In the current dispensation, Edo electorate should not bother to give their votes to Asue Ighodalo the PDP candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Several reasons exist for dumping him but the reason that interests me in this opinion article is the fact that he is coming into the guber race with a dirty, stained political slate unlike Senator Monday Okpebholo the APC candidate.

How? Asue Ighodalo is conscripted into the race by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Put simply, it is the invocation of the obnoxious and voodoo demon of godfather politics that gave "ogbanje" birth to Asue Ighodalo.

It is no wonder since he arrived on the scene the schism in the PDP has geometrically multiplied.

The old PDP and the new disgruntled ones and disgruntled led by Philip Shaibu now are more bitter over Obaseki's abracadabra politics of exclusion which threw up Asue Ighodalo as the PDP guber candidate.

Well, let the dead bury the dead as the biblical scriptures tells us.

What concerns me in this write-up is to spotlight the worrisome, dire implication of having a godfather sponsoring Asue Ighodalo in the election.

See, in essence, godfatherism has an inherent cancerous DNA that does no one any good because it is mutually destructive in its diabolical character.

Let me put it in clearer terms. Godfatherism in an anomic country like Nigeria or elsewhere often gives birth to a Frankenstein godson with a DNA of initial pretentious, beggarly and subservient allegiance to the godfather. Later on, after tasting the banana sweetness of power while in office, the godson dones a garment of profound insolence, ingratitude and disloyalty to the godfather to his dismay.

The unforgiving combative godfather decides to reclaim his extant assertive "mandate" of power, authority and influence over the godson.

The result is warsaw seeing unregulated war within the party and in court. In the end, the godson and godfather go for each other's jugular.

Mutually assured destruction of both parties becomes inevitable. As the fight between godfather and godson rages, the godson spends more needless time in court litigations and security meetings than in governance. So, the people suffer.

This is the sadistic debacle since 2018 between godfather Oshiomole and godson Obaseki we are all aware of.

Unfortunately, Obaseki who declared godfatherism dead in Edo State because of his bitter experience with the monster of godfatherism has become a political godfather to a willing godson Asue Ighodalo.

Why should Edo people therefore vote for him an experience another godfather/godson fight in the state?

Some argue that godson Asue Ighodalo won't renege on his loyalty and continuity promise to godfather Obaseki. So, the twosome won't fight and create political harakiri once more in the state.

Hmmmm, I just laugh. All I can tell you is to please join me on my voyage of history to see how promise discarding and treachery in the past and present took place repetitively with Bubonic rapidity.

Let us first visit the bible. Judas Iscariot betrayed God himself by 'selling' Jesus Christ for 30 silver pieces with an adulterous kiss.

Brutus betrayed unsuspecting Julius Caesar of his false friendship. Too late!! It was when in death pains Caesar realised Brutus was indeed an enemy. Hence, looked into his eyes and declared:" E tu Brutus? So ; you are among my enèmies, tòo? Unbelievable!!"

What a pity Caesar didn't have the prophetic eyes of discerning sight to know that treachery does not wear tribal marks.

The great British playwright, William Shakespeare, is the one that told the story of Caesar's betrayal in his work Julius Caesar, in pursuit of the literary spirit of social realism.

Also, he did a similar thing in his play Macbeth. In this piece of work, King Duncan was betrayed by his most trusted war generals Macbeth who was already well rewarded with the titular rulership of Glamis and Cawdor. Overambitious, greedy and power-drunk godson Macbeth was not satisfied with his favoured elevated status above his peers. He wanted to be king. So, he killed his godfather, Duncan.

Before his demise, King Duncan was so shattered by Macbeth's treacherous plot to de-godfather him that he said of Macbeth: "There is no art to judge a man's construction on the face. He was a gentleman in whom I built an absolute trust"

The altercation between godson Macbeth and godfather Duncan brought woes to their land.

Edo voters listen. Edo State cannot afford another wasteful war between godfather Obaseki and godson Asue Ighodalo. So, why vote for Asue Ighodalo? Our elders say:"Stone when dem see no day blind eye."

In 2016 when godfather Oshiomole joyously handpicked unknown godson Obaseki as Edo State APC guber candidate, most people hailed him. But later both of them fell apart to the surprise of close watchers. Incredible!!

Here is Obaseki who affectionately shared the same VIP suite in father-and-son mode each time they travel abroad in the past. No quarrel. Now, he engaged in a roforofor fight with his master. In real life. Also, throughout his years as chairman of Oshiomole's Economic Strategic Team he never dare talk back at Oshiomole. Now, he engaged him in a shouting, disloyal rude match.

Alas, godfather and son had fallen apart in a free-fall politics without a referee.

Recall that this development contributed to the sack of Oshiomole as APC national chairman. In reciprocation, Oshiomole ensured that Obaseki never got a second tenure ticket in 2020 under the APC platform. Obaseki migrated to the PDP for the ticket. Subsequently, he won the guber election.

Nevertheless, the war between renounced godson Obaseki and godfather Oshiomole has continued without end. It is a war of attrition without a victor or vanquished. Sometimes you lose; at other times you win in an everlasting cycle of fiery mutual vengefulness.

Edo people since 2020 became the suffering grass. trampled on by the fighting godson and father.

Too true, godfatherism no day born good pikin!!.

Obaseki himself as a godfather in Edo State since 2019 ran a mutilated house of assembly of about 10 supportive lawmakers excluding 14 others of godfather Oshiomole.

Today, wielding the might of godfatherism Obaseki has secured a majority of godsonic Yes lawmakers that will never think of impeaching him even if he serially violates the constitution. What is more, Obaseki deployed his godfatherism fiat to also install all the 18 local government chairmen in the state 18 over 18.. No challenge!!

Again, take the case of Dr Chris Ngige, also. His godfather, one of the Uba brothers, made him swear to an oath at the famous Okija Shrine to be a loyal godson as Anambra State governor.

Foul!!! When he won the election to the seat, he backed out of the deal. A running battle ensued which destabilized the state to a large extent until Ngige left office without a constitutional second tenure.

How about Dr Bukola Saraki forner governor of Kwara State. Because of godfatherism, he clashed with his biological father Dr. Olusola Saraki in a bid to stop his own father from making his daughter and his/Bukola's stepsister, Gbemisola Saraki; the next governor of the state.

The war between the two godfathers has boiled over till date even after Dr.Olusola Saraki's passage. Gbemisola Saraki still and his stepbrother Dr. Bukola Saraki are uneasy blood siblings today and are deliberately in different political parties all because of the malcontents of godfatherism.

Can't you still see the damage godfatherism does? Yet Obaseki is using the same platform of godfatherism to foist Asue Ighodalo on Edo State today. He is using subterfuge to ensure Asue Ighodalo born of godfatherism becomes the next governor of the state. Bad market!!

A question. Do you know why Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, resigned from his job? One major reason, according to a report by Phoenix news outlet last week is because godfathers in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have taken over the senior team creating godsons out of the leading, big boys in the likes of Victor Osimhen. Given this, the players have become not susceptible to discipline in camp during trainings and on match days.

What he is saying, in other words, is that NFF have the godfather contagious virus in them with which they have contaminated their Victor Osimhen godsons with resulting in low productivity of the Super Eagles.

Kogi governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has equally contacted this godfatherism virus being a verified godson to super godfather, ex' governor Yahaya Bello. It is not surprising the sitting governor is protecting and preventing Bello's arrest by the EFCC which is looking for him to face trial for allegedly stealing over N80billion while in office.

Trust godson Asue Ighodalo as a Governor like Ahmed Usman Ododo wil be suggestively predisposed to cover up for his godfather Obaseki when the going is good before they fall apart.

Rivers State, today;, is the most contemporary evidence of the evil of godfatherism. Right now, Godfather Nyesom Wike and Godson Governor Siminilayi Fubara are at each others' throat in a do-or-die supremacy war over the control of the state's resources since Siminalayi was sworn in.

No let, no hindrance. None of them is ready to blink first in surrender or rapprochement to allow peace reign in traumatized Rivers State.

Sadly enough, both godfather and godson are wasting public funds in prosecuting the meaningless resource war while the people are suffering.

Certainly, such a black market godson/godfather governorship ticket in Rivers State ticket is like the one that Asue Ighodalo is parading is potentially laden with implosive device waiting to go off by the trigger of gubernatorial power.

So, why vote for a crisis mandate of Asue Ighodalo being sold to the electorate with the spicy flavorings of Goehrlian propaganda?

Vote wisely. Choose Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC candidate who is not sponsored by any godfather. He remains the only one anointed by GOD THE FATHER IN HEAVEN not an earth bound GODFATHER.