By Jackson Ekwugum
“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad” – Author unknown
By now any lingering doubts about the comportment, maturity, and fitness of Senator Ned Nwoko for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should have evaporated after reading his latest outburst. The presser where he boasted that he was “more popular” than Governor Sheriff Oborevwori laid bare the shallowness and hollowness of his character. It was puerile, jejune, and undignified, exposing a narcissistic trait that you would not expect to see in a person occupying the hallowed Red chamber of the National Assembly. The presser, an anti-climax to months of political perfidy in which he worked frantically to destabilise the Delta State PDP and demonise Governor Sheriff Oborevwori while frolicking with the APC, was an odious exercise in political grandstanding. The belief and hopes of some state party leaders in 2023 that Nwoko had repented of his uncouth ways and days of political harlotry have now been rewarded with betrayal of the highest order. Indeed, the pain and regret of those who were convinced that he was a “born again” politician are palpable. Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots.
Now, let us examine the matters arising from his infantile vituperations. In his warped logic, Nwoko claims to be “more popular” than Governor Oborevwori. For starters, Governor Oborevwori is not in a popularity contest with Nwoko. The Governor is not an attention-seeker; he is comfortable in his own skin and does not need to rub shoulders with a serving Senator representing one of the three senatorial districts in his State. Secondly, if you must tell people that you are popular, you are certainly not. Thirdly, Nwoko is confusing being controversial and cheap with being popular. To be popular means to be “liked or admired by many people or by a particular person or group.” Truth be told, that is not the case with the not-so-distinguished Senator. And there is no bigger attestation to this fact than the iconic instablog9ja’s screaming headline that “Regina Daniels’s Husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, defects from PDP to APC.” That, right there, tells you everything you need to know about Nwoko’s spurious claim to popularity. Obviously, Instablog9ja, a blog that caters to celebrities and newsmakers, only knows about his wife, once an up-and-coming talent in Nollywood. Thus, the only way the defection could be newsworthy to Instablog9ja and its readers was to rein Regina into the mix. So much for being popular.
Nwoko’s obsessive tendency to stoke needless controversies or attack persons bigger and better than him to gain attention and relevance is now almost legendary. It may put him in the headlines but that does not make him popular. On the contrary, Governor Oborevwori is a man that is loved, admired, and respected by people across partisan, religious, or ethnic lines. His self-effacing mien, ebullient personality, and relational skills are qualities that easily endear him to the rich and poor, the powerful and the powerless. This was in ample demonstration at his son’s nuptials at Asaba in December 2024. The President, Governors, political gladiators from across party lines and people from all spheres of human endeavour were happy to be on ground to celebrate with him. His trademark simplicity, humility and spirit of generosity, are qualities that continue to win him friends and admirers among his peers, and across party lines or socio-economic strata. Indubitably, Nwoko’s attempt to diminish the Governor’s status with his unwarranted and provocative attacks is not only an exercise in futility, it also serves to expose the Senator as a drowning man groping at every available straw for survival.
Senator Nwoko sought to paint the picture of Oborevwori as haughty and proud by saying “he does not respect me anymore.” Obviously, this is a man with a larger-than-life image of himself. It is hard to fathom why Nwoko thinks his Governor and leader should accord him special privileges and courtesies beyond that which he gives to others. Nwoko may have joined APC but the fact remains that Oborevwori is still his Governor. Protocol and common-sense demand that when he speaks of the Governor he should do so with decorum and respect. And if there is anything you may accuse Oborevwori of, it is certainly not being proud. A Governor who would apologise to his staff if they waited long to see him, because he was busy attending to other official functions, cannot be referred to as disrespectful or proud by any stretch of imagination. In Governor Oborevwori, I have seen a new level of humility that is sobering.
It was Nwoko’s assertion that “Sheriff Oborevwori does not have the capacity to be a Governor where we are.” The Governor of the Year (Infrastructure and Prudent Management of Resources) Award that was recently bestowed on Oborevwori by Thsiday/Arise TV clearly puts a lie to that preposterous claim. In a rare display of candour, ThisDay publisher, Nduka Obaigbena admitted that Governor Oborevwori was “underrated” before assuming office but has astounded many with his exceptional performance so far. Nigerians would take the word of a reputable publisher than that of a rabble rouser whose stock-in-trade is fanning the embers of division and disunity. Governor Oborevwori was a successful businessman before he ventured into politics, rising through the ranks to become Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly. During his record six-year tenure as Speaker, Oborevwori also served as Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (2020-2023), a testament to his capacity, competence, and character as a leader and manager of men and resources.
Talking about capacity, it is time Senator Nwoko takes a good, hard look in the mirror. By now, he ought to be reeling out his achievements to the good people of Delta North instead of this tiresome song and dance about Anioma State, which process has not even commenced. As a Senator in the National Assembly, it is his duty and responsibility to lobby and influence the Federal Government to do the needful regarding the Okpai Independent Power Plant and Ogwashi-Uku Dam, both Federal Government projects. Instead, he opts, rather mischievously, to pass the buck to the Governor, betraying his utter lack of understanding of his role as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Good enough, Senator Nwoko has exercised his right of freedom of choice and association to ally with the APC, the party in control of the Federal Government. This is his chance to get both projects running and functional. Until then, he should spare us his shameless naked dance in the market square that has become as irritating as it is distracting.
– Ekwugum wrote from Asaba.
