Adams Oshiomhole will be remembered in Edo politics for many things—his energy, his oratory, his red khaki revolution—but perhaps his most enduring legacy may be the one he never intended: the rise of Monday Okpebholo and the slow deconstruction of Edo State governance as we once knew it.
In his days, Oshiomhole prided himself on being the people’s comrade, the man who wrestled godfathers to free the state. Yet history has a wicked sense of humour. The same man who once shouted “Edo no be Lagos!” may have inadvertently set the stage for a political pantomime that makes Edo look like the sequel to a badly written script.
Enter Monday Okpebholo—a governor so invisible that if you blink too hard, you might miss his administration entirely. The man’s most consistent public policy appears to be sycophancy, particularly directed at the altar of presidential favour. One wonders if his office should be renamed the “Ministry of Presidential Compliments.”
Oshiomhole, who once promised to build an Edo that would stand tall in national politics, has now bequeathed a state struggling under the weight of alphabet ministries, political confusion, and the curious leadership style of “do-nothing, say-something.” The irony is delicious: the same comrade who fought imposition has now become the chief imposer of mediocrity.
Edo people used to say “Oshiomhole talk am, e go do am.” Today, the new slogan seems to be “Okpebholo no talk, e no do.” The transformation is so complete it deserves a chapter in a political psychology textbook.
In a state once driven by ideas and activism, we now have an administration that confuses governance with photo opportunities. The roads Oshiomhole built are fading, the institutions he strengthened are wobbling, and the civic energy he inspired has dimmed under the weight of imposed loyalty.
So when the history of Edo politics is written, Oshiomhole’s legacy won’t just be about his flyovers or his fiery speeches. It will be about how a man who once liberated a people from political servitude became the architect of their current political confusion.
Edo deserves better than this Monday hangover.
Centre for Nigeria Progress 