictions have been known not only to have been so accurate but to have come to pass. One of such prophesies was his accurate predictions in 2003, that there was no vacancy in Aso rock and the South South and recently he predicted that Professor Charles Soludo, will pick the gubernatorial ticket of Anambra State even if it means changing his name from Chief Tony Anenih to Chief Tony ‘Anene’, to support the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), if he needed his services, he promised to avail his services free of charge. The word of the Anenih is gradually coming to pass again in Anambra State politics. He has been able to arm twist the people of Anambra State including Chief Chris Uba and Andy Uba, the self styled Governor-in-waiting of Anambra State to hand over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) ticket for the 2010 gubernatorial election to Soludo. No wonder, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State threatened to banish him to Anambra State to retire to political oblivion if he, Oshiomhole has his way. A prophet, they say is without honour in his own town because the people knowing him will term him a false or fake prophet. The leader as he is known as fought so many political battles, to install from party delegates to Presidents of the nation and some whose elections were annulled, where he earned the title Mr. Fix It, some political associates in the past, has described him as their own political god, who transformed them from a zero level to become heroes today, one described the face of Anenih as the face of God, which he will first of all pray to for blessings. The task of returning former President Olusegun Obasanjo to power in 2003 was rested squarely in his arms, teaching PDP leaders how to win elections and set up reconciliation committees later. Obasanjo attempted to retire him prematurely, from politics, when Obasanjo jokingly said that the hair of the leader is all grey now if not for hair dye and should now be referred to as an Elder instead of Leader as he is fondly called because Obasanjo was interested in becoming the chairman of the party’s board of trustees, having seen the enormous powers wielded by Anenih, when he Obasanjo, was president and commander in chief, he then tactically had the Elder to retire and leave the stage for him the new leader. He told Anenih to move the motion, which will endorse Obasanjo as the new chairman of the board of trustees, Mr. Fix It, did not take the joke lightly but he was forced to smile because of Baba’s Stick and carrot, used in cutting opponents to size. Mr. Fix It, who like Obasanjo never forgives a wrong, waited patiently for Obasanjo to quit power before he came back to serve his vengeance cold as he wanted Obasanjo dethroned as chairman from the PDP’ board of trustees.
When Anenih, started the political onslaught against Obasanjo,, so many screaming headlines were flying on the pages of newspapers like “Anenih in Soup” “Anenih in Trouble” but the soft spoken politician, while addressing journalist said he shrugged of such sensational headlines and wondered which political pot is big enough to cook the political cat with nine lives in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa, where he plies his political trade, “No pot is big enough to cook me,” he said.
Presently, Anenih is at daggers drawn with Governor Oshiomhole, with each drawing political blood with their comments, Anenih had described Oshiomhole at a political rally held in Ewatto to admit a former AC candidate to PDP as a vibrating compressor that is blowing without having a cooling effect and Oshiomhole has promised to send Mr. Fix It as he is popularly known into political oblivion and wilderness, where he should spend his last days on earth but is that not wishful thinking? The leader will be wondering if there is any political wilderness big enough to accommodate him as a political landlord that has fought many political battles and he promised that even if it took him days, weeks, months or years, he is going to see to the exit of the comrade-governor. That is not a threat that should be taking lightly considering the accuracy of his political predictions, the Governor is only lucky that we have a President that has regards for rule of law if it was in the dark days of Obasanjo, the mace would have been taken to Uromi and the AC assembly men suspended and 2.00 am impeachment carried out to ease him out. Even if Mr. Fix It is down, he has not been fixed and nobody should jubilate over the premature political retirement of Anenih yet or judge the success of such exercises on the defection of political paper weights, such as the local government chairmen of former PDP executives particularly, the former deputy chairman of his senatorial district as the final nail driven into the Fixer’s political casket as those were the same people that were taking the political decisions with Anenih, they even know his Uromi house more than his immediate family, who rarely visited the house.
Anenih has reacted by withdrawing his political nominees from Oshiomhole’s government, a move similar to withdrawing ambassadors from a country, with severed ties.
The leader promised to retire if Oshiomhole emerged as the Governor of Edo State, through the ballot during the 2007, electioneering campaign, but Oshiomhole, however emerged as the Governor of the State through the judiciary, which restored his stolen mandate, with the two parties then agreeing to burry their political hatchet and work together to see their common enemy Professor Oseremen Osunbor, out of the way. Now that Osunbor is out and the comrade-Governor is seated comfortably, he feels it is time to remind the leader and fixer of his promise to quit the political scene for him to reign.
Oshiomhole tested his new found might in the murky political waters of Akoko-Edo Local Government, where he led the AC to victory against the Anenih political PDP machine. He succeed in knocking the PDP engine and won a bye-election, which was held recently and it is time again to remind Mr. Fix It of his promises to quit the political scene for him as the labour leader number is hungry to takeover the soul of Edo State. Where will the leader retire to? Anambra State, Uromi, Edo State to enjoy his political retirement or where? The leader has no option but to fight back savagely to shift the goal post back to the status quo. Will the people allow him, when they meet in the next political Wrestle mania, which will be the Local Government election soon? Hmm…, time will tell. Will the leader’s political reign spanning over 30 years now be over. The retirement age for a public officer is 35 years or more, the comrade-governor requires more than sweeping labour reforms and other acts to upstage the leader and finally force him into retirement because since Mr. Fix It left the police force, the only known game he has known ever after, is the dirty game of politics and this, he has played so well.
The two feuding party should play by the rules and not fight dirty, when two elephants fight, the grass usually suffers. Edo State will be worse off for the many battles that will be fought in the days ahead. The State is yet to settle from the spate of robberies and kidnappings going on in the State, political tension added to those criminal activities, will overheat the polity. The father and son should settle their differences amicably or they should be called to order and let Edo people decide, who will govern then through a free fair and participatory democracy. Enough is enough.

A comment by Louis Ataga,