By Hassan Momodu & Eghosa Omoruyi

This piece is our well-considered response to a publication in the Vanguard newspaper of Wednesday, May 18, 2011, which was credited to one Elder Sunny Uyigue, who was also described as a factional Edo PDP Chairman, wherein he tried in vain to derogate, through some laughable pigeonholing, elder statesman, Chief Tony Anenih, as a community leader.

In the said publication and a couple other publications before it in some other newspapers by Uyigue and his tribe of critics, he had characteristically alleged that Anenih, during the PDP primaries in Edo, imposed the candidates that contested in the just-concluded general elections in the State. First, it is completely untrue that Anenih imposed candidates on the PDP during the primaries.

Everybody in Edo State can attest to the fact that it was only the PDP that created a level play field for all its aspirants during the said primaries in contrast to what happened in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with which Uyigue has now fallen in love.What is more, the National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, openly and unpretentiously defended the imposition of candidates by his party during the nationwide party primaries. Lest Uyigue forgets, he should be reminded to tell the world what led to the exit of Mathew Urhoghide and many other party chieftains from the ACN after its primaries.

Typical Uyigue, you are at it again!Second, we find it difficult to fathom the basis for Uyigue”s declaration that ““the candidates presented by the PDP were nothing to write home about.”” How can any rational human being dismiss somebody like Senator Daisy Danjuma, a well-respected member of the Senate (2003-2007), as ““nothing to write home about””?

Is Uyigue contesting the integrity and suitability of candidates like Honourable Faluyi Isibor and Honourable Adesutu to mention but a few as people with ““nothing to write home about””? No wonder, it is often said that it takes greatness to recognize the greatness in other people. Similarly, the poor performance of the PDP in Edo South was caused by the unidentified and flirtatious position of the like of Uyigue who are members of the party in the day and members of the ACN at night. Otherwise, how can Uyigue”s canonization of the ACN and its exploits during the last general elections be justified if truly he is a member of the PDP?

It is only a child who is a victim of a distorted family socialization or upbringing that would comfortably stand in the front of his neighbour”s house and throw stones at the abode of his parents. After all, it was Uyigue and his cohorts who told Anenih to stay away from their senatorial district, insisting that they wanted senatorial autonomy and non-interference by outside political forces. The outcome of that election in Edo South was a direct consequence of the autonomy for which Uyigue and his dissident group have been campaigning.

Without doubt, it amounts to sheer display of ignorance and political naivety for Uyigue to refer to Edo Central Senatorial District as ““a small enclave.”” Uyigue has failed to recognize the fact the Esan people and other non_natives represent a significant proportion of the entire Edo South voting population figures with which Uyigue is now derogating the Esan people. It is a generally known fact that the number of people that voted in Edo South was not more than 20 percent of the registered voters.

What happened to the rest? We hope Uyigue can now appreciate the dangers of throwing stones from a glass house. As for the allegation by Uyigue that ““Chief Anenih led Ugbesia and others to Oshiomhole”s house, popping champagne while celebrating the fall of Osunbor,”” it was another deliberate attempt on his part to misinform the reading public. Interestingly, it was only when Governor Oshiomhole lost his dear wife that the Iyasele of Esanland, like any other sympathizer, visited the Government House on a condolence visit.

Haba, Uyigue! The impression is created that your preoccupation in politics is Anenih. Can”t you look for something more productive to do rather than dissipating energy on a mission to wrongly and dubiously deconstruct Anenih with a view to denigrating him?

Nevertheless, we challenge Uyigue to produce the said video clip in his possession to substantiate his spurious claim. Our candid advice is that Uyigue should subject himself to tutorials on the rudiments of decent and quality politicking as opposed to his current involvement in the politics of cheap blackmail, rough tackles and character assassination. But one thing we are happy about is that Anenih cannot be cowed or intimidated into giving in to politics of mercantilism that is designed to oil the extortionist propensity of celebrated blackmailers. We consider it infra dig for Uyigue to expect the Iyasele of Esanland and elder statesman to condescend to the level of dignifying his mischief and baseless allegations and claims by trading words with him.

This is why our response has become apposite. Perhaps, unknown to him (Uyigue), his antics nauseate as they assault the sensibilities of well-meaning and right_thinking people. His description of Anenih as a ““community leader”” shows his bigotry and private fixation at bashing one of the great leaders of the PDP, by the grace of God, and one who is widely acclaimed as ““the Leader”” in the national political context.

This Anenih-bashing must be feeding on some clandestine sponsorship by some desperate political forces.  Uyigue and his cohorts had wished that Anenih and his PDP lost their footholds completely in Edo State. But they were disappointed. That is why they have not been able to hide their pains that the Leader was able to stop ACN from winning in Edo Central zone. In any case, his attack on Anenih does not, in any way, subtract from his national rating and respectability.

From all indications, it is manifestly evident that Uyigue is only suffocating with envy but unfortunately he cannot be Anenih or be another Anenih in politics. It is indeed sad and highly lamentable that Uyigue is yet to accept the incontrovertible truism that ““man pass man.”The truth of the matter is that we know who Uyigue”s sponsors are and what they are trying to achieve by this deliberate misinformation. But unknown to them, the crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, could neither arrest nor stop the spread of Christianity.

Momodu and Omoruyi, managing partners of HAME KONSULT, sent this piece from Benin and can be reached on [email protected].