Politics
Humpty Dumpty: Godwin Obaseki’s Loud Fall and Adams Oshiomhole’s Unyielding Flame in Edo Polity
Humpty Dumpty: Godwin Obaseki’s Loud Fall and Adams Oshiomhole’s Unyielding Flame in Edo Polity
By Bolaji Israel
The phrase “Humpty Dumpty” brings to mind fond memories from early school years, referencing a beloved nursery rhyme about a tragi-comic character who fell and shattered beyond repair.
The tale dates back to the late 18th century, featuring an egg-shaped figure who fell off a wall, broke apart, and could never be pieced back together. In contemporary terms, it symbolises a person or entity that, once overthrown, cannot be restored.
The political landscape of Edo State has recently been rocked by the dramatic downfall of outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki, a situation that has unfolded like a meticulously crafted drama. The decisive triumph of Monday Okpebholo over PDP’s Asue Ighodalo marks not the beginning, but the climax of the unfolding drama.
This saga, marked by betrayal, ambition, and fierce rivalry, saw Obaseki face off against his former political godfather, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who has emerged victorious in this bitter contest.
Once celebrated as a protégé, Obaseki’s trajectory was propelled by Oshiomhole, who played a pivotal role in his ascent to the governorship.
However, the relationship soured, leading to a public fallout that captivated the attention of political observers. What began as a partnership soon devolved into a fierce rivalry, with accusations of overreach and betrayal flying between the two men.
So intense was the battle that Governor Obaseki had to seek shelter far away from his party, APC, which gave him the platform for his first term in office, to a rival political party, the PDP, to realise his second term ambition.
Though the move afforded the embattled governor who was then in the intensive care unit politically the golden opportunity to complete his eight years administration but the battle never stopped between the gladiators.
Obaseki himself has said one key issue his administration had with the former governor of the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, was that he (Obaseki) organised a state burial for the Peoples Democratic Party leader, Chief Tony Anenih due to Anenih’s overwhelming contributions to the state.
He explained: “When Chief Tony Anenih died, I gave him a state burial as an APC member and this is one of the thing that caused problem between Oshiomhole and I. He (Oshiomhole) said since he (Anenih) was not an elected official, why would I give him a state burial? I said the man had done more than many governors. So, he deserved it.”
Those sympathetic to Obaseki also insisted that Oshiomhole was one political figure who had consistently condemned political godfatherism and whittled down the political influence of leaders before him including Lucky Igbinedion who had ruled the state between 1999 and 2007. For them, Oshiomhole was wrong to have exerted much influence and pressure on Obaseki as his godfather.
Those who disagreed however didn’t make things easy for Obaseki. They labelled him a betrayal. They hold the view that during the re-election saga, Obaseki cornered and used his then fellow governors even from APC, including Kayode Fayemi etal and also Wike to achieve his aims but later insulted him.
They insist that Obaseki has proven to be a serial betrayal and an ungrateful person who doesn’t respect even the highly reverred Oba of Benin.
As the battle rages, news filtered that Obaseki also initiated several projects but abandoned them midway. The episode of the 18 lawmakers that he refused the state legislators to swear in has also remained a reference.
So, going into the recent gubernatorial elections, the stakes were high. Oshiomhole threw his weight behind Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Obaseki aligned himself with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. The election became not just a contest of candidates, but a battle of wills between the two former allies, and ultimately, a test of their political mettle.
As the dust settled, the results were a resounding affirmation of Oshiomhole’s enduring influence in Edo State politics. Okpebholo emerged victorious, securing 291,667 votes against Ighodalo’s 247,274, while Obaseki’s failure was underscored by the fact that he lost in his own local government area, Oredo.
The defeat has been described as nothing short of humiliating for a sitting governor, raising questions about his political acumen and strategic prowess.
Oshiomhole takes no prisoners. So his verdict after the PDP’s loss was swift and brutal – Obaseki is politically dead!
He went further. “They now understand if a man can speak like the King of England, but can’t build classrooms and their children are sitting on the floor, where is the value of the English?
“If you have signed millions of MoUs, brought all manner of consultants, even though you are one of the consultants anyways. The hospital that was built by Governor Oshiomhole you converted it to a private hospital. You ran it by consultants and only the rich can go there. The poor have been forbidden from going there. You demolished the other side of the hospital and replaced it with a museum. You think the poor are stupid?” Oshiomhole queried.
The fallout from this political debacle has not only affected Obaseki but has also ensnared other key players, notably his deputy, Philip Shaibu. Once a loyal ally,
Shaibu found himself sidelined during Obaseki’s administration, with his office relocated and his aides dismissed. The dynamics of their relationship shifted dramatically, leading to speculation about Shaibu’s future in Edo politics.
In a twist of fate, Shaibu has emerged from the shadows, mocking Obaseki’s electoral defeat. His comments during a recent interview highlighted his belief in his own political strength, contrasting it with Obaseki’s lack of electoral success.
Shaibu stated, “I feel vindicated; even the governor couldn’t win his local government. I won my unit, ward, and local government.” His assertion that he had been instrumental in Obaseki’s previous victories adds another layer to this complex political narrative.
The election results have opened the door for a reevaluation of loyalties and alliances in Edo State. Oshiomhole’s triumphant return to power has not only reinstated him as a significant political force but has also left Obaseki grappling with the reality of his diminished influence.
The political tide has turned, and the former governor is now faced with the task of rebuilding his reputation and reconciling with a constituency that has seemingly rejected him.
As the political landscape shifts, one thing is clear: the battle between godfather and protégé serves as a cautionary tale about loyalty, ambition, and the volatile nature of political alliances.
With Oshiomhole basking in his victory and Shaibu relishing his vindication, Obaseki must now navigate the choppy waters of post-governorship life, where the echoes of his political fall continue to resonate throughout Edo State.
Bolaji is a writer, public affairs analyst, poet and public relations strategist.
Politics
2027 BATTLE: How Much Nigeria Can Save, Invest In Infrastructure By Rotating Power Among Six Geo-political Zones For A Single Term Of Five Or Six Years
2027 BATTLE: How Much Nigeria Can Save, Invest In Infrastructure By Rotating Power Among Six Geo-political Zones For A Single Term Of Five Or Six Years
As a Southernern, particularly from the South East Geo-Political Zone, I believe the most potent argument for us in 2027 is that the North/South zoning arrangement of political power at the center is a scam. It’s a scam because it has only benefitted the South West and the North West geo-political zones since the return of ‘democracy’ (civil rule) in Nigeria on May 29, 1999. Nigeria, it must be clarified has six geo-political zones, not two.
Nigeria was divided into six geo-political zones in 1996 by the military government of General Sanni Abacha. This new zoning arrangement was a brainchild of the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference chaired by the late Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte and empaneled by General Sanni Abacha.
At that Conference, no less a person than former Vice President Chief Alex Ekwueme and a group called Mkpoko Igbo proposed that since Nigeria will now be divided into six geo-political zones, to give all zones a sense of belonging within the Nigerian State, that power at the center should rotate among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years. In their thinking, if power was rotated among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, within 30 years or 36 years, all six zones would have had one of their own leading Nigeria, particularly, from their first 11 (primus inter pares). The North and the South West delegations at that conference pooh-poohed Chief Alex Ekwueme and summarily shut down that all-important proposal. The rest they say is history.
More than 30 years later, there is yet no national peace, national cohesion, national political stability, national unity, and national loyalty to the Nigerian State. Had the proposal of Chief Alex Ekwueme and Mkpoko Igbo been adopted and implemented since 1999, at least, the 5th Geo-Political Zone would have had one of their own in Aso Villa today, and by 2035, the last geo-political zone would have being sending us one of their own to contest the Presidency across Nigeria’s current 18 political parties. This mathematics is if we had gone with a single term of six years (the maximum limit) as proposed by Dr. Ekwueme and the South East and South South delegates in that 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference.
Fast forward to today, in his recent Arise TV interview, and in some other public and private fora, H.E. Atiku Abubakar asked for Dr. Ekwueme’s forgiveness as he was among key Northern delegates in that Constitutional Conference from the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua group that opposed the rotational presidency among Nigeria’s geo-political zones. Waziri Adamawa had disclosed that he even apologized to Alex Ekwueme when he visited Oko, Anambra State, to pay homage to the former late vice president sometime in 2017/2018.
By and large, for 2027, I believe that the most potent argument that will sell in the South East is that the North East where Waziri Adamawa hails from, just like the South East (our region), had also been marginalized in the scheme of things in Nigeria. Aside from Alhaji Tafawa Balewa from Bauchi State (North East), nobody from the region/zone has been head of national government, head of state, or even president since 1966.
So, H.E. Atiku Abubakar is right in contesting the Presidential election billed for January 16, 2027, to right this wrong, and return Nigeria’s presidency to an equitable distribution of power at the center. When elected, and it’s entrenched in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), that power rotates among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, this new formula will bring about national peace, national cohesion, national unity, and tremendously commandeer national loyalty among Nigerians from across the six geo-political zones for their beloved country, the Nigerian State.
As a budding political scientist of repute and ardent student of contemporary Nigerian history and politics, let me tell us what this formular would do for the Nigerian State. The battle for the soul of the Nigerian State will be ferocious at the zonal level, while the center will become unattractive. So, let’s say it is the turn of the North East Geo-Political Zone to produce the Presidency in 2027, the battle to gift Nigerians their First 11 (primus inter pares) will be ferocious across the States in the region. The people of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe will now be more interested in partisan politics, thus being proactive participants within the current 18 political parties in Nigeria.
Giving Nigeria’s configurations and peculiarities, one of the positives of this political proactiveness is that it’s a win-win situation for the entire region if a man from Adamawa becomes President of Nigeria in 2027. The people from Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Gombe, and Bauchi will be largely happy, contented, hold their peace, love Nigeria better, and be more loyal to the Nigerian State because one of their own is now the GCFR, the primus inter pares, and the No. 1 Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The steep insecurity that has ravaged the North East Geo-Political Zone since 2009, largely owing to perceived agelong marginalisation, oppression, injustices, would largely die down.
This will be the same case for the South East Geo-Political Zone. Biafra secessionist agitations, IPOB, ESN led by Nnamdi Kanu, will die a natural death. Justice and equity for all breeds contentment among men, and contentment among men births peace, unity, commandeers loyalty, and tremendously brings about prosperity. I stand to be challenged on this self-evident truth on any national television station.
When it is the turn of another region to produce the Presidency, after the North East has had their turn, all political parties in Nigeria must constitutionally present a Presidential candidate from the region whose turn it is to produce the presidency for a single term of six years. This rotational presidency formula must be entrenched in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) by May 29, 2027.
I avow that rotational presidency among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years is the best political science solution to the agelong hydra-headed problem of Nigeria, especially in the guise of disunity, unpeaceful, and disloyalty problems among Nigerian citizens. Doing this will also largely curtail the executive rascalities, legislative rascalities, and judicial rascalities currently being perpetrated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Executive arm; the Godswill Akpabio led Legislative arm; and the CJN Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun led Judiciary arm.
The over desperation of getting re-elected for a second term in office, as shown today by Bola Tinubu, will be eraced for future Nigerian Presidents. The humongous money and depletion of Nigeria’s national treasury just for seeking re-election at all cost, and conducting elections will also be erased.
The Highfalutin, Draining Cost Of Conducting Elections In Nigeria?
For the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) proposed N305 billion in May 2022, which was a 62 percent increase over the 2019 budget. Ultimately, the National Assembly approved N355 billion for the exercise, though the commission spent N313.4 billion as of September 2023.
For the 2027 general election, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan proposed a total budget of N873.78 billion to the National Assembly in February 2026. This proposal includes N375.75 billion for election operations, N209.21 billion for technology, and N92.31 billion for administrative costs. The Bola Ahmed Tinubu led APC regime had previously allocated N1.01 trillion to INEC in the 2026 budget presented in January 2026.
Ladies and gentlemen, INEC’s election budget ballooned from N355 billion in 2023 to a whopping N873.78 billion for a re-election season in 2027? This is approximately a percentage increase of 146.13%. This is unacceptable, opprobrious, and insalubrious.
If we entrench in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), zoning the presidency among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, this proposed N873.78 billion to coduct the 2027 re-election season would have been eliminated.
What Can N873.78 billion Do For Nigerians In Terms Of Infrastructural Developmental Projects?
If hypothetically redirected or matched in scale for infrastructure development, N873.78 billion could significantly advance Nigeria’s infrastructure across key sectors:
1. Roads and Transportation: This amount could fund the rehabilitation of over 10,000 kilometers (6213.712 miles) of rural and urban roads, especially when combined with technical support from institutions like the World Bank’s RAAMP-SU project.
It could complete critical projects like the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway or support the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, enhancing regional connectivity and trade.
2. Railway Development: Based on past projects, N873 billion could finance a new 600–800 km (373-497 miles) standard gauge rail line, similar to the Abuja-Kaduna or Lagos-Ibadan lines, which were partially funded by Chinese loans.
Rail expansion would boost freight movement, reduce road congestion, and create thousands of jobs.
3. Power and Energy: The sum could support renewable energy projects, such as solar mini-grids for 10,000 rural communities, or fund transmission infrastructure to reduce power losses.
For context, Power Africa facilitated $63 million in renewable energy investments over 26 months—N873 billion could scale such efforts dramatically.
4. Water and Sanitation: Funds could build or upgrade water treatment plants, boreholes, and sanitation systems in underserved urban and rural areas, improving public health and reducing waterborne diseases.
5. Agricultural Infrastructure: The NSIA’s Multipurpose Industrial Platform Ltd (MIPL) in Akwa Ibom, including an ammonia and fertilizer plant, is a multi-billion-dollar project. N873 billion could fund multiple such agro-industrial hubs, boosting food security and reducing import dependence.
Analyzing The Current Infrastructure Spending In Nigeria In Relation To N873.78 Billion?
For comparison, Nigeria’s actual infrastructure allocations are much lower than the humongous money INEC is proposing to conduct the shaky 2027 general elections in Nigeria.
The 2025 Federal Budget allocated ₦4.06 trillion ($2.7 billion) for infrastructure—about 7.4% of total spending.
The National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) aims to raise infrastructure stock to 70% of GDP by 2043, requiring $100 billion annually—far above current spending levels.
Pension funds invested ₦262.57 billion in infrastructure in the first 10 months of 2025. This is below N873.78 billion being earmarked for the 2027 elections.
Without mincing words, let me aver that the N873.78 billion could transform infrastructural developmental projects in Nigeria, But the fact that this amount is proposed for elections, not infrastructural developmental projects, highlights a mismatch between public needs and government spending priorities in Nigeria, especially under the disastrous APC regime of Bola Tinubu.
Conclusion
While N873.78 billion is earmarked for elections, its scale underscores what Nigeria could achieve in infrastructure if similar resources were consistently invested. Redirecting even a fraction of election budgets toward roads, power, rail, water, and agriculture could accelerate economic growth, create jobs, and improve quality of life in Nigeria. However, transparency, accountability, and long-term planning are essential to ensure such investments yield lasting benefits.
Finally, ladies and gentlemen, let’s consider the substantial ingredients of this political seminal and fix this mess of power rotation at the center among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years. Let’s stop wasting scarce resources in Nigeria conducting re-elections at the center and across state levels. Let’s stop wasting everybody’s time in Nigeria.
Ikenna Asomba is a political scientist and journalist. He writes from the State of Illinois, United States.
Politics
2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano
2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano
Politics
I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections”- ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares
“I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections”- ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares.
By Comrade Samson Ajibade Alabi, NLP Media Director
A presidential aspirant under the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Prof Muhammad Omolaja, has said that he is fully ready for the 2027 general elections especially the presidential contest.
Prof. Omolaja who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with pressmen in Abuja on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, said he has done his consultations with leaders of the Party, boasting that he is the next president of Nigeria by the grace of God.
He submitted that he has won the heart of the people at the grassroots across all the States and geopolitical zones including the federal capital territory (FCT); and convinced them about his clear vision and mission for Nigeria.
According to him, Nigerians are tired of the APC government and ready to vote them out in favour of his Party; the ADP!
Prof. Omolaja added that ADP is the only Party that can liberate Nigeria and rescue the citizens from the prevailing insecurity and other challenges facing the country.
The presidential aspirant said “you are asking me if I am ready for the 2027 general elections or not, I hereby inform you categorically that I am fully ready for the election; we have done what to be done, we have systematically carried Nigerians along in our preparations especially the people at the grassroots; and we have let them know that ADP is the only credible alternative Party that can liberate them from all the challenges the country is facing under the prevailing APC government. I am confident that I will get the ticket of our great Party being the leading contestant, and win the upcoming 2027 presidential election by the special grace of the Almighty God”
He therefore urged Nigerians to rally support for him and his Party (ADP) at the polls in the spirit of peace, love, unity, and patriotism in Nigeria.
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