By John Legbedion
The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has recently been making headlines for the wrong reasons, in the build-up of electioneering campaigns for the September 21 gubernatorial elections in Edo State.
The senator in recent weeks has continued to make a series of incoherent, inconsistent, contradictory, and at times inflammatory remarks that raises questions about the current state of his mental health.
One minute, he is seen making fiery and confrontational threats, seeking the destruction of public infrastructure. The next minute, he crosses the line of civil discourse, hurling invectives at supposed political opponents, and at another moment of outburst, he is reeling inconsistent and derogatory statements disparaging the people of the State. He flip-flops on every subject matter with a regularity that defies logic, contradicting his own statements and changing his stance with each passing second.
This erratic behaviour in the run-up to the election has left many wondering if the former governor has gone bipolar.
Bipolar disorder, characterized by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression), could theoretically explain his kind of erratic behaviour. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, mental health issues are often not given the attention and seriousness they deserve, making it difficult to assess and address such conditions accurately.
Could Comrade Adams Oshiomhole be suffering from some sort of psychological condition?
Just a few weeks ago, during an interview on national television, Oshiomhole labelled the Esan people of Edo Central Senatorial District, where his late wife came from witches and wizards.
As if that was not enough to convey his deep hatred for the people, the senator at his party’s campaign rally in Edo South Central District, which was broadcast live on national television stations, spurned vile comments to denigrate the son of Edo late legend, Chief Tony Anenih, after rubbishing his father’s legacy.
In a recent rally, Oshiomhole vowed to destroy the Benin City Mall, which he referred to as ShopRite if his party, the APC wins the forthcoming governorship election. His angst is that Governor Godwin Obaseki saw to the construction of the mall ‘Shoprite’ which he (Oshiomhole) tried so hard to bring about but could not during his tenure. Is that not ordinarily what government should be about? Continuity?
Rather than celebrating the success of a project that benefits Edo State – regardless of who completed it – Oshiomhole threatens to destroy it out of what appears to be pure spite and hatred for the people of the State. The mall, which hosts four cinemas, a library, entertainment centers, and various other businesses, has boosted the state’s fast-expanding retail sector and contributed to the growth of the local economy. But Oshiomhole chooses to be blinded by his own political interests, willing to sabotage his state’s progress for personal selfish gain.
Just yesterday, during APC’s campaign in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Oshiomhole made all kinds of outlandish claims and inciting comments, threatening to disband the State’s vigilante network which has proven to be an effective community security model, supporting the already strained federal government-owned security agencies in ensuring peace, safety and security across communities in the State.
In another breath, Oshiomhole said one of the challenges facing the federal government security agencies was information and intelligence gathering from local communities; a job the State’s vigilante network has been effectively and efficiently performed since they were established, working with the police, military and other security agencies to rid of communities of crime. One wonders what Oshiomhole’s real problems are.
Oshiomhole also fruitlessly attempted to drag the revered Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin into his dirty and retrogressive politics. This is most reprehensible and condemnable and Oshiomhole must be called to order. He must be warned to desist from such ignoble and irresponsible acts as our monarch, Oba Ewuare II, and the Kingdom are not to be used for petty politics.
These raise the question: are these erratic actions a result of what Oshiomhole might be going through internally or has he gone haywire and totally delusional in his quest to enthrone himself as Edo’s godfather?
The fact remains that Oshiomhole and his party have lost favour with the people, largely as a result of the failure of their government at the centre that has inflicted untold hardship on the people in the last nine years of their gross mismanagement of the nation’s economy and have now resorted to lies, propaganda and campaigns of calumny in a futile attempt to repair their non-existent relationship with the people of Edo State. They are also suffering from the baggage of having a bad and unmarketable candidate in their failed quest to market a bad product.
But Edo people already know their divisive antics and will not be perturbed by their wailings. They know who their friends are and who their oppressors are and will not allow lies and propaganda by their oppressors to cloud their judgment and stop them from making informed decisions at the forthcoming guber elections.
Come September 21, it is PDP or nothing and there is no lie or alternative fact Oshiomhole or the APC can spin to get into Dennis Osadebe Avenue.
_Legbedion, a public affairs analyst, writes from Benin City_
