By Osagie Imasogie
There is an embargo on Senator Monday Okpebholo, the tepid candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the upcoming Edo State gubernatorial election, not to talk in public. As a matter of fact, there is a duct tape used by the party to permanently seal his mouth from end to end so that nothing from him is heard – he is only seen, but mute.
The reason for this denial is not far-fetched: whenever the child of opportunity speaks in public, whatever he says is usually a misfortune to the body of politics, reason and common sense. This is not only the problem though. His expressions in the English language is the major issue. His too many gaffes have become legendary and have attained comic diamension to the extent no right thinking voter will consider voting for such a political misfit and comedian when a very competent and lively and capable Dr Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is there for anyone to easily cast his vote for and be thoroughly satisfied.
The conscience is similar to an open wound, it is only when you deal with it satisfactorily that you find peace. No one single individual or group selling Okpebholo to the good and enlightened people of Edo State is not having political nightmare. They are always having troubling dreams. “How can I be doing this that is against my conscience and against all good conscience?” This and other questions are what they face daily in trying to sell an unsellable product to the voters who I know cannot be swayed by rhetorics of members of the APC no matter how many of them appear on national television, including Senator Oshiomole, peddling a very bad product.
Tell Oshiomole, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Engr. Momoh, Charles Idahosa…and others of APC’s stakeholders to please allow Okpebholo to appear on any national television. You will be met with stiff opposition for suggesting this because weeks to the election, they cannot afford to expose their hiding disaster. It will be akin to opening the Chenobyl Disaster of 1986. The APC cannot afford to allow the sleeping senator to speak.
To unmute Okpebholo is to court disaster fully. We have seen Ighodalo on national television talking from his mind, expressing his vision and mission for Edo State. We see in him a serious humanity, a competent man who is capable of transforming Edo State which he has expressed in his much talked about manifesto. We cannot say the same about Okpebholo who is banking on nothing other than nothing.
Until the election, Okpebholo will be sealed up with the duct tape because he is a disaster and an opportunist. His own party member cannot trust him with words in public – they cannot trust that if he speaks to the public, the party will not further loose thousands of their supporters.
Osigie Imasogie is a politician and public commentator, he writes from Benin City, Edo State.
