Former labour leader, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, formally ended two terms as Edo State governor on Saturday with the swearing in of Godwin Obaseki.
The 64-year-old was sworn-in to a first term of four years on November 12, 2008 following the sack of Professor Oserheimen Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Appeal Court sitting in Benin City.
He was re-elected on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2012, defeating his closest rival, Charles Airhiarvbere, also of the PDP.
After eight eventful years, we present nine of the things that Nigerians will remember the former president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for during his time at the Edo Government House.
- Khaki
Although he is one of the richest labour leaders Nigeria has ever produced, Oshiomhole still swears by his khaki. That was what he wore on the day of his inauguration. Many of the times he wore suits and other formal outfits were fashion fail. He somehow manages to look comfortable in his trademark dull-brownish fabric even when some things should have been kept out of sight.
- Street credibility
A corollary of Oshiomhole’s labour background is that he could connect with people in the grassroots. While his two immediate predecessors were considered elitist and disconnected from the people “Oshio Baba” plucked some low hanging political goodwill by buying corn and eating on the streets of Edo.
- Wife dies
Clara Oshiomhole, nee Akharagbon, passed on at exactly 10:53pm on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at the Abuja Clinic, Maitama, after a protracted battle with breast cancer. Speaking during his valedictory state executive council meeting on Wednesday, an emotional Oshiomhole said “my late wife wore khaki with me, standing right beside me when I took the oath of office. Her death was very devastating to me because we were in the struggle together before I became governor and I felt now that God made me governor, she was going to enjoy the fruit of her labour. So, it was shocking for me to lose her at that stage. I started with her and it would have been wonderful to finish with her.”
- Principal secretary assassinated
Labour activist and Oshiomhole’s personal secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde, was assassinated at his home in Ugbor GRA, Benin City in the early hours of May 4, 2012. Oshiomhole accused the PDP of masterminding the killing which was done a few months to the Edo governorship election while the party said it had “absolutely nothing to gain from the murder of Mr. Oyerinde.” The murder is yet to be resolved.
- “Go and die” widow
Oshiomhole was caught on tape in November 2013 telling Joy Ifijeh, a widow selling on the street to “go and die”. No sooner had the clip gone viral on social media than the ex-governor faced a firestorm of criticism for his “highhandedness” and “insensitivity”. The PDP sought to make political capital of the incident by offering the woman N250,000 as compensation. An embarrassed Oshiomhole later apologised to the woman, invited her to his office for tea, gave her N2million and offered her a job.
- Model wife
After four and half years of widowhood and with many Edo Nigerian women ready to give their eyeteeth to be his wife, Oshiomhole in May 2015 got married to Cape Verdean Iara Fortes. Then Vice President-elect Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo, were joined by politicians, royal fathers and captains at the wedding in Benin City. A sight for sore eyes, Iara was initially dismissed as a trophy wife, especially since she complements her husband in the looks department. She has since come into her own, providing support for her man in the last year of his governorship.
- Clash with Okonjo-Iweala
Oshiomhole’s tit for tat with former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala started during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The two-term finance minister accused the ex-governor of mismanaging state revenue while he argued that she fed Nigerians lies about the true state of the economy. The spat continued under President Muhammadu Buhari with Oshiomhole saying Okonjo-Iweala should be prosecuted for her involvement in the alleged mismanagement of money meant for the purchase of arms for which former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, is standing trial.
- Godfathers defeated
Oshiomhole counts the defeat of erstwhile godfathers of Edo politics like Tony Anenih and Gabriel Igbinedion – both of the PDP – as one of his biggest achievements as governor. “The one that is celebrated everywhere in the country as Mr. Fix it, we have fixed him,” he said. “The other one that has a powerful TV station which he uses to tell lies every day, through the power of organisation and communication; we defeated him even in the last election. It is clear that they are all down and by the special grace of God, I’m the only one standing. So in terms of the target I set for myself politically, mainly to demystify the godfathers and banish them from our polity, we believe that has been achieved. As I speak, all of them are down and I am standing. Nothing can be better than that.”
- Uromi monarch dethroned
One of Oshiomhole’s last major actions as governor was the dethronement of the Ojuromi of Uromi, Zaiki Edenojie II, for allegedly attacking one Betty Okoebor and initially refusing to apologise as directed. The former governor was further irked by the monarch travelling out of his domain without permission and recording a “contrived” reconciliation with the affected woman. A letter dated Friday, November 4, 2016 informed the monarch he had been banned for one year beginning from Monday, November 7. The embattled royal father approached the court seeking to stop the ban and asking for N1bn as compensation. His dethronement was announced on November 9. Uromi is Anenih’s hometown and the deposed monarch is believed to have campaigned for the PDP during the Edo governorship election.
