The scenario above was certainly not a clean sweep that Oshiomhole had planned to achieve.  If it had been, one thing is sure: The Comrade Governor and his aides would have declared a celebration galore and clinked the good wine glasses to mark the total eclipse of the PDP in the State.

Perhaps, the most important issue is the political capital which Oshiomhole and the ACN operatives in Edo State want to make out of their visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin where the royal father reportedly endorsed the Governor for a second term in office, although not without going through the rigours of an election in the state.  He must, of course, subject himself to revalidation through the ballot box.

Even though I did not read the first report about his endorsement, the second report of yet another endorsement which I read in THISDAY on Sunday (May 1, 2011 at page 10 under the “Briefly” column with the headline: “Adams Oshiomhole”) provoked some socio-political thinking concerning the role and influence of royal fathers and/or traditional institutions in the election and otherwise of elective office holders.

The report reads: “Barely two weeks after endorsing Governor Adams Oshiomhole for a second term in office, the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba n’ Edo Erediauwa has restated his support for the Governor for a second term in office.

Speaking during the presentation of the House of Assembly members-elect from Edo South to him in his palace by the Governor, the monarch said: ‘Your Excellency, I congratulate you and your winners.  The news said your party won 19 for the House of Assembly against five for PDP.  I, however, felt sad that the Speaker lost out, although I read that he is going to the Tribunal.

‘Anyway, keep it going on, Your Excellency.  We thank God for all of you, those of you who won, be with him for 2012.  With this group, we are sure that you will keep the flag flying’.”

I can understand the excitement of Oshiomhole and the ACN over the statement of the royal father.  No political party will fail to make capital out of any positive royal pronouncement that could conduce to its electoral fortunes.

They have decided to turn it into a media-hype.  But it is a dubious political move by the ACN to present winners of the legislative elections from Edo South knowing full well that the royal father would have some good words for them, which would be reinforced in the media as one of their unique selling points of their electioneering.

Whereas, in the first instance, such visitation was unnecessary because the Benin monarch, as the father of all, was not supposed to be bothered by such politicking; he was not the one who sent them out on the political adventure where they won in Edo South and Edo North and the political misadventure where they lost in Edo Central.

But they were not in doubt, at all, that the royal father would not, afterall, turn them back.  Moreover, the palace of the Benin monarch and those of other monarchs in Edo State are open to all elective office holders to visit.

To prove to the people of the state that the Oba of Benin is non-partisan and quite receptive of all in his domains who wish to pay homage to him, I would suggest that the PDP legislators-elect, who trounced their ACN opponents in the elections, could on their part embark on a visitation to the Oba.  I am sure they will also receive some good words from him.

Indeed, Oshiomhole and his elected members in ACN cannot monopolise visitation to the palace of the Benin monarch; they do not have exclusive preserve to monarchical endorsements as long as such endorsements play a role in electoral contest.  This is reason Oshiomhole’s ACN should not rejoice yet, because having gone to the palace, others too can go, if not now, certainly at a later date.

Be that as it may, I will round off by declaring that indeed the battle ahead is the Lord’s which will be fought through the people and not through the instrumentality of the state machinery, which has failed in some states.  It is the people who will decide-voice populi, voice dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God.)  In the meantime, let the political parties engage with the people; let politics of ideas contend and let concrete development flourish from it for the overall wellbeing of Edo State.

Mr. CALLISTUS OMOREGIE, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.