Once upon a time, a shepherd raised false alarm of wolf attacking his sheep but when people ran to him for rescue, he dismissed them, that it was a hoax. On another faithful day the same alarmist raised thunderous alarm, which awakened the conscience of sympathizers, and they rushed to rescue him, it was not different from the false alarm raised to curry favour, at the end it turned out to be the biggest joke of the day.
The real day came, when carnivorous animals visited the shepherd to devour his sheep, as usual, he raised thunderous alarm, depending on the first sympathy he received, but his alarm, was dismissed on the ground that he was fond of raising such alarm, even when situation does not arise.
Unfortunately sympathizer, turned their back against the alarmist and the wild animals descended upon his sheep and devoured them.
The alarmist resulted to passing bulk on his neighbors, for not responding to his call for rescue, but the unwarranted mudslinging could not change situation.
This is the scenario that is playing out in the outburst of Hon. Charles Idahosa, the self acclaimed leader of a party he dumped for greener pasture when the real democrats and progressives were sacrificing their time, energy and resources, to reclaim the stolen mandate in 2008.
What image laundering will Charles Idahosa embark upon, to correct his battered image of being a deceitful politician who embarked on political voyage in 2007 to contest the governorship position on the platform of Democratic People Party, DPP against the incumbent governor and failed woefully,
Charles Idahosa should have buried his head in shame, and go on self exile like a fugitive, instead of coming back, to start reaping from where he did not sow.
Those who play politics, of ethic chauvinism, religious bigotry and stomach infrastructure like Charles Idahosa, are not fit to lead the progressive party that is anchored on Justice, equity, fairness and the rule of law.
Politics is all about rendering service to the people, articulating the views of the people and proffering solutions to the myriad of problems, confronting the people using the instrumentality of the government as has been demonstrated and exemplified by the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole since the inception of his administration in Edo State.
Events in the political terrain in Edo State has clearly differentiated who a good leader is and who a self centred, a parochial, treacherous, self glorified, tyrannical leader whose stock in trade is how to amass wealth at the detriment of the people is.
Let me recalled with high sense of nostalgia when the clamour for a good candidate for the Advance Congress for the Democrats ACD in 2007 began, before it was changed to Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, to fly the governorship flag of the party for the 2007 general elections to wrestle power from the People Democratic Party PDP, began, Leaders of the ACN, zoned the governorship to Edo North and Deputy to Edo South.
Political permutation at the time was predicated on wide geographical spread, and Charles Idahosa was tipped to be the running mate to Comrade Oshiomhole. His egocentric, pompous nature, compelled him to turned down the offer, and casted aspersion on the integrity of the then veteran labour leader.
Today, the same man, he spat upon has become his boss, headmaster, who is teaching well, and the numbers of students are rising.
Nigerians and indeed politicians should not forget in a hurry to lost memory of events.
Events that are of National importance, events that reminds one not to throw stone to the markets, otherwise, your mother becomes the victim of misadventure.
It is sad, ridiculous, callous, painful and shameful to read the outburst of Charles Idahosa, the self acclaimed leader, of Uhunmwonde politics, that he prevented Chief Tom Ikimi from imposing a state woman leader on the APC delegates at the just concluded state congress, to put in place party executives.
The inflammatory statement of Charles Idahosa is capable of causing disaffection and polarize the party.
The same Charles Idahosa who extolled the leadership qualities, political sagacity, pedigree and antecedent of Chief Tom Ikimi when Chief Ikimi visited the State Secretariat of APC, to canvass for votes from Edo State delegates to the National Convention held in Abuja to enable him climb the corridor of power of our progressive party, has now turned around like a chameleon to blaspheme against Tom Ikimi.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the depletion in membership profile of APC in Uhunwonde, the Home of Charles Idahosa is as a result of the tyrannical, hostile nature of Charles Idahosa who is the grand-master of imposition.
The party structure in Uhunwonde is being ran like a private business estate, where the self acclaimed leader, presides over who to be the political officer holder in the council; candidate for the House of Assembly, Lawmaker at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly.
The congress that brought the incumbent state woman leader of APC and other Executive officers into office, was, free, fair and generally accepted by delegated from the 18 Local Government Area of the State.
The woman leader, an Amazon, woman with compassionate heart, and leadership acumen whose father has also contributed in no small means to Edo State politics and Nigeria in general maintaining a robust relationship with her predecessor.
So any attempt to sow the seed of animosity between them as a result of the outburst of Charles Idahosa is appalling, undemocratic and unacceptable.
We do not need a prophet to prophesy that Charles Idahosa has lost focus and bearing with his people, and should be advised to go for routine medical check-up to treat his disease-ulcer of the mouth, before he ruin the chances of the progressive party in controlling the seats of power in his Local Government Area.
*Timothy Alabi – a staunch member of APC from Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, wrote in from Lagos
