Coming To Grips With What Keeps Oshiomhole Going!

If there is any politician in Nigeria at the moment that can proverbially be described to be a cat with nine lives, he is unarguably Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is a reputed politician and an elder statesman. He served two terms as the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) from 1999 – 2007 during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and thereafter served as the Governor of Edo State from 2008 to 2016, and progressed to become the National Chairman of the ruling political party, All Progressive Congress (APC); a position he assumed on June 6, 2018, but was politically schemed out by political jackals in the party.

Without being paranoid, not few of his traducers expect him to become a political dinosaur, but unfortunately he will never be one as he has shown grit in all the leadership positions he served in. Against the foregoing backdrop it is little wonder that he has survived series of opposition he was at different times faced with, and which would surely have ended anyone else's political career. Fortunately enough for him, and considering his resilient disposition, not few of his admirers and traducers have been left wondering, each time they see him at public events, or read about him in the media, about what qualities have kept him going.

Dispassionately put, it is not an exaggeration to say that the enduring and strategic infrastructural legacies his stewardship bequeathed Edolites, during his time as a two-term governor have been speaking for him. With the way he swaggers from one public event to another in the recent time, it is not an exaggeration to say that his traducers might have been wondering about where he draws his confidence from. To my view, they do not needto be wondering about the things that keep “Oshio Baba” going or where he is drawing his confidence from as an African proverb has it that “When deeds speak, words of the enemies are nothing”.

Without being panegyric, his deeds as a two-term governor in Edo State have continued to speak for him so much that his traducers can in no way be able to pull him down or smear his image. Without any scintilla of hyperbole, his eight years tenure as governor in the State was a huge success and eventful one. He was unarguably a patron saint who came to salvage the state from virtual collapse visited on it by the past People Democratic Party (PDP) governments, even if his traducers mischievously think otherwise.

Indubitably put, he remained the best governor that ever governed the state in terms of infrastructural development as he rejuvenated Benin City to the admiration of many. It would be recalled in this context that the city before he became governor on November 12th, 2008 was somehow difficult to navigate freely within and outside the state capital without wasting useful man hours on a daily basis.He no doubt made pragmatic efforts to fix a number of roads in the first four years of his administration. There is no denying the fact that under his first four years in office that the State witnessed upsurge of revolution-like renovations of hundreds of public schools across the State. His achievements were made possible by virtue of not being in conflict with the federal government which collaborated with him through the instrumentalities of Universe Basic Education (UBE).

Besides his achievements as a governor, other qualities that have kept him going that he could not be pulled down as mischievously planned by his traducers are his disposition that is dually dominated by self-confidence and a sense of direction.

For instance, while parleying with Journalists few weeks ago on his ouster as national chairman of the APC, he confidently says he does not need to be the national chairman to remain relevant and serve the party.

Hear him: “I’m still active in all APC activities and I don’t think that I need to be a chairman to be relevant.”

Oshiomhole who made the foregoing disclosure during the fundraising and investiture for Victoria Unuoarumi as the 10th President of the Rotary Club of Maitama, Abuja, added that “I joined in order to form an alternative platform capable of kicking PDP out of power and that objective was achieved.

“It doesn’t matter the way things have gone. The primary purpose was not for me to be APC chairman,” he buttressed, and explained that he has no regrets that he was removed as APC chairman and that he has accepted all that happened in good faith.

Speaking about the 2023 presidential election, Oshiomhole said he is optimistic that “God will not forsake a nation of 200million people”.

While agreeing that Nigeria’s democracy is not perfect, the former Labour leader said he is certain that the nation will press on.

“I believe that God in his infinite mercy will help Nigeria to sustain its democracy and guide us, as we move towards 2023 and the country will go forward.

“I want all of you to realize that I always make this point because Nigeria is much bigger than the total sum of the problems bedeviling it. So I am an optimist,” the APC stalwart said.

Like him or hate him, Oshiomhole as an ebullient personality is readily disposed to hold both his admirers and traducers spellbound each time he mounts the soap box to speak. Not only does he speak, he speaks extemporaneously as he is wont to reel out figures and facts without stammering. In a manner that is reminiscent of Demosthenes, the Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens, Oshiomhole’s orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary political and intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of contemporary democracy. Beyond his oratorical prowess, have you seen him dance? If you’ve not seen him dance, then you need to as he would invariably through his dance style fascinate you.

Does he know God? Yes he does! Unfortunately, an average Nigerian does not see a politician as a godly person. He sees him as an unrepentant liar and schemer. You may say these are not kind superlatives to use in qualifying a politician, but they are the actual words which the masses often use to qualify a politician. The politician may not know this as most of them hardly interact with those they snobbishly refer to as common men. If millions of Nigerians were asked to define a politician in their own words, they may variously come up with a plethora of definitions that may be considered befitting enough to be entered in any world-circulating dictionary. To unbiasedly characterize him in this context, he knows God, and he hardly concludes delivering a speech at any forum without mentioning God. Besides, the number of people that have benefited from his generosity can testify to his godly disposition. Little wonder it has remained impossible for his traducers to successfully smear his character or rather pull him down. Each time they make attempt, he always wax stronger like the proverbial cat with nine lives. After all the bible in Number 23:19-20 says “Whom God has blessed, no one can curse.” To my view, all the foregoing qualities which Oshiomhole possesses have kept him going.