Kassim Afegbua
I find it extremely interesting and amusingly self-serving reading all the propaganda strokes of the Peoples Democratic Party on my person as its campaign blueprint for wooing the Edo electorates for the election of July 14, 2012. How lucky can one be seeing such a “big party” and dubiously so as the largest party in Africa by its own curious statistics, engaging my person as its campaign blueprint, trying to portray my current support for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as misplaced in the light of my critical stance against the Comrade Governor on the oil subsidy debate and other ancillary issues.
Let me state for the umpteenth time that I do not regret my current support for the Comrade Governor because if the PDP publicists have taken pains to read the entire crux of my piece, they would rightly concede to the fact that I did acknowledge his sterling performance and achievements in Edo State. My point of departure was allowing himself to be used by the devious PDP adventurists and castrated leadership both at the centre and anywhere else to propagate the nihilism of the subsidy discourse, which has now put the country on the reverse gear.
Given the magnanimity of the Comrade Governor, I offered to render my services to further his aspiration, especially against the backdrop of his numerous achievements as end products of his intervention in the governance process in Edo State. I have inalienable right and the capacity to disagree with the Comrade Governor on certain issues, but on the issue of achievements and blueprints for rescuing a prostrate state from the grip of business buccaneers and political hirelings, I am on the same page with the Governor. I am happy that none of the PDP publicists would say that I am doing this for pot of porridge; that would have meant taking the discourse beyond the stretch of my ideological persuasion.
I wholly endorse the monumental achievements of the Comrade Governor and whether I support him or not, he will win the election of July 14, 2012 because Edo people are in agreement that one good tenure deserves another. And for a man who has devoted his unquenchable energy and rare intellect into discovering the missing leadership compass of the state, one cannot but assist him at making sure he consolidates on his achievements in a manner that would bring more positive things to bear on the state. I am yet to encounter any one, including the PDP fleeting supporters and business adherents, who does not acknowledge the Comrade Governor’s towering credentials by way of his achievements. They praise him during the nights and run him down during the day to fulfill the promptings of their unsuspecting party faithful. It is no surprise therefore that thousands and thousands of the PDP followers are decamping into the ACN fray day in, day out in recognition of the exploits of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Looking back into the leadership structure of the state and the backwaters of politics, coupled with the desperation of the PDP, any sane-minded Edo person should express genuine fear over the activities of the PDP and its circle of political demagogues who are poised to eliminate the attraction of civilised political undertakings whilst embracing blackmail, propaganda, intimidation, harassment and outright threat as its terms of engaging a political Goliath of Oshiomhole’s pantheon.
In such dubious engagement, with failing talisman and frustrating results, all manners of indecent conducts are unleashed on the political highway to railroad the hapless people of Edo State into believing that heavens will fall, if PDP does not win. With an unpopular candidate foisted on the people through an unpopular primary election that saw virtually every contestant raising angst against the party, the desperation to heal wounds and create a make-belief scenario that all is well, when everything seems drifting apart, becomes the thematic focus of a clueless campaign adventure.
Admittedly, General Charles Airhiavbere did state in one of his media outings that he is indeed an unknown face in the politics of Edo State, and that each time the campaign got streaming, people will be asking “where is the man?” That alone is an indication of failure. Edo people cannot vote for an unknown face. They cannot endorse a faceless candidate when they have seen the performance of a Comrade Governor in the last three and a half years re-launching Edo State on the super highway of development and growth.
I am still trying to unravel the underpinning motive of the PDP publicists in carrying paid advertorials on my person. I do not think I deserve such gratuitous patronage of unsolicited publicity. I have had enough publicity and do not deserve any from a losing party just to score a political point. Rather than deploy such propaganda machinery on my person, which I quite appreciate though, I would have expected the PDP publicists to use such fleeting pages to present her blueprints for the people of Edo State to have a feel of its beleaguered vision for Edo State. But going by its resolve to use my earlier statements as campaign issues, I will graciously appreciate if the Nigeria Copytight Commission can protect my rights and get the PDP to pay me royalties for such “abuse”. Who says I can’t make some cool bucks from General Charles deep pockets?
Talking seriously, I think the PDP and her candidate are products of the same concoction. As unwieldy and cantankerous as Benin-Ore Road, the PDP campaign train has been dead on arrival. Coming from a disadvantaged point of view because of lack of any visible achievement, the party has made it a state policy to unleash propaganda on the good people of Edo State, deceive them at will, propagate falsehoods, blow serious issues to comic heights and confuse the electorates with misplaced statistics, all in a bid to be heard. Rather than doing all of these, can’t they simply tell Edo people what their vision is?
As a “donation” to the Action Congress of Nigeria, I am happy that I have assumed a priceless status. That means the PDP finds my presence worthy of recognition. Olisa Metuh, the unelected National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, called me names for daring to remind the sorely behemoth party as conducting undemocratic convention exercise. With growing insensitivity to dissenting voices, following Metuh’s verbal diarrhea on issues that require tact and diplomacy, I do not know who is a loose cannon as we speak. But Metuh and his ilk must impress their paymasters to justify why in the first place he was selected in an undemocratic manner to become the party’s megaphone. While reacting to the allegations of complicity in the assassination of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the PDP publicist absolved the party of any knowledge or complicity, saying the PDP was known for good governance and the entire bramble. That was a statement that smacks of crass irresponsibility and escapist attempt to give judgment before examining the facts of a case. It is still part of the conspiracy theory of the PDP trying to create an artificial situation of insecurity and intimidation in order for them to unleash its rigging machinery on the state. But as good riddance to bad rubbish, Edo State is a peculiar state. It will flame up if the PDP tries to do anything funny. The votes MUST count in Edo State.
Lastly for this long essay, let me remind the PDP and its media handlers that I have no regret over my actions, particularly coming back home to work for the re-election of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State. I am proud to state that the Governor has impressed me and majority of stakeholders in Edo political industry. His achievements are treasures to all those who understand the nexus between promise and performance. The fact that the Governor tolerates my person and temperament despite my criticism of his position on the subsidy debate makes him a very courageous leader. It is the reason why I admire him as a distinctive leader with heart for everyone’s idiosyncrasies. Leaders who allow for internal constructive criticisms are very short in supply in this clime, especially in the PDP, where praise-singing and blinded endorsements of the leader’s position has been the norm. How many people in the PDP can look into Chief Tony Anenih’s face and dare criticise him for whatever it is worth? Such persons will be shown the exit door out of the party. I will come this way again in the course of duty but I wish to state that it will offer much more plausible sense, if the PDP can spend its money on propagating its blueprints, if it has any at all, than devote so much valve and time on Kassim Afegbua as a campaign issue.
Afegbua
, the Director, Media Publicity, Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation, wrote from princeafegbua@yahoo.co.uk.