By Elempe Dele.
“The schizophrenic is drowning in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight.” ~ Joseph Campbell
In May 2022, Senator Alemikhena left the APC to join PDP he left in 2014. His grouse this time, according to his few supporters, was that Comrade Oshiomhole was favoured to win the senatorial ticket during the primary.
A sham PDP primary was arranged for him which was not monitored by INEC. He became the PDP ticket flagbearer in the governor’s camp. A handful of supporters and sympathizers rallied round him in a laughable gimmick called defection where the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu was present. In his statement during the ceremony, the Deputy Governor said, “you are welcome to PDP, together we will change the face of Edo North and the state in general. The aspect that gladdens my heart most is the invitation to Edo North to witness a tsunami of defection that will coast PDP to victory at all levels in 2023.”
The ticket offered Senator Alimikhena may be a bit less of any worth compared to the now valueless Zimbabwean dollar, however, what is more worrisome is his inability to know it is a poisoned chalice.
Even if Comrade Oshiomhole’s hands are basically tied backwards during the election day and made to sit at home, Senator Alimikhena cannot beat him in any ward in Edo North Senatorial District. This fact is not in doubt.
It is laughable that Senator Alimikhena forgot that even if he had won the PDP ticket in a free and fair election, not this sham, he would still have squared up against Comrade Oshiomhole in the general election. Is he expecting some magic or talisman to win him under PDP that he could not do under APC? Is he expecting the might of the state government to help him win? What exactly is his hope resting on?
Let’s again look at the irony in his defection: his supporters said he left APC to protest injustice, that Comrade Oshiomhole was favoured to win the primaries where he got 309 votes while Alimikhena was able to get just 5 votes. Is it not ironical and hypocritical for Senator Alimikhena to be shouting ‘injustice’ in APC and then go to PDP to try to wrestle ticket from Hon. Paschal Ugbome who had already won the ticket there, which was monitored by INEC?
He who goes to justice must come with clean hands. Senator Alimikhena cannot leave APC where he said he was won based on injustice and go to PDP to perpetuate injustice. The PDP senatorial primary had been conducted under the supervision of INEC. His afterthought primary was a waste of time and funds. Without being glib about it, we knew how he secured the worthless ticket through unpopular means.
As of today, INEC has refused to acknowledge the primary as it has said to courts of competent jurisdiction that it did not monitor the election as required by law for it to be valid.
What Senator Alimikhena holds as a PDP ticket is a poisoned chalice – worthless.
