*The Unwarranted Attack On Gov Obaseki, Oba Of Lagos, Others*

https://leadership.ng/2019/11/05/the-unwarranted-attack-on-gov-obaseki-oba-of-lagos-others

The governor of a state is not an ordinary citizen. He is not just a citizen, he is a custodian of the mandate of the entire people of a state. He is the head of the executive arm of government of the state.

The office of the governor is therefore beyond the person occupying it. It is an institution. Like the Governor, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of the state are heads of the legislature and judiciary respectively.

Any attack on the persons occupying these institutions or arms of government is an attack on the people who elected them to occupy these positions.

That was why I find it unacceptable, I find it lamentable, I find it atrocious that hoodlums attacked the convoy of Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu at Iyamoh, the country home of the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Governor Obaseki and Pro – Chancellor of Edo University, Iyahmo, Prof. T. O. K. Audu, were in a convoy on their way to Oshiomhole’ s house when the hoodlums attacked their convoy. The governor and the other guests had attended the maiden convocation of the Edo University, Iyahmo, Etsako West local government area of Edo State.

According to reports, it took the intervention of the governor’s security aides to prevent a blood bath as several vehicles were smashed by the thugs.

What the hoodlums did was despicable, condemnable and unacceptable and must be condemned by every right thinking Nigerian. Governor Obaseki was right to describe the attack as shameful. Addressing journalists after the attacks, the governor took exception to the resort to violence, noting that it was both shameful and unfortunate for such an attack to take place at the residence of the national chairman of the ruling party in the state and at the national level.

“It is very unfortunate that we can’ t feel safe in the house of our national chairman. I am not sure that if I visit the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) they will attack me the way they did in the house of the APC national chairman. “It is unfortunate that things have degenerated to this extent. But we will continue to sue for peace. We cannot afford to lose the gains of the last three years. We will continue to pursue peace,” he was quoted as saying.

Who knows what would have happened if the attackers was able to harm a sitting governor. We may never know but what we know for sure is that it would have escalated the political tension in Edo State All Progressives Congress(APC) and the state in general. This column has also noted that the attack has been condemned generally by well meaning Nigerians.

The Lagos State government; the Pan Yoruba socio – cultural group, Afenifere; and Pan Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF) have reportedly condemned the attack on Governor Obaseki and others. The Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu of Lagos State, Prince Bayo Osiyemi, described the attack on Oba of Lagos as sacrilegious. “The attack on any monarch is a sacrilege for which the perpetrators must seek divine forgiveness, ” he said, adding: “The attack on the premier Oba in Lagos State somewhere in Edo State is uncalled for and whoever sponsored the attackers must do a quick rethink and desist from such untoward behaviour.”

Also condemning the incident, spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, stated emphatically that “it is a sacrilege that political thugs working for area fathers in politics would extend their gangsterism to the Oba of Lagos.”

Imagine that the governor and the Oba of Lagos were harmed in the attack and there was reprisal attacks in Benin and Lagos, only God knows what would have happened. Our political leaders should thread carefully when they have disagreements within and without their parties. They should weigh carefully the implications of their actions. Politics is not a zero sum game. It is a game of give and take. It is a game of disagreements, agreements and agreeing to disagree. There is therefore absolutely no reason to resort to violence over political disagreements.

The hoodlums who attacked the governor and others were alleged to be supporters of the former governor of Edo State and national chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The former governor has quickly denied this, insisting rather that the Edo State deputy governor, Mr. Phillip Shaibu, was behind the attack on the governor, Akiolu, and others. Security agents can determine whatever may be the truth on the incident. We expect the police and other security agents to unearth those behind the attack on the governor and ensure that they are brought to justice.

Some political pundits are however, saying that the recent violence in Edo State is traced to the supremacy battle between the national chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and his political godson, the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki. It is also widely believed that the battle is over the party’ s ticket for the 2020 governorship election in the state.

This struggle is therefore between the APC leader in Edo State, Governor Obaseki and national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, thus APC national secretariat, Abuja may not be able to resolve this issue. It therefore behooves on the leader of APC in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter and ensure that peace returns in Edo APC and the state in general. While Nigerians wait for the Presidency to restore peace in Edo State, we however expect APC leaders and opposition parties’ leaders to commit to politics without bitterness and politics without violence.