Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has found itself in a huge dilemma, and they know it. Either by design or happenstance or coincidence, after a controversial primary election that was held twice in February, the party produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as its candidate.

The party has, however, discovered to its shame and chagrin that their candidate may not have been the best of choices a party should make in a crucial election such as this to fly its flag.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole aptly described him not too long ago as a “slowed engine”. Writers have variously referred to him as the “Muted Candidate”, “Motor Boy Candidate” and even the “Absconditus Candidate”.

To save the day and their ‘investment’ in a candidate that is now known to avoid public engagement like a plague, party leaders have resorted to packaging and presenting him as the best thing after jollof rice to the good people of Edo State.

While they turned him into a mere puppet, they have assumed, naturally, the role of the puppeteer. The APC leadership in Edo State must have come to terms with their irreversible hard luck and come up with an elaborate structure of smooth-talking party chieftains to engage Edo people in the absence of Okpebholo. Interestingly, Edo people are watching them with a profound, amused and all-knowing smile. Smiling at their folly. September 21 will tell.

It's a huge tragedy for a man who is the candidate of a party to be shielded away from talking to the people on account of lack of competence and capacity. The question is what exactly could he be looking for running for the office he’s not competent to handle and why was he propped up by the party.

People are naturally measured, among other things, by their vocal abilities. Are they coherent, straight, smooth, systematic, orderly, relatable, communicative and convincing. Or are they just plain, bland, dour, ambiguous, unconvincing uninteresting and boring.

The result is that the APC has now developed a protocol and regime of puppeteering in the ongoing campaign in Edo State. Candidate Okpebholo is made to take the back seat and nowhere to be found and heard by the people.

Instead, Oshiomhole has emerged as the frontrunner among the array of smooth-talking party chieftains pulling the strings. Over the weekend, Geoffrey Uzono, an anchor of a popular television programme, Sunday Politics of Channels TV, had to literally beg Oshiomhole to tell Okpebholo to make himself available for interviews. That was after reminding Oshiomhole that he’s not on the ballot and so should not present himself as if he is the candidate.

Well, the truth as it stands today is that both the party, the puppet and the puppeteers have succeeded in announcing themselves to the good people of Edo State and the whole world who they are. The APC knows that Edo people have since rejected their game plan. Puppets all over the world are only mere objects of play designed to make people laugh. They have no say in what goes on around them. On the other hand, the puppeteers control, manipulate and then reap the praises and ‘economic benefits’ of the game. It’s a pity, Edo people can’t help APC, the puppet and the puppeteers. For the good people of Edo State, “the game is up”, an idiomatic expression used to say that a dishonest plan or activity has been discovered and will no longer be allowed to continue.

•Etakibuebu writes from Benin City.

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