Airhiavbere's Politics of Desperation

It is now very clear that the former gubernatorial candidate of the

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State in the 2012 election, Major

General Charles Airhiavbere (retd.), is desperate to ingratiate himself,

at all cost, with the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress

(APC).  And, the reason for this ridiculous political gambit has to do

with his need to evade the current selective probe, by the powers-that-be

in Abuja, into shady deals of former and current public officials together

with their political collaborators. Airhiavbere is, obviously, afraid of his unsavoury record in the various

strategic posts he held in the Nigeria Army, particularly, as Director of

Finance of the Nigeria Army. This was evident in the war-chest he deployed

into securing the gubernatorial ticket of the PDP at the party's primary

in 2012.  For a man, whose only known and legitimate source of income was

his salary and allowances as a military man, it was a big puzzle to all

that, without any known business success and substantial family

inheritance, he was able to outspend all his rivals for the PDP’s

gubernatorial candidacy. Airhiavbere's financial power, combined with the cloud under which he

retired from the military, made him an object of scathing interrogation

and ridicule for the opposition. He was never able to respond credibly to

questions  about his history, wealth and integrity during the

gubernatorial campaign. After he lost the election, Airhiavbere failed a critical test in party

discipline and loyalty when he challenged the victory of Governor Adams

Oshiomhole at the Tribunal in spite of the decision of the PDP not to do

so.  Having turned himself into a political orphan by that singular act of

disobeying the party directive, Airhiavbere, in a desperate move to

reinvent himself and catch the attention of then President Goodluck

Jonathan, set up and led a support group for the President's re-election

bid, in the calculation that he would be protected and compensated at the

centre. But as soon as soon as Muhammadu Buhari emerged as President, he

jumped ship and transferred his loyalty to APC, thus openly demonstrating

his desperation for political cover and relevance. It is not surprising that Airhiavbere has chosen the path of publicly

attacking PDP leaders in Edo State.  In apparent reaction to what was said

at the recent flag-off ceremony of the PDP gubernatorial campaign in

Benin, he specifically derided the trio of Chiefs Tony Anenih, Gabriel

Igbinedion and Tom Ikimi for allegedly toying with the emotions of Edo

people, declaring that they could not influence victory, in  the September

10, 2016 gubernatorial  election, for the PDP candidate, Pastor Osagie

Ize-Iyamu. This outburst was, of course, an attempt to find his footing

after his disastrous outing in the controversial gubernatorial primary of

the APC, in which, by scoring less than 10 votes, he was shown to be a

political lightweight and an unwanted opportunist. Everywhere, whether in developed or developing countries, political

success is largely a product of trust and integrity. In the political

history of Nigeria, the critical roles of these two human virtues have

been amply demonstrated beyond doubt. Their absence was evident in what is

now referred to as “the Airhiavbere fiasco of 2012” as well as his total

rejection at the recent APC gubernatorial primary.  Since the General's

venture into politics, he has not been able to establish himself as a

trustworthy man; nor has he been able to lay any great stock on integrity.

Rather, he has helped to swell the ranks of those who believe  that there

is no honour in politics or that politics is a game of anything goes.

What makes Airhiavbere's political desperation even more regrettable is

the tendency to bite the fingers that fed him.  Sadly, the General is

learning all this the hard way. He ought to have known that his betrayal

of those who brought him into political limelight and on whose shoulders

he rode to become the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in 2012, would

come to hunt him as, indeed, it is now doing! But, my worst fear for General Airhiavbere is that the shady past he

thought he could hide through a Machiavellian brand of politics is now

becoming an open secret to many Nigerians, especially Edo people.  When he

had to retire from the military under questionable circumstances, he

should have taken the option of either living a quiet life in full

retirement or simply transforming into a farmer, as many of his colleagues

have done. Today, those options no longer exist as the General has, on his

own, openly and consistently called the attention of President Buhari's

anti-graft agencies to what they, perhaps, would not have bothered about.

It is all in our national interest. Indeed, the full credit should go to

the people of Edo State who have been able to see through the General's

gambit and ignoble political maneuvers. That General Airhiavbere has appointed himself the mouthpiece of the APC

and Oshiomhole's praise singer is consistent with the image of a man who

has lost self-confidence. His situation is as pitiable as it is

understandable. Not only was Airhiavbere thoroughly defeated at the polls

in 2012, he was, again, humiliated by the comrade Governor at the Election

Petitions Tribunal where he had gone in search of the people's mandate in

disobedience to PDP's orders. So, Airhiavbere has always been a desperate

politician, too desperate for his own interest. Specifically, it is worth stressing that in 2012, Airhiavbere rode, fully

and shamelessly, on the back of some of the leaders he now has the

temerity to publicly deride. Despite being the leading Benin son in that

election, he could not even get the kind of groundswell of support that

Ize-Iyamu is now getting. He simply did not have the gravitas and still

does not have the charisma, organisational ability, grassroots

mobilisation capacity and  the intellect for political inclusion to run a

successful political campaign. Compared to even Godwin Obaseki, the APC

standard bearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Ize-Iyamu is a

far better candidate who is mightily imbued with the required qualities.

With God oh his side (after all, he is a pastor and servant of God)

coupled with the support of all  PDP leaders in the state, especially

Chief Tony Anenih, he is sure to emerge as the custodian of the sacred

mandate of Edo people which is to be given on September 10 , this year.

• Ojeifo, Editor-in-Chief of The Congresswatch magazine, sent this piece

from Abuja The post Airhiavbere's Politics of Desperation appeared first on Pointblank News .