By Gab Ejuwa

IF you are an ardent follower of politics in Nigeria, you would have heard of the slang; the “Buhari Syndrome”. But if you haven’t, then you may have to dust up your old schoolbag, sandal and uniform to go back to the four walls of a classroom at least of the political nature and texture.

Ogboru

Simply put, Buhari syndrome, according to the dialectics of  Nigeria’s politics refers to a mindset and attitude not too inferior to that of an American president- Abraham Lincoln , who cultivated an attitude of mulishly asserting his suitability to be elected president despite constant disappointments and failures at the polls.

In the case of Lincoln, these disappointments came in rapid succession, and even traversed other aspects of his life so much that it gave birth to a wise saying from him which today has been arrogated to  the stature of words on the marble: “The dignity of man is not in never falling, but in rising each time he falls.”

As in the ease of Lincoln, Muhammadu Buhari, to some extent had a feel of this Lincolnian quirk of fate. However, unlike Lincoln, PMB contested for the Nigerian Presidential Election three consecutive times before he could muster a victory in 2015, which was as to be expected a landslide in the same manner as Lincoln who evolved to become one of the greatest presidents of the American clime.

Perhaps, treading the Lincolnian and the Buharian trajectory in Nigerian politics again is the charismatic and cerebral chieftain of the Urhobo and a leading light of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Great Ovedji Ogboru.

It is  on record that Ogboru has been angling for the governorship seat in Delta state since the 2003 general elections. Indescribably self-assured and fabulously wealthy, the man popularly known as the People’s General has traversed media house, preaching the Gospel of political salvation and redemption of Delta State by the agency of Ovedjenomics to all who care to listen and insist that during his various electoral outings, he received the wrong end of the stick.

As far back as 2003, Great Ogboru and his DPP had lined up against the PDP that fielded James Onanefe Ibori, a fellow Urhobo. Ogboru  had expected to turn the tables on the PDP, which had the former military head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo, as its presidential candidate. As events  panned out, the Otta farmer and his wily party gave him a raw deal and refused bluntly to announce the result of the contest. Instead they declared the Oghara man as duly elected. “Great” challenged the injustice in a competent court of law.

Again in 2007, “Great” was in the fray to challenge for the Government House in Asaba. But, PDP President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had upped his strategies to sweep all opposition out of political relevance. Not surprisingly, again the PDP ” superstructure” ensured and enthroned the executive governor of Delta State. Not one to tire of fighting for justice, “Great” dutifully fought this injustice in court one more time, firmly convinced he had been robbed again and demanded  the revalidation of his mandate as  expressly given by the people. As fate would have it, the court ordered a re-run election after three and a half years in court, but his opponent won in that re-run election.

Yet again, in the general elections in 2015, Great Ovedje Ogboru took another shot at getting into the Government House, Asaba, contesting the slot on the platform of Labour Party against Governor Ifeanyi  Okowa of the PDP, the PDP triumphed once again at the expense of Ogboru.

For lesser men, these deprivations of deserved success at the poll would have had a deterrent effect, especially if we call to mind that veritable fortunes are expended on elections in this country. But  not for lion-hearted men like Ogboru who look on obstacles as springboards to success and adversities as precursors of prosperity and one ready and willing to pay the price for greatness. If we remember that “Great”, as his teeming admirers call him, has proved himself a triton among the minnows in the murky waters of competitive business and is therefore in a pole position to contribute substantially to the industrial development of Delta State by virtue of his self-evident business acumen.

It is based on the  above that the political calculation and punditry for next year’s election in the state must of necessity throw up some interesting complications and re-alignment of interests, climaxing as it must in a closely-contested two horse race between the incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, on the one hand and Great Ovedje Ogboru, on the other.

It is pertinent to remark that as things stand, “Great” comes across as one to garner sufficient  votes  for victory, for a variety of real and putative reasons as far as punditry goes.

To begin with, there is the real likelihood of what may be called, for want of a mere apposite term, an Ogboru predisposition or fixation factor in the forthcoming election. What  do I mean? For the simple fact that this astute businessman has been a kind of recurring decimal in the politics of this littoral state for some decades now, it is natural that the majority of Deltans are already rooting for him, wanting him to walk his talk of improving the lot of the state by ensuring that he gets the mandate.

Besides and perhaps more importantly, if the people subscribe to the idea that he had contested several times, he deserves victory. As he would constantly tell whoever cares to listen, there is the distinct possibility of sympathetic voting.

Apart from this, the personalities of the two contestants must of necessity impinge on their electoral fortunes or even misfortunes. While Governor Ifeanyi Okowa cannot be described as a dullard, many Deltans see him as a colourless inobtrusive academic, your regular next-door neighbour kind of man. This is a different proposition entirely from the charismatic urbane tableau that Great Ogboru cuts among his people, a compelling magnetic image which his wide business connections and fabulous wealth do not diminish in any way.

What is even more remarkable, Delta State is reputed to be an investment and industrial virgin awaiting the magic touch of the proverbial prince. Who is better to take up the reins of governance in the state other than a hard-headed business mogul renowned for bravery and philanthropy? Whose mystique precedes him and turns heads where ever he goes.

As if all these are not enough justifications in themselves, Great is now a bona fide member of the mainstream and ruling party-All Progressives Congress, APC, which has the structure on ground.