First ladyship, Oshiomhole and garruluos sacrilege

THERE is a role, formal or informal, for the spouse of a Governor or President. It is called First Lady. Nigeria learnt that from the United States of America. Even those who have pretended here that they do not want a first lady eventually end up with one. Ask former President Buhari. Courageous and beautiful Hajia Aisha must have told him to be of good behavior in the other room. The office of first lady was restored and even became extremely powerful. At some times she was even the one who could voice what we all lacked the courage to say.

Victoria Gowon was visible, though not given that title at the time. It was Mrs Maryam Babangida that really gave the office an in-your-face presence and influence with her Better Life For Rural Women empowerment programme. People say she was even more powerful than the spouse who changed his title from Head of State to President. Read Major Debo Bashorun’s book Honour For Sale, with a foreword by Wole Soyinka, to get a glimpse of this in practice by a ringside player in Babangida’s military regime.

The States in Nigeria have copied this, and there is none without an official First Lady today. Some have even had two wives contending for or occupying the office in turn. In Edo, we had Mrs Oyegun, Mrs Eki Igbinedion, Mrs – Oshiomhole after losing his first wife and mother of his children and Betsy Obaseki. Eki successfully fought hard to eradicate trafficking in Edo girls and rehabilitating those repatriated, especially from Italy. I am not too sure what the oyinbo wife focused on.
Lady Betsy Obaseki has focused on the eradication of domestic violence and rendering support to its victims while ensuring that justice is speedily dispensed to their abusers. Her interest in, and adoption of, Benin Queens female football club has been exemplary. Today, that club is first in West Africa, having won the WAFU cup. The immense support of the governor for that team may well have been facilitated by our sports-loving First Lady!

It is clear from the foregoing that first ladies have a role in the good governance of a state. Consequently, the people have a right to know who their First Lady is going to be. A potential first Lady who is a known kleptomaniac can indicate a pending lootocracy should the husband be elected into the high office of a governor. It is for this reason we, the voters, must know or have a view of who are the candidates’ spouses while campaigning for an election. Jill Biden was thoroughly discussed and scrutinised by American press and voters. So was Trump’s spouse.

From the foregoing, it is appropriate that voters get to see, know, and even hear their potential First Ladies as campaign revs up. Indeed, we want to see and have been seeing Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, the first class graduate from UNN and a renowned entrepreneur in her own right. Surely, she can add value when the husband gets elected. Similarly, the electorate deserves to see, know, and scrutinize the spouses, and yes, potential first ladies too, to enable us make value judgement on their suitability. That was what Lady Betsy referred to at the Ubiaja campaign flag-off. She has every right to say what she said, if true.

She said that the candidates of LP and APC have no wives. Do they? I would simply have expected them to debunk her assertion if they had wives. They simply should tell the wives to address a press conference and announce their presence and readiness. Alternatively, they can take do an emergency marriage at Oredo and Irrua Marriage registry and tender the marriage certificates as evidence. It is that simple. Or so I thought.

It is therefore surprising, nauseating, and mind-boggling that it is not the candidates alleged to be bachelors that have risen to defend themselves and said something sacrilegious to boot. Indeed, no defence was offered. Edo people were instead treated to the theatre of the absurd by a former governor, no less, hitting below the belt by talking garrulously and shamelessly about alleged Betsy and Governor Obaseki’s childlessness.

Oshiomhole has lied to make the way impossible for my university contemporary Pastor Osaze Ize-Iyamu, lied to derail his former Deputy Dr. Odubu’s ambition. He also lied about Dr. (Barr.) Asue Ighodalo having house in Ewohimi even though he has been to that house at least twice. Calling people names has been his calling. Chief Anenih, the late Iyasele of Esanland who was respected nationwide and beyond, was not beyond his verbal abuses and public taunts. That the same Chief was said to be responsible in large measure to the reclaim of his mandate neither mattered nor prick his conscience.

Only a man who mistakes himself for God can do what Oshiomhole has done. It is sacrilegious. There is no part of Edo whose culture permits mocking of someone for childlessness! Not Edo, not Esa, and certainly not in Afenmai that we all know. If it was in Oshiomhole’s power to dispense children, he would never have given Obaseki, Asue, Ogie, Ize-Iyam, or the rest of us. It would not have mattered if you were even in APC with him.

But does it not shock you that neither the candidate of LP nor APC has taken this truculent, uncouth, and uneducated route in response? Does Oshiomhole’s candidate not have his own mouth to defend himself if indeed a defence was necessary or available? I hope one da, Oshiomhole will not ask his candidate to remove his trousers and underpants to show voters that he has a phallus. It is that bad! I hope he will have the foolhardiness and effrontery to go and defend this with those brilliant AriseTV lie demolition squad!

That this is being done to Governor Obaseki and an Asue that helped raise people and money for Oshiomhole to become Governor, as the former governor said himself at several fora, is baffling. Also bewildering is that a former governor could call reporters of many TV stations to cover this utterly sacrilegious submission. Obviously, the free advice astute Asue Ighodalo gave him at that Lagos Town Hall event went unnoticed and discountenanced! Did the sage not say that those the gods want to destroy they first make mad?

Obaseki’s children showed up in their thousands at Ogbemudia Stadium to watch one of them, called Rema, ignite their inspiration and creativity. They were in the stadium from 6 pm till 3 am. I was there with them. So were Governor Godwin Obaseki and Lady Betsy. Asue was there with his delectable obioha, Ifeyinwa. Oshiomhole, who loves affected gorilla dancing while on campaign platforms, was missing in action. Those youth heard what he said. And they have their PVCs.

Such a hitting below the belt, such attempt at playing God, such a disgraceful conduct, display of character and integrity deficit has a payment Oshiomhole will collect for a long time.

Benin people will not take this lying low having you do this to their illustrious son and a scion of the respected Obaseki dynasty. Afterall, they know that someone’s alleged trophy wife has been missing for more than four years, but they have promised not to make it an election issue.

I was there at a campaign rally in 2020 when Dan Orbi, now hobnobbing with the same Oshio, probably goaded by a minister from the South-South, raised a song with the following lyrics:

Oshio, Oshio Baba, Oshio carry our money marry Oyinbo,
Oyinbo run away Oshio dey cry!

He never sang it again at other campaign stops. It must have been Governor Obaseki that stopped that song because he considered it offensive. I also call on readers not to adopt the song because, though we do not see the second wife anymore, I consider the song not to be in good taste, politics or not. It is purely a private issue and his cross to carry alone.

Not even if Oshiomhole was the contestant. Now he has again ruined another man’s political present and future, as he is wont to do. Saying “his engine is slowed (sic) but he has a good heart” is not praise but demarketing at its best.