By John Mayaki
Penultimate week, one of our leaders and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, tactically escaped being embarrassed by a daring but frustrated journalist on Channels TV who anchored a flagship program, Politics Today. The journalist told the former governor, “You’re not the one on the ballot”, simply asking him to bring the candidate of our party to speak for himself and that our own very Comrade should stop speaking for him – but again, truth be told, when will our party unmute our candidate to talk to us?
As I watched this program shaming for my party, I sincerely felt embarrassed too by the entire absurdity of the hide-and-seek game. This again is completely avoidable—being metaphorically stripped naked in the market square after rejecting the same advice internally. When people lie to themselves, this is what you find.
Making a decision on who to elect in an election can be tricky, considering the numerous complex factors involved, especially in a democracy. However, in some cases, the choice is obvious and straightforward, as the candidates presented by the contending parties offer a stark contrast.
The sharp differences—in achievements, character, temperament, and presentation—enable the voters to easily determine who is fit and unfit. Such is the situation in Edo State today, as illustrated by recent events.
While Asuen Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) engaged with voters in Oredo LGA during a town hall meeting and several other events to discuss his manifesto, which promises prosperity for all, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, remained in his timid seclusion. Even when he met clergymen today, not a word was heard from him before he was ferried away.
And so, avoiding scrutiny, Okpebholo tossed one of his masters in front of the camera, leaving him to grapple with the question of why my party’s candidate is unable to engage. Today, it’s our leader, the one and only Comrade, but it may be you tomorrow—those of you packaging the mute candidate—and the consequences could be dire for society.
The journalist, who apparently shares the dismay of ordinary Edo voters, delivered a scathing remark that reflected the media’s growing impatience and loss of respect for the mute candidate.
He said, “We have not seen him say anything that we can hold on to as to how he is going to be able to turn around the fortunes of Edo State, if he is fortunate to take over from Godwin Obaseki.”
When the master attempted to defend his boy’s absurd hide-and-seek game with the voters and the press, the journalist offered a reminder that Okpebholo’s media surrogates seem to have forgotten: “You are not the one on the ballot.”
The rebuttal illuminates an important point. Okpebholo may have managed to secure the support of a recycled political class who only come alive during election time. He may have made certain promises to them about restoring their lost access and reflating their depleted fortunes. He may have chosen to keep the details of the transaction private. However, if he is going to get the votes of the electorate, they must hear from him about what he has in store for them.
Beyond that, he must demonstrate the feasibility of his plans and answer important questions about his suitability for the high office. If his poor grasp of the English language is the problem, he is permitted to converse in the local pidgin. After all, his opponent has since translated and continues to deliver his documented manifesto in the local language including Yoruba, to connect with different categories of voters and ensure complete understanding of his policy proposals.
Okpebholo needs to come out of hiding and sit before a camera and independent journalists, instead of embarrassing our party leaders. I will appeal for a special waiver for him to speak in broken English, except, of course, if the real problem runs deeper than a speech impediment; he may also be suffering from a mind impairment. He is mute because he cannot think. His mind is too narrow and limited to absorb, process, and posit on the complex matters of governance. If this is the case, he has no business running for governor. He should focus on excelling in the adult class he recently enrolled in, if the rumors are true. This is simply an avoidable embarrassment as we inch closer to the elections.
