As far as stature goes, Governor Godwin Obaseki would definitely be regarded as the Goliath and the dimunitive suspended National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, David. This though could not have been further from the truth in Nigeria Political-dom a few months back, as Adams Oshiomhole had through his political peregrination, claimed his fair share of heads, having slain the proverbial thousands in Edo political space and had spread his tentacles to other parts of the country.

With an almost endless list of victims; Late Chief Anthony Anenih remains one of Oshiomhole’s most notable political conquests. Before Oshiomhole’s coming, Anenih had garnered for himself a reputation of invincibility, akin to that of gods. He was revered in Nigeria’s political space, earning himself the sobriquet – Mr. Fix it. Although bloodied from a pyrrhic victory against the almighty Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo over the national leadership of the then ruling party, PDP, a battle that cost him much political capital, Anenih was still in every sense of the word a Goliath until Oshiomhole brought him down and retired him from active politics to his hometown, Uromi, where he would eventually keep his appointment with the grim ripper.

The late Samuel Ogbemudia, who till date, still commands respect as one of the best governors the state has ever had, was another one of Oshiomhole’s political laurels. With his one-man, one-vote campaign, Oshiomhole traversed the length and breadth of Edo State, projecting and successfully selling to the people of Edo, these political godfathers as needless effigies, lacking any true political relevance. According to his gospel, they were needless impostor- placeholders, working solely for self-aggrandisement and in the process depriving the people of the dividends of democracy. They were not needed and should be buried, politically speaking, Oshiomhole insisted, and executed this mantra with clinical finesse. Brig. Ogbemudia’s retirement from active politics and death, three years ago this month, is still very well chronicled in Edo political lore.

The Igbinedions; Chief Gabriel Nosakhare Igbinedion and his son, former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, may well be amongst the few, of the political godfathers retired from active politics by Oshiomhole in Edo State, who may live to see his downfall.

Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, having acquired for himself great wealth as far back as the seventies, saw power as the one thing that remained a desirederatum and sougth it for the family. The family groomed and positioned Lucky for governorship in Edo State; a feat they eventually achieved after much toil. Truly, at a point in Edo State, one could not even imagine to make progresss politically without the nod of the Igbinedions. But Oshiomhole saw to the end of the political reign of this family.

On the national front, we all witnessed how Oshiomhole engaged and saw to the political demise of hitherto godfathers turned tingods. Truly, 2019 will remain a year to be remembered in our political history. Oshiomhole lined up his political adversaries and brought them down one after another with deftness likened to that of a slingshot master. Notable on this list is Dr. Bukola Saraki. Saraki, who had through his political journey, which had pinaccled with him being Nigeria’s Senate President, had claimed his own fair share of victims, not sparing kith and kin. Nigerians will never forget how he rebelled against his biological father cum political godfather, the Waziri of the Ilorin Emirate, Chief Olusola Saraki, eventually edging the old scion from politics. Others on Oshiomhole’s longlist of victories are immediate past governors of Imo and Ogun States, Okorocha and Amosun, respectively. The likes of Dino Melaye, George Akume, Shehu Sani and so many others also dot Oshiomhole’s rich tapestry of political victories.

Having put together such an impressive list of political conquests, one would easily understand why Oshiomhole would have regarded Obaseki as non-consequential politically and by so doing, perhaps made the costliest mistake of his political career, just as the war veteran Goliath did with an unskilled and untrained David. Also germane to this analogy is the weapon used by David in felling Goliath, recorded as a catapult or slingshot. One can only imagine how ridiculous David would have looked brandishing a slingshot against the giant Goliath, where swords, armours, chariots, bow and arrows, amongst the many more sophisticated weaponry would have abound. So was the suspension of Oshiomhole at his ward by the ward exco treated with disdain by the political class in Nigeria. This move was scorned and ridiculed. To Oshiomhole’s regret, he was also guilty of this: Guilty to the extent that he allowed the time limit within which he needed to appeal such a suspension elapse.

As it is today, the suspension of Oshiomhole by his ward executive is turning out to be the proverbial stone that killed Oshiomhole; and Obaseki, his David.