A Proverbial Reply To Odubu’s Traducers -By Isaac Asabor

There is an African proverb that says “God created every child with the ability to cry but when a spoilt child cries he is bound to forget to stop crying and close his or her mouth”. This aphorism, no doubt, holds true in the case of those who know nothing other than to baselessly resort to traducing the person of Dr. Pius Odubu with the mischievous intent of watering down his chances of picking the Edo’s All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket ahead of the gubernatorial election that will pave the way for him to Osadebey’s Avenue later in the year.

Recall that those who truly know the political worth of Odubu, and the political asset that typifies him have already closed their mouths after realizing that Edo state must have been missing a huge leadership opportunity that was bungled since June 2016 when he lost out to the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. They have all closed their mouths while the contextually spoilt traducers in the state and in diaspora have refused to equally close their mouths and listen to the voice of reasons that have been reverberating across the length and breadth of the state over the coming of Odubu.

There is no denying the fact that the foregoing the traducers’ childish and arrant immature behavior that find expression in an African proverb that says “When the eyes of a weeping child are filled with tears it would be difficult for such child to recognize the gift that would placate him or her. Little wonder the traducers of Odubu have failed to recognize the fact that he does not flirt around political parties. Odubu’s traducers have been so blind to reason that they have failed to realize that because he is interested in the survival of the party, APC, that he has remained a foundation member of the party right from when it was known as ACD to AC to ACN, and now APC.

Rather than wean themselves from envy and jealousy and “Pull Him Down” syndrome that have gotten hold of them as a result of Odubu’s intimidating credentials and experiences, they have like the child that could not see clearly as a result of the tears in his or her eyes, failed to see him as an asset for the entire people of Edo state; irrespective of party, ethnic, political and religious affiliations.

An African proverb also says “If a blind man says let’s throw stones, be assured that he has stepped on one.” In my view, for Odubu’s traducers to remain notorious in their disparaging business, at this critical period to the elections; both primary and gubernatorial, it appears they have something mischievous up their sleeves. Don’t ask this writer why he is sounding suspicious in this context as long as those who ought to know what it means to recognize someone with sound educational and a good grassroots network background are the one that are perpetrating sacrilegious act. However, it is germane to thank God at this juncture for the fact that any evil plan against him ahead of the elections will not prosper. Proverbially prayed about in this context, “The eyes that are closed to the truth will be blinded by the gods.”

Recently, a friend of this writer who saw him scribble down some notes about Odubu, such as this on him, feigned ignorance the qualities his personality is made of, by asking “Who is this Odubu?” Trust this writer, he quickly retorted, “Don’t you know Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo state? He affirmatively nodded, and said, ”He is surely the kind of leader Edo people need in the next political dispensation.” Ruminating over his observation, I could not but be more convinced that Odubu is the candidate to vote for. I was more convinced given the fact that my friend in the foregoing dialogue is a Yoruba person. It is then surprising that some of our own people (the Edolites) were the ones that have resorted to campaign of calumny over his candidacy in the much expected gubernatorial elections in the state. It is not as if they don’t know “Who is who” among the leader in the state for them to choose who to lead them out from the socio-economic and political quagmire they’ve been enmeshed in since 2016 only that they are neck deep partisan politics. The words of our elders that says “He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it” will no doubt find expression in Odubu’s race to Osadebey Avenue. Permit me to opine at this juncture that Victor Hugo might have had Odubu in mind when he said, “Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. Odubu is indeed an idea that cannot be stopped.

Given the distasteful manner with which some few elements have been traducing Odubu, it is very obvious that they are blind to the reasons why Edo State should be moved to the next level. To me, they should be told about the implications of what they are doing. They should be told that they have decided to remain “Flip floppers” even when they know it is detrimental to the growth of the state. For the sake of clarity, a candidate or politician who changes his mind on certain important issues over time is called a flip flopper. Aptly put, he is the one that knows the right candidate for the next dispensation but in partisan resolve goes for the wrong candidate. To me, Edo people should be reminded that we’ve made such a mistake in the last political dispensation. Against the foregoing backdrop, one’s postulation in this context cannot be mistaken as evidences abound that our past collective mistake in respect to choice of leaders is today asphyxiating us. After all, an African proverb says, “If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents. Today, without any modicum of embellishment, Edolites today are no doubt learning through somewhat accidents because of the choice of leaders they made in the past.

I must confess that I deliberately chose the proverbial format in expressing my views on the issue of the need to choose and vote for a right candidate such as Odubu in the forthcoming elections in the state.
We all that are invariably Edolites to the core should realise that “The tortoise decided to be moving about with his roof (his shell) for it not to be destroyed by the enemies. In the same spirit, it would have been better if all Edolites that believe in the development of the state begin to think of how to take it to the next level through the choice of the right candidate come the next elections. We all for now should eschew primordial sentiments and focus on Odubu’s victories as he will no doubt be a performer. He has being there. Proverbially put, the fact cannot be denied that almost all politicians that find themselves in electoral ring always wave their experiences as their trump cards. But it should be stated at this juncture that “No matter how often you visit the forest, you cannot know the forest like the animals that live there”. Interpretatively put, Odubu has remained ingrained on Nigeria’s political lexicon. He has been a prominent player on Edo’s political landscape where he has earned himself enviable and challenging positions of legislator and deputy governor. Who then can beat his chest that he knows more than him?