On this historic day, seventy years ago, in the serene, arcadian town of Iyamho, Edo State, a child of destiny was born. Across the globe, in the hearts and homes of the millions that this uncommon leader, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has touched, impacted and inspired with his leadership, they will definitely be full of praises to God for his remarkable and phenomenal life.
Oshiomhole, orator par excellence, courageous, restless, resilient and an embodiment of visionary leadership, cut his teeth as a unionist when he was elected General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria. This brought him into constant sparing with several of Nigeria’s mighty men of power and influence as he fought to protect the interest of his constituency, the workers, in an industry that employed Nigeria’s teeming population at that time.
He further sharpened his academic and union training at Ruskin College, Oxford, United Kingdom, and majored in economics and industrial relations. He subsequently attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
In 2007, Oshiomhole took the strategic decision to run for political office. He was initially disowned by my renowned late mentor, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who wanted him on the presidential ballot. The late Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM) was to make a volte-face later when he eventually endorsed Oshiomhole for Governor of Edo State on the eve of the election.
In the run-up to the 2007 Gubernatorial election in Edo State, the people wanted a courageous, serious-minded leader. They determined to unearth the roots of the profound and multi-faceted structural problems plaguing the State. Oshiomhole, quintessential, brief in stature, intellectually robust and very popular, who had then just completed a second term as the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), became a natural choice for the people of the State.
Oshiomhole traversed the length and breadth of Edo State, selling his manifesto of hope which he christened “Let the People Lead”. His message resonated with the masses, the artisans, the students, the unions, and the upper class of the Edo society. Political cells were formed in the 192 wards of the state through which the political doctrine of oshoism was preached. His entrance into the race energised the political space and restored confidence to a disenchanted population who had suffered many decades of misrule after the impactful administration of Professor Ambrose Alli, whose tenure as governor of the then Bendel State, from which Edo was excised, was regarded as a golden era in governance. The people’s joy following the overwhelming victory of Oshiomhole at the polls was cut short when an electoral coup against the people saw the loser of the election, Osarhiemen Osubor, announced as the winner by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC). The spontaneous protests by the people against the brazen electoral fraud were unprecedented. An epochal judicial challenge by Oshiomhole led to the retrieval of the stolen mandate and his eventual inauguration as the governor of the state on November 11th, 2008.
On assuming office, in his first term as Governor, Oshiomhole stated his preparedness to cut off the toes of the powerful and offend the poor to bring about the much-needed transformation of Edo State by seeking to restore the State master plan. In doing this, he dismantled the apparatus of privilege enjoyed by a select few and replaced it with a dynamic social organisation designed to provide several channels of opportunities for all those who aspired to engage in genuine enterprise and, by so doing, he created an atmosphere of equal worth and a sense of pride in all streams of Edo people, irrespective of their areas of origin in the State. Thus, within a brief period, Edo People saw how one man could completely change the character of a state and the industry of its people.
In the past, the Edo people had leaders who lacked the political will, temperament, inclination, confidence and commitment to tackle the myriads of problems bedevilling the state. Thus, seeing all he accomplished within a few months of taking over the mantle of leadership in the State, Edo People within and outside the State were all genuinely amazed and happy at how he sought to proffer solutions to the many problems hitherto plagued the State.
Oshiomhole laboured hard to lay a solid foundation for the development of Edo State. His significant policies were pro-poor. He often stated that the worst thing about poverty was its cyclical nature. The poor children frequently inherited their parent’s lack of opportunities in life and so were themselves practically condemned to a life of poverty.
His postulation, which caught the attention of all and sundry, within and outside the State, was that this cycle of poverty, if left unchecked, would most likely go on forever and, in the process, the talents of millions of Edo people would go to waste, thus resulting in an endless continuation of the cycle of suffering that poverty brings, leading to the establishment of a ‘dynasty of the poor’ wherein the products of this dynasty would mostly be found in the motor parks, as touts and ready thugs that are deployed in periods of campaigns and elections by the political elite in the State.
He sought to break this cycle of poverty by instituting various youth empowerment schemes and creating a conducive environment for private enterprises to thrive in the State.
In the eight years that he served as Governor, the people saw a leader who worked tirelessly to bring assistance to the more significant number of his people. There was a better tolerance of political opposition and the expression of alternative political viewpoints. Though indeed not an easy task, he succeeded in cleaning up the state and re-establishing its hitherto dilapidated public infrastructure, which had gone into the doldrums and disrepair due to decades of neglect, grand corruption and misgovernance.
The achievements recorded by the Comrade Governor, as he was popularly referred to in the state, did not surprise many considering his eight-year tenure as the number one labour leader in Nigeria. This period was characterised by purposeful leadership, insistence on good governance and reinvigoration of the Nigerian workforce to a level never witnessed in recent history. In the post-Pa Michael Imoudu era, the golden age in the labour movement in Nigeria remained the Oshiomhole era. Both men are from the Afenmai nation, politically christened Edo North Senatorial District in modern Nigerian political configuration.
As the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, he demonstrated a thorough understanding of the collective yearning of the Nigerian workers. Having made such a significant impact as Nigeria’s numero-uno labour leader, it was not surprising at all when at the time that he decided to plunge into the murky waters of Nigerian politics, he was not associated with any godfather. Similarly, in keeping with this egalitarian posture and his strong aversion to the principle of godfatherism in Nigerian politics, on the assumption of office, the Comrade Governor, restated his commitment to freeing the Edo People from the shackles of godfatherism; and, in keeping with that commitment, he successfully fought it to a standstill in Edo State.
In Nigeria, we have a legacy of a dysfunctional political process marked by executive dominance and political corruption. This has often created a “godfather” political culture that has seen government mainly as an instrument of personal power and accumulation of private wealth. This was the situation in Edo State before Oshiomhole’s ascension to power. The “godfathers” were intolerably powerful and were unchecked by law. Their hold on power made them acquire more wealth and, therefore, more power to the detriment of the suffering masses of Edo State. This situation was not limited to Edo State and served as a disincentive for progressives like the Comrade Governor to aspire for political office. But being of a particular breed, the Comrade Governor not only dared this political culture of godfatherism, but he also prevailed to the joy and delight of the Edo People.
Oshiomhole has always believed that making progress is about making politics work for the masses because politics determines the choices we make. According to him, politics determines what kind of society we create, live in and ultimately hand over to the next generation. He also regularly states that progressive politics will make poverty history.
There is widespread recognition that politics is fundamental in shaping development choices, strategies, trajectories and outcomes. It thus involves change that must inevitably challenge established interests and prevailing power structures.
As National Chairman of the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oshiomhole also realised that politics consists of two fundamental levels. The first concerns the rules of the game, that is, the procedures and processes which underpin the structure of our political life, distribute power and authorise its use in particular ways. The second concerns the games within the rules, the normal contestations over policy, process and governance.
Since the advent of our current 4th Republic, it is worth noting that the game’s fundamental rules have yet to be well established. Consequently, Oshiomhole, as the Party Chairman, was very dexterous in balancing the interests of an omnibus political elite to enable him to preserve the party’s machinery and the process of political ascension to power.
Oshiomhole performed outstandingly as Governor of Edo State. He also surpassed the expectations of many as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he was mainly instrumental in the re-election of President Buhari and the seamless emergence of progressive and collaborative leadership in the twin chambers of the National Assembly.
He brought discipline and insightful leadership to the APC. During his tenure as chairman, the APC was no longer seen as merely a vehicle for the recruitment and selection of leadership personnel for government offices but as a party that is a central instrument of democratic governance in Nigeria determined to generate programmes and policies for the government.
It is not easy anywhere in the world to be a harbinger of change, as even the people for whom change is intended often resist the change.
Institutionalising change and development in the party is an arduous process, and those who despised his intentions and who feared losing out in the scramble for political power and influence made it their pastime to denigrate Oshiomhole by engaging in character assassination, nasty insults and throwing political innuendos and brickbats at him. He remained unruffled, unmoved, untroubled and stoical. Although unfair and unjust criticisms were imminent, he continued to show unprecedented capacity for tolerance, understanding, forgiveness and allowing God to fulfil His promise in his life. This was borne out of his belief that malice may attack truth, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. Truth is the time companion that no one can cheat with lies or propaganda. Adams is not just an enigma. He is a man distinguished by humane principles, progressive values and remarkable achievements. Generations unborn will live to celebrate his glaring successes, especially his unwavering commitment to building strong bonds of friendship throughout the country and beyond.
The best wishes and prayers from all over the country and beyond are a testament that Oshiomhole is, indeed, a bridge-builder, a peacemaker and one who believes passionately in the unity and development of Nigeria and whose leadership is defined by integrity, insight and inclusiveness. He believes so much in constructively engaging issues and applying mediation in resolving them than seeking alternative methods.
As the world rolls out its drums to celebrate the quintessential oshio-baba, Oshio-quake, oshio-thunder on his 70th birthday, the progressive family should be united in celebration of an indefatigable fighter, a consummate negotiator, unionist par excellence, lover of the masses whose outstanding service to the nation and humanity offer inspiration to the younger generation.
Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, a Nigerian progressive leader, will continue to be an issue in Nigerian politics for many years to come.
*Dr Ugbodaga is a Special Assistant to the Hon. Minister of State for Budget and National Planning
