By Babajide Obafemi.
The moment Governor Siminalayi Fubara defected to the APC, he appeared to have put on a garment of arrogance and foolhardiness once again. From that point, caution seemed to give way to conceit, and prudence was replaced with provocation.
In my years of existence, I have never seen someone so carefully packaged into a position of unexpected and undeserved leadership act with such recklessness, poor judgment, and glaring lack of political wisdom. A Yoruba adage says, ọmọ gọ ẹni oku, kí ló fẹ́ pa ọmọ bí kì í ṣe agọ? Why would someone deliberately destroy what he inherited on a platter of gold?
After surviving the first bomb scare aimed at forcing him out of office, and after being rescued by the intervention of Mr President through a state of emergency, one would ordinarily expect sobriety, sense, and strategic thinking to prevail. Alas, Governor Fubara remains thoroughly uncircumspective, stubbornly swimming against the tide of reason.
You publicly refer to your leader as barking. You refuse to present a budget. You allegedly send one hundred thousand naira each to members of the State Assembly as Christmas gifts. Pray, who exactly are the advisers surrounding this man called Siminalayi Fubara? Either he has no advisers at all, or he refuses to listen to them, or worse still, they are subtly steering him toward self sabotage.
Politics rewards patience, punishes pride, and despises desperation. Fubara seems determined to test all three truths at once. Yet, I believe there is still a thin line opportunity for him to retrace his steps, apply restraint, and act with wisdom. That singular decision may at least guarantee the completion of his tenure without the looming threat of impeachment.
– Babajide Obafemi is the Political Editor of Lagos Indicator.
