Obaseki Called a Loose Cannon Spreading Global Hate – Fred Itua

The most recent outburst from Godwin Obaseki is hardly shocking. It’s just a continuation of a trend that the Edo people discovered too late. Intolerance, retaliation, and a violent streak that was always simmering beneath the surface characterized his years in power. The effects of his temperament are still felt by those who worked closely with him. Philip Shaibu, his former deputy, is the most obvious example.

No reasonable leader would plot the humiliation and dismissal of a deputy he once referred to as a brother, regardless of the nature of their disagreement. However, Obaseki used every institutional tool at his disposal to satisfy a personal grudge, crushing a man whose only transgression was losing favor with the Osadebe Avenue master by using the House of Assembly as a pawn.

Obaseki’s hostile impulses spread to people he had vowed to help in October 2022. He oversaw the demolition of about a hundred houses in the communities of Ogheghe, Irhirhi-Obazagbon, and Oke-Oroma. Despite the residents’ insistence that they had legitimate paperwork, such as Certificates of Occupancy, he proceeded in spite of a court order that had prohibited any action until their lawsuit was resolved. The outcome was catastrophic. Property valued at billions of naira was turned to ruins, and thousands were displaced. What a resentful man!

When Obaseki appeared in front of cameras before the 2024 governorship race and threatened to burn Edo if his favorite candidate lost, the Edo people witnessed the full scope of this violence. They weren’t the meaningless tirade of a disgruntled politician. They came from a guy whose government had a history of using state authority as a weapon, armed loyalists, and established networks of political enforcers who readily mixed in with the criminal elements before turning their weapons on defenseless civilians.

The fact that kidnapping and armed robberies spiked during the early days of the current administration is not a coincidence. These were not sporadic offenses. They were the frantic upheavals of an ecology that Obaseki had created, financed, and given authority.

A state that was purposefully left unstable has to be stabilized by Governor Monday Okpebholo. He has been able to control the tumult and rebuild public trust by using quiet power and steady leadership. However, rather than withdrawing into introspection, Obaseki has intensified.

His latest film from Birmingham shows a man who finds it difficult to accept that Edo people have moved on. He claimed that he is organizing the world community against Okpebholo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, called Okpebholo “stupid,” and promised that the governor “will see.”

These are not innocuous remarks from a disgruntled former official. These are well-thought-out threats from someone who has never concealed his intention to topple Edo State if he loses control.

He contends that the people of Benin cannot be ruled by a governor from Irrua. Just that statement highlights his politics’ perilous ethnic undertone. He divided communities and isolated opponents by taking advantage of ethnic feeling for eight years. He is now trying to fan the same flame of division against a governor who has prioritized development, inclusivity, and governance.

In addition to being careless, Obaseki uses fiery language in that video. It suggests an effort to incite animosity toward a government that is making a concerted effort to repair the harm he left behind.

It is clearly evident that his recent travels under the pretense of “meet and greet” are an attempt to gain international support, financing, and legitimacy for a domestic political conflict he has already lost. It raises legitimate concerns about motive when a former governor publicly boasts about organizing the diaspora and the international community against the current state administration.

For what precise reason does he require international pressure? Why is he frantically attempting to fabricate a crisis story when none exists? And who are the foreign candidates he wants to hire? The fact that this same man earlier vowed to set Nigeria on fire during an election is still remembered by the Edo people.

Under the guise of political allegiance, his personal “security structure” intimidated villages, and they have not forgotten this. They are aware of the ramifications of a former governor dealing in fear and animosity while looking for international backing.

The unsettling reality is that Obaseki’s remarks imply a readiness to work with outside parties to sabotage Edo State’s peace. A man who formerly supplied political enforcers and foot soldiers is now bragging about worldwide mobilization.

The connection isn’t implausible. His post-tenure travel habits, abrupt desperation, and aggressive speech raise the idea that he is looking for money or covert assistance to revitalize the political apparatus that formerly worked for him—a mechanism that turned to crime when he left office. This is too important for Edo to ignore. Threats are being used to frighten a sitting governor by a man who previously used them to subvert institutions.

Nevertheless, Monday Okpebholo hasn’t threatened Obaseki in spite of his attempt to distort reality. He hasn’t used ethnicity as a weapon. He hasn’t reacted angrily. He has only reminded the public that anyone can review the documents of Obaseki’s misrule.

the unwillingness to swear in lawmakers who were lawfully elected. using the Assembly to further personal agendas. The National Judicial Council’s historic recommendation to delay the swearing-in of justices. The central hospital was demolished without offering the general public a workable substitute. These acts were the pinnacle of conceit and disregard for the people he purported to represent, not merely poor government.

Ironically, Obaseki’s own record is replete with actions that jeopardized the welfare of the Edo people, yet he now blames others of threatening him. He is not afraid of Governor Okpebholo. Accountability scares him. He worries that the harm he caused to communities, institutions, and public confidence will no longer be concealed by the mist of propaganda. In the hopes that distance will warp reality, he flees overseas in search of fresh allies.

Even more telling are his criticisms of Governor Okpebholo’s allegiance to President Bola Tinubu. Obaseki reveals the resentment that results from losing political significance by demanding that Okpebholo not deliver votes to the President. But ego is not a factor in governance. Support is earned via performance. Furthermore, Okpebholo is already well ahead of the eight years of stagnation that Obaseki left behind because to his quiet but steady improvements in the areas of public administration, social welfare, infrastructure, and security. The Edo people do not lack vision. They are aware of the workers. They are aware of listeners. They are aware of their admirers. Foreign posturing won’t make that any different.

Obaseki, who is having difficulty staying politically relevant, has escalated dangerously in his most recent tirade. It is a clear threat to peace and an indication that he is prepared to drag Edo into battle in order to appease his wounded ego. This needs to be taken seriously by both the federal government and the Edo people. There is a security risk when a former governor publicly supports dissent overseas while tribalizing politics within. His actions, statements, and record all point to the fact that he is not working alone.

It’s time for security services to pay attention to what Obaseki recently said. His divisive speech, worldwide mobilization, and public threats pose serious concerns that should not be disregarded. To ascertain the motivations behind his remarks and the networks he is trying to activate, a comprehensive investigation is required.

To make sure they don’t jeopardize the existing peace in Edo State, his well-known fans, internet loyalists, and political enforcers need to be appropriately profiled and kept under observation. Every organization in charge of maintaining public safety must take swift action before remarks turn into something more harmful because Edo cannot afford to return to instability.