The Dangerous Descent of Ogbakha Edo

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie, Esq.

What I have just watched is not only disappointing; it is a complete betrayal of the very foundation upon which Ogbakha Edo was built.

We did not found Ogbakha Edo to become an appendage of any political party, nor a vehicle for advancing the narrow, selfish agenda of any individual disguised as regional interest. It was conceived as a non-partisan Benin socio-cultural platform, with the moral authority to speak truth across divides, in the mould of Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

What we see now is a tragic descent into full-blown partisanship. A reckless statement threatening “consequences beyond the 2027 elections” over the internal processes of a political party is not only irresponsible; it is reprehensible. No socio-cultural body has any business issuing threats in the arena of party primaries. Such conduct should be condemned by every right-thinking person.

More curious, and frankly more troubling, is this sudden moral outrage against the so-called “imposition” of a candidate. Since when did Ogbakha Edo discover that imposition is wrong? The selective indignation is as revealing as it is disappointing.

I recall vividly that the same voices now posturing as defenders of democratic purity were jubilant when the very individual they now purport to speak for was imposed on the All Progressives Congress in 2020. Not only did they celebrate it, they went further to support that project financially. Earlier still, he was imposed on the People’s Democratic Party in 2016.

What, then, has changed? Certainly not principle. What we are witnessing is not a principled stand against imposition, but a convenient reinvention of morality driven by present political interest.

This is not advocacy. It is hypocrisy—plain and unvarnished.

Just so we are clear, Ogbakha Edo has no capacity to threaten any political party. Such posturing is empty and, worse still, exposes the organisation to ridicule. What is being projected is not Benin interest, but the desperate ambition of one individual, clothed in borrowed legitimacy and masquerading as regional concern.

This is not the Ogbakha Edo of our dreams. This is not the Ogbakha Edo we envisioned.

As a founding member, I speak from a position of authority and pain. I was unceremoniously removed from the platform in 2024 for holding a differing political view. That same intolerance, that same desperation, has now found expression in this ill-advised and embarrassing public outing.

I am particularly disappointed that Sam Guobadia, an emeritus Professor of Development Economics and Business, and former Vice Chancellor of a University, would allow himself to be used in this manner.

It must be clearly stated, however, that this intervention is not about any aspirant. It is not an endorsement of one, nor a rejection of another. It is not even about the All Progressives Congress or its primaries. It is about truth, correctness, integrity, and fidelity to purpose.

Anything short of that is a distortion.

DAN Osa-Ogbegie, Esq.

Legal Practitioner and APC Member, Uhunmwode