Herbal missiles are flying in the aftermath of the intensely divisive December 8 governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State. Although casualties are yet to be counted, it is likely that the raging battle will consume giant egos. Reports said “guns boomed” during the intra-party poll held at Yard 158 Event Centre, Kudirat Abiola Road, Oregun, Ikeja, which may be considered as the forerunner of the war of words.
It is interesting to note that the cause of the bitterness has become a court matter. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence, who was apparently worsted in the primary, has challenged the outcome in the temple of justice. Obanikoro, who is pursuing the cancellation of the election, alleged that some prominent personalities in the party were biased against him and created an enabling environment for electoral fraud, which was to his disadvantage. He named Chief Olabode George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and accused them of unfairly promoting the aspiration of Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who was declared winner of the primary.
George’s reaction to the allegation of electoral manipulation sounded like a volcanic eruption. He described Obanikoro as “a desperate and obsessed man, who is apparently incapable of absorbing the reality of his defeat by a well-bred and better man.” He continued: “Surely, Obanikoro is possessed and obsessed. He needs psychiatric treatment. He is a desperate sinking man, grasping and thrashing in self-inflicted chasm.” In conclusion, George said: “Enough of his desperate tantrums and lunacy. Lagos has moved on, far beyond the primitive wretchedness of little, ill-bred hooligans.”
Obanikoro’s counter-statement was spiced with innuendos about George’s experience with the law over corruption-related charges connected with his time as Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), despite the voiding of his prison sentence and imprisonment by the Supreme Court. “For whatever it is worth,” Obanikoro said, “it is to Chief George’s credit that his family name is tainted and now constitutes a generational blemish as Nigeria’s leading metaphor for gross moral deficit, lack of integrity and public dishonour.” He added: “As Chief Bode George embarks on his feeble attempts at painting a picture of me that exists only in his imagination, let someone remind him that the post-traumatic stress disorder that comes with a time in jail would take more than just an unholy alliance with a pharmacist to heal.” The reference to a pharmacist represented an unmistakable inclusion of Agbaje.
“In all my life and public service career,” Obanikoro boasted, “I have never been accused, arrested or convicted for fraud whether at home or abroad and I have been happily and responsibly married for 34 years.” Again, the domestic dimension was clearly a dark hint about George’s married life.
By the look of things, this bout may yet feature even more image-damaging blows, given the ferocity of the fighters. It has all the promising ingredients of a fight to the finish; but it remains to be seen whether the warriors are shameless enough to carry on the battle at the expense of what is left of their dignity
