BY IFEKA ONYEKA
“A man wrapped in borrowed robes should not mistake himself for a king.”
By now, any illusion that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori possesses the wit, tact, or basic intellectual fortitude to govern Delta state should have been shattered by the pitiful rambling of his glorified errand boy, Jackson Ekwugum. In his desperate attempt to salvage the irredeemable image of a lackluster governor, puppy Jackson unleashed a tirade of incoherent wailing, reeking of inferiority complex and misplaced loyalty. His article, a haphazard concoction of bootlicking and amateur propaganda, exposed not just his intellectual bankruptcy but the sheer emptiness of his principal. It was an embarrassing testament to how low the bar has been set in Delta State’s leadership.
But let’s dissect the meat of his jittery lamentations.
First, Ekwugum was so rattled by Senator Ned Nwoko’s self-evident popularity that he wasted several paragraphs trying to convince himself otherwise. The irony? His entire write-up was proof of Senator Ned Nwoko’s towering relevance. You do not dedicate an entire diatribe to a man you claim is insignificant. That alone is laughable.
And then, the blunder of the century! Citing Instablog9ja as proof of popularity or lack thereof. Are we now measuring political influence with gossip blogs? If that’s the intellectual weight of Ekwugum’s argument, then we understand why Oborevwori struggles to string two coherent sentences together in public. But let’s school him. True popularity is measured by impact, not media gimmicks.
Unlike Oborevwori, who rode on the coattails of political godfathers and now fumbles through governance like a toddler playing with matches, Ned Nwoko’s name echoes in the corridors of history and legislative excellence. The Distinguished Senator’s strides in sports, education, space exploration, malaria eradication interventions and infrastructure development are carved in stone. What does Oborevwori have to his name? A few dusty potholes and a government of crumbs? Spare us.
Ekwugum attempted, albeit feebly, to paint Oborevwori as a ‘humble’ governor loved by all. That, in itself, is comedic. If humility means being a docile puppet controlled by external forces, then congratulations, Oborevwori takes the crown. But governance is not a competition in subservience. It is about competence. And that is where he fails woefully.
What has Oborevwori achieved beyond cutting ribbons and taking pictures with real leaders? Where are the signature projects, the groundbreaking policies, the transformational reforms? Nowhere. Yet, here he is, barking at a Senator who dared to question his misappropriation of Delta State funds.
If Oborevwori had an ounce of political wisdom, he would recognize that Ned Nwoko’s defection to the APC is not about ‘destabilizing’ the PDP but about refusing to be part of a sinking ship captained by an unserious, clueless man. Nwoko is a statesman, not a sycophant. He goes where real governance happens, not where mediocrity is celebrated.
Ekwugum also tried, rather pathetically, to make a case for Oborevwori’s ‘capacity’ by referencing a Governor of the Year award from ThisDay/Arise TV, as though awards given in smoke-filled backrooms define leadership. The truth? Oborevwori’s ‘capacity’ starts and ends with reading rehearsed scripts written by handlers who know too well that letting him speak off-the-cuff is an invitation to disaster.
A governor who cannot engage his people in spontaneous intellectual discourse, who cannot articulate a clear vision for the state, and whose only defense against criticism is a paid lapdog writing feeble propaganda, is no governor at all.
A Governor with the eloquence of a drunken parrot!
It is both hilarious and pitiful that Ekwugum believes the Senator’s call for Anioma State is a ‘song and dance.’ That alone exposes his principal’s fear. The demand for Anioma State is a legitimate and strategic call for political balancing, and Senator Ned Nwoko is championing it with the wisdom and dedication of a true leader.
If Oborevwori had any foresight, he would align himself with the movement rather than sneer at it like an idle bystander watching history unfold. But of course, expecting vision from a man whose political existence is predicated on hand-me-down power is asking for too much.
Who is Really Dancing Naked?
In the end, it is Sheriff Oborevwori, not Ned Nwoko, who is engaged in a shameless, desperate, and embarrassing public spectacle. A man so unnerved by his own inadequacies that he must hide behind the empty words of paid sycophants. A man so devoid of ideas that his only response to criticism is a feeble attempt to discredit his superiors.
If anyone is dancing naked in the market square, it is the governor — bare, exposed, and flailing under the weight of his own incompetence. And no amount of poorly written propaganda will clothe him.
Ekwugum and his paymasters would do well to focus on actual governance rather than crying over a Senator who is lightyears ahead of them in intellect, strategy, and vision.
The wind easily tosses around an empty calabash, just as power has tossed Sheriff Oborevwori into a position far beyond his capacity. His performance is amusing, but the laughter will not last forever.
Ifeka Onyeka writes from Asaba
