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Tom Ikimi’s suspension is a joke taken too far

When the news of the purported suspension of a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State, Chief Tom Ikimi, by a group who claimed to be members

 

Tom Ikimi

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one”
– George Washington

Sir: When the news of the purported suspension of a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State, Chief Tom Ikimi, by a group who claimed to be members of the Executive Committee of the party in the Edo Central chapter of the state, got to me, I knew it was done by political ignoramuses. To me, the so-called suspension of Ikimi, a man known as not only a father figure, a national political juggernaut, but a rallying point in Edo Central is a joke taken too far.

By suspending Ikimi in the Edo Central locality, the arrowheads who signed the said press release, have only presented themselves as political Lilliputians, whose major stock in trade is for personal gains. I know that Hon. Tony Aziegbemi, the Edo State chairman of the PDP, is a well-schooled political lieutenant, who will never point his left fingers to his father’s compound. Aziegbemi, a two-time member of the House of Representatives, is a man who controls his impulses, with a known record of political maturity. They should be wary of who co-signed the said press release.

Edo Central political stalwarts should not forget in a hurry the negative role played by this same flock of political nuisance, in the political suicide committed by Prof. Osariemen Osunbor, the former governor of Edo State, a sad development that eventually led to the sweeping away of Esan glory during the administration of Osunbor.

It is interesting that the purported suspension of Ikimi has been duly countered via an enlarged meeting chaired by the leader in Igueben Local Government Area of the PDP. This reminds me of the late sensational musician, Ras Kimono, who sang the intoxicating lyrics: Oh Jah, see them coming political jobbers. Aziegbemi should be guided not to be lured into dancing to the drum of war being beaten because the trouble mongers will likely abandon him midway.

Those who tried to suspend Ikimi are living in a fool’s paradise, as a vote of confidence has been massively passed by those that matter, where it was stated unequivocally that it was only the people in the ward and local government of Ikimi, that have the statutory political prerogative to suspend him.

My candid advice for Aziegbemi is to be very tactical and go ahead to dialogue on behalf of PDP State Executive Committee with Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State. This position is being canvassed in the overall interest of the Esan Agenda, come 2023, which must never be jeopardised by any miscalculation.

Those who struck the deal that led to the emergence of Obaseki, as the governor, knew clearly that air does not operate in a vacuum; that in a political marriage of this nature, the sitting governor inherently inherits both political liability and the structure.
 
Diagi Lucky is a political analyst and strategist based in Benin City.

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