Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state may need to take a serious lesson from the latest developments in the APC’s political calculations
Remember when Okpebholo travelled to Osun State alongside other governors to campaign for the APC governorship candidate? While his fellow governors appeared focused on the political assignment and understood the importance of managing relationships, Okpebholo seemed more interested in opening his mouth to lambast his Osun counterpart, Governor Ademola Adeleke, calling him a “dancing governor” and accusing him of failure.
Today, Adeleke, who is not even a member of the APC, has reportedly secured a place in President Tinubu’s campaign team, while Okpebholo, an APC governor who reportedly promised 2.5 million votes for Tinubu, is absent from the list.
What an irony!
The same man Okpebholo mocked is now being accommodated in a political structure from which he himself appears to have been excluded.
While other governors may have understood that politics requires tact, diplomacy and strategic relationship-building, Okpebholo appeared to prioritise public attacks over political wisdom. And that is where the lesson lies.
In politics, you can disagree with an opponent without turning the disagreement into a personal battle. You can campaign against someone without unnecessarily burning bridges. Sometimes, knowing what not to say is just as important as knowing what to say.
If Adeleke can command political attention beyond his party’s boundaries, while Okpebholo’s much-publicised promise of 2.5 million votes has not translated into a visible place on this campaign team, then the Edo governor needs to reflect on how his political value is being perceived.
Perhaps he needs to understand that making big promises is not the same as possessing influence, and making noise is not the same as playing the game intelligently.
Governor Okpebholo should be smarter about his political relationships. Politics is not a competition over who can insult the other person the loudest. It is a game of timing, strategy, diplomacy and relevance.
You may call another governor a dancer, but if that same governor is being brought into the room where important political decisions are made while you are left outside, it is time to ask yourself whether you have misunderstood the game.
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