They start off as loyal stooges swearing enduring allegiance of fidelity. Promises are made and deals are cut. But that is before the demands either become unreasonable or the godsons learn the rope and decide the apron strings are no longer useful.
The Comrade ditched his comrade in arms who was his deputy for eight years and settled for a relatively unknown new face. He insisted it was to ensure that the godfathers he vanquished were kept at bay. Today, there are rumbles and feelers point to a relationship that has gone sour.
It won’t be the first. Akpabio sacked his deputy for daring to dream and when his secretary of government got ambitious too, he had him fired. In his place, Udom took over as SSG and would go on to succeed him as governor. The relationship couldn’t survive one tenure before Akpabio swore to dethrone Udom.
Kano made an exception when a deputy governor got the unwavering nod of his boss to succeed him. It would be difficult to convince anyone who didn’t know how chummy they were that Ganduje and Kwakwanso once made a formidable team. Today, they are sworn enemies.
Abia was a sordid tale of a love gone sour. T.A Orji was the beloved until he rebelled against his benefactor and his mother and all hell was let loose. It was then that a deal struck at the deadly Okija shrine became public knowledge with the picture of the governor in underpants splashed on front covers of all national dailies.
In Enugu, Sullivan demolished the Ebeano political structure the moment he settled down as governor. Nnamani in his own time severed ties with Jim Nwobodo and moved to take over as the new Sheriff with his choice of Sullivan. Obiano came from fidelity and without any political clout was made the governor. His first duty was to send Obi to political Siberia and the man had to run to PDP for succor.
There’s something about the godfather-godson political relationship in Nigeria that calls for inquisition. Some say the godfathers are too greedy. They want to run the government outside government. Others say the godsons are treacherous and disloyal. They want to be godfathers in their own rights. The godfathers probably don’t know where to draw the line. It’s like fathers who refuse to believe that their sons too, have grown up and must become fathers too.
Oshiomole fought to dismantle “godfatherism” in Edo. He revels in it as one of his most enduring legacies. It seems the concept is only wrong when someone else is calling the shots. He wants to be the same thing he fought hard abolish. He wants the governor to bow and defer to him. He wants to decide who gets what and how things get done. He is not just satisfied being the National Chairman. Power is a powerful addiction. Many will keep craving for more not knowing when to stop until it destroys them.
Oshiomole should watch it!