Is Ogbeide-Ihama building a bridge or a trap for Wike?
In the high-stakes theatre of Edo South politics, there is a fine line between a political alliance and a political liability. The people are historically hospitable, but are also fiercely
- By Clifford Obazuwa
In the high-stakes theatre of Edo South politics, there is a fine line between a political alliance and a political liability. The people are historically hospitable, but are also fiercely allergic to the scent of external imposition.
A dangerous narrative is being peddled by Ogbeide-Ihama. It is a narrative that doesn’t just threaten the democratic fabric of APC in Edo South; it threatens to incinerate the hard-earned reputation of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Trading on a borrowed brand, Ogbeide-Ihama has moved beyond traditional campaigning. He is no longer selling a vision; he is selling a person - Wike. In every corner of Edo South, the boast is the same: “I have the minister’s might. I have Wike’s war chest. I am the minister’s project.”
Ihama is not honouring Wike; he is devaluing him. He is treating the minister’s name like a black-market currency used to intimidate local party faithful.
It is, however, important to state that Wike is a national figure, whose influence transcends regional boundaries. He is known for his bravery and his directness. This is why by dragging Wike’s name into the minutiae of an Edo South ticket, Ihama is effectively shrinking the minister.
The minister must ask himself: Why is Ihama so desperate to hide behind me? The answer is simple: A man who has a record of his own doesn’t need to shout another man’s name.
By making Wike the face of his ambition, Ihama is admitting that he has little to offer. But even more dangerously, he is setting Wike up as the “Fall Guy.”
Ihama risks a harsh lesson from voters of Edo South, who historically reject candidates they perceive as disrespectful. However, because he has tied his political fate closely to the minister, a loss won’t be framed as his own; the headlines will simply read: ‘Wike defeated in Edo.
Is the minister ready to let this aspirant, who hasn’t done the groundwork to win his own ward, gamble with the “Wike” brand? Is the minister aware that his name is being used as a threat to silence the people whose goodwill he might need for his own future national calculations?
By projecting the image that the minister is “buying” or “forcing” a ticket in Edo, Ihama is painting a picture of Wike as an interloper- a narrative that is beneath a man of the minister’s status. It suggests that Wike has nothing better to do than micromanage a district where he does not vote. Every time Ihama brags about “Wike’s powerful connections” to bypass local democratic processes, he is effectively using the minister’s reputation as a blunt instrument against the Edo people.
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This is a blackmail of friendship. By claiming “Wike is behind me,” Ihama is forcing the minister into a corner where he must either support a weak candidate or face the embarrassment of a public “divorce.”
Ogbeide-Ihama is not protecting the minister; he is exposing him. He is using Wike as a bulletproof vest for his own political vulnerabilities.
Wike is a man of peace and strategic brilliance. He should realise that in Edo South, Ihama is not building a bridge for him, he is digging a trench. It is one thing to be a kingmaker; it is another to be used as a scarecrow by a candidate who is too afraid to stand on his own merit.
The people of Edo South love and respect Wike. We see him as a leader who respects boundaries. But we will not allow his name to be used as a cloak for a candidate who lacks the confidence to speak for himself.
To Ogbeide-Ihama, the message is clear: Leadership is not a franchise; leave the minister out of the mud. He has a city to run; do not make him the casualty of your inability to lead.
