IKIMI’S SUSPENSION: A JOKE TAKEN TOO FAR

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one”_ George Washington

When the news of the purported suspension of a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State, Chief Tom Ikimi, by a group who claimed to be members of the Executive Committee of the party in the Edo Central chapter of the state got to me, l knew it was done by political ignoramuses. To me, the so-called suspension of Chief Ikimi, a father figure, a national political juggernaut and but a rallying point in Edo Central, is a joke taken too far.

By suspending Chief Ikimi in the Edo Central locality, the two arrow-heads who signed the said press release have presented themselves as political Lilliputians. I know that Hon. Tony Aziegbemi, the Edo State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is a well-schooled political lieutenant, who will never point his left fingers to his father’s compound. Aziegbemi, a two-time member of the House of Representatives, is a man who controls his impulses, with known record of political maturity, should be wary of a busy body political “Bishop” who co-signed the said press release.

Edo Central political stalwarts should not forget in a hurry the negative role played by this same flock in the political suicide committed by Prof. Osariemen Osunbor, the former Governor of Edo State. They equally beat the drum of unnecessary war, and castigated the dynamic godfather, now late, a sad development that eventually led to the sweeping away of Esan glory during the civilian administration of Prof. Osariemen Osunbor.

It is interesting to state however that the purported suspension of Chief Ikimi, has been duly countered via an enlarged meeting chaired by the leader in Igueben Local Government Area of the PDP. This reminds me of the late sensational musician, Ras Kimono, who sang the intoxicating lyrics:” Oh Jah, see them coming political jobbers”.

Hon. Aziegbemi, as the bonafide State Chairman of the PDP should be guided, and not lured into dancing to the drum of war being beaten by this same group of persons, because they will likely abandon him midway. It is very clear that those who tried to suspend Chief Ikimi are living in a fool’s paradise, as a vote of confidence has been massively passed by those that matter, where it was stated unequivocally that it was only the people in the ward and local government of Chief Ikimi that have the statutory political prerogative to suspend him.

Moving forward, my candid advise for Tony Aziegbemi is to be very tactical and go ahead to dialogue on behalf of PDP State Executive Committee with Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State. This position is being canvassed in the overall interest of the Esan Agenda, come 2023, which must never be jeopardized by any miscalculation.

Those who struck the deal that led to the emergence of Godwin Obaseki, as Governor of Edo State, knew clearly that air do not operate in a vacuum; that in a political marriage of this nature, the sitting governor inherently inherits both political liability and the structure.

Diagi Lucky, Benin City