By GEORGE ETAKIBUEBU

In Edo State, former governor and current sitting Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, is easily the master of the politics of character assassination. He does it with a closed, dead mind, damning whatever the consequences could be, both for him and whoever he chooses to attack.

Janus faced, forked tongued, smooth talker and highly unpredictable, Oshiomhole displays an uncommon negative energy, inherent vindictiveness with uncanny petty jealousies whenever he is possessed by the evil demon of running others down.

When it comes to politics, Oshiomhole is as slippery as an eel and as dangerous as a serpent. No lie is too big for his twisted tongue and no propaganda is too bizarre for his warped imagination.

Endowed with the gift of the garb, the pint sized former unionist, talked his way into Osadebey Avenue, seat of the government of Edo State in 2008. He rode on the waves of discrediting party elders and leaders with his tongue, labelling them “godfathers” and insisting that but for them, the state could have long been a paradise. In his usual deceptive manner, presented himself as Joshua sent to lead the people of Edo into the Promised Land. But while in Osadebey Avenue, he systematically and cunningly discarded his trademark Khaki which he had adorned all years as a symbol of a pseudo revolutionary.

On a particular occasion, he manifested his true double self when he infamously told a poor, struggling widow to go to hell openly in front of cameras. Confiscated her meagre wares and bundled her into a taskforce truck, making a public show of her in a terribly disgraceful manner. He was happy to mock her disadvantageous condition. Satisfied that he had placated his uncontrollable rage and tongue, and following a public outcry and strong condemnation, the hypocrisy in Oshiomhole showed up. He apologized. Invited the woman, got her before cameras to plead for forgiveness. That was after he had openly disrobed her in public, shamelessly prancing up and down to show that he is a “man of action”.

Soon, eight years were done and a successor was now needed. He discarded his deputy, Chief Pius Odubu like an unwanted tissue paper. He found Godwin Obaseki worthy of being the chosen one. He immediately started playing the "godfather" which he had bad-mouthed like there was no tomorrow. Having kicked Odubu out of the way, he characteristically, sang the praises of Obaseki to high heavens. But in doing that, moved against another in the meanest way imaginable. He literally destroyed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu with his forked tongue. He said a lot about the 'Man of God', the majority of which are simply unprintable, including how he held The Bible during the day and carried an AK 47 at night. In fact, he so badly damaged Ize-Iyamu with his mouth that it took only the grace of God to keep him still standing on his feet today. Ize-Iyamu lost the election. Obaseki won.

Oshiomhole was happy. He went about with the air of an uncommon godfather. But his bid to play the godfather backfired spectacularly as Obaseki refused to be dictated to. He asserted that he was his own man.

And that was the 'mortal sin' Obaseki committed. As a sitting governor he was pronounced unqualified by a diminutive and pint size party chairman with a megalomaniac sense of self importance.

A man who doesn't care to yank off his nose just to spite his own face, Oshiomhole shamelessly became the campaigner-in-chief and literally the spokesman of Ize-Iyamu in 2020 when he dumped his former party, the PDP and crossed to the APC.

In a rare case of coincidence in politics, Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu had to face each other for the second time for the same office from opposite parties this time. It was the direct result of the manipulation of the process by Oshiomhole.

As a master of character assassination, Oshiomhole went to work, digging up all sorts of dirty allegations against Obaseki and at the same time shamelessly dry-cleaning Ize-Iyamu whom he had literally assassinated four years earlier as a guber candidate. Obaseki, nonetheless, triumphed over Oshiomhole’s diabolical shenanigans.

Another four years is here and Oshiomhole is at it again. In his avowed quest to foist mediocrity on Edo State while playing godfather, has simply thrown caution to the wind, dancing naked, as it were, in the market square. Just now, he is spewing all sorts of godforsaken lies and propaganda from his dirty, twisted mouth.

Oshiomhole, sore afraid of Dr Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in the state and knowing for sure that he remains the biggest nemesis to his party the APC and candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has resorted to his well known trade mark of character assassination. He now uses every opportunity to make direct attacks of wild and unsubstantiated claims, shamelessly lying and peddling unfounded allegations against Ighodalo.

Oshiomhole is advised to market his unsellable and uninspiring candidate and stop his character assassination against Ighodalo, who is generally loved and has been accepted by the people of the state. Edo people have made up their minds to support and vote for him. No amount of lies told by Oshiomhole will change that. Ighodalo is God's project for Edo State. It's for this reason that he remains fully focused on his "Pathway to Prosperity for All" manifesto which he has since unveiled. His victory over all evil machinations spearheaded by Oshiomhole is as sure as daybreak.

•Etakibuebu, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Benin City.

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