[OPINION] Wahab Oba: How Not To Be A Wailer

By Abdullah Abdulganiy

When he was in office as Chief Press Secretary to former Kwara Governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed, the number of times Mr Wahab Oba came out to issue statements can be counted at the snap of a finger. But here he is today disturbing the media space with gibberish in the name of articles. If he had channeled same energy he's using today for wailing to work yesterday, perhaps the image of his principal would not have been so badly battered.

As it is characteristic of every of his public contribution, his latest article titled, ‘AA and the assault on the Emirate’ betrays the peak of ignorance, partisanship and hypocrisy. It's best described as a diatribe. If every roadside trader is parroting uninformed narratives about the cancellation of Durbar by the government, one would have expected a relatively exposed person like Mr Wahab Oba with his wealth of experience in public administration to rise above the crowd. Nay! A leopard never changes its spot.

Even when he said his intervention was not politics, he ended up throwing up partisan issues. If, indeed, like he claimed, he was not interested in politics, Oba would have seen the bigger picture. The bigger picture is the safety of lives and the forestalling of what might have gone down as the opening of a fresh chapter of political violence in the state. That decision to cancel the Durbar celebration by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is deft, however unpopular it might appear.

Yes, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki was hailed by his supporters on Eid day. And that's even thanks to Governor AbdulRazaq's magnanimity of allowing political diversity. In this same Nigeria, many Governors have banned their real and perceived foes from entering their states, and heaven did not fall. Again, any politician can be hailed by his teeming supporters and a hired crowd. Omoyele Sowore who scored a paltry 30,000 votes during the 2019 presidential election was hailed at various times by crowds. But where did that take him to? Saraki himself was greeted by crowds buildup to the 2019 election. Did that earn him his seat back at the Senate?

I doubt Saraki would be able to match the Governor in a crowd contest if the latter were really interested given the resources available to him. But is that the issue? The issue is that of clashes that would have trailed the Durbar by the overzealous supporters of both parties. Clashes that will no doubt result in casualties no matter the heavy presence of security agents. Would the security agents have come since the report emanated from them? It would be the case of “shebi we tell am before”.

The Governor remains the chief security officer of the state. He has been appointed to take security decisions that will be in the best interest of the people. Allow him to have his time. Wahab Oba's boss during his reign banned street to street political rallies and did rationalize it with security factor. Not everyone suffers from amnesia. Of course, the Durbar could have held and the Governor will remain unhurt in the event of any clash. How about those he was elected to protect? It takes only a Governor with conscience to make such a hard, unpopular decision. Only people who can do away with their sentiments and put their reasoning faculties down will see the bigger picture.