TENEBE’S UNGUARDED UTTERANCES AND THE BURDEN ON GOVERNOR OKPEBHOLO’S UNITY AGENDA
At a time when discipline should define the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, a troubling pattern of internal friction has emerged. While Governor Monday Okpebholo is busy building bridges, State Chairman Jarrett Tenebe appears to be burning them. The question must now be asked: Is the party leadership working with the Governor, or against him?
Since assuming office, Governor Okpebholo has pursued a deliberate path of reconciliation and inclusiveness. His direction is clear: to stabilize the state and unify the party. However, this agenda is being systematically undermined by the "unguarded utterances" of the State Chairman. In politics, there are no accidental signals at this level. When a Chairman speaks out of sync with his Governor, it is not a mistake- it is sabotage.
In today’s political climate, the Chairman’s words are not personal opinions; they are read as the official pulse of the party. By projecting aggression where the Governor offers peace, and chaos where the Governor offers order, the Chairman is creating a "perception gap" that rivals the opposition’s propaganda. Perception does not wait for clarification; it hardens into a narrative of a house divided.
Across successful APC-controlled states, this is understood as a betrayal of trust. Under the national leadership of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC has secured 31 governorships and a super-majority in the National Assembly through one thing: singular command. National dominance is built on coordinated messaging. In Edo, however, the Chairman’s rhetoric acts as a "competing signal" that weakens the Governor’s hand and emboldens his detractors.
The issue here is not a lack of communication; it is a lack of discipline. Governor Okpebholo’s efforts to unify the party are being actively overshadowed by signals that suggest institutional friction. When the Chairman’s temperament contradicts the Governor’s statesmanlike approach, the administration is forced to spend political capital fixing internal leaks instead of driving external progress.
This is a question of institutional loyalty. No administration can successfully build a unity agenda while its own party chairman provides the ammunition for its collapse. Inconsistency erodes confidence, weakens the Governor’s bargaining power, and complicates the most genuine efforts at progress.
Governor Okpebholo’s unity agenda demands more than just silent consent; it demands rhetorical submission. The Governor’s vision must be reinforced- not challenged- by a communication culture that is disciplined and in total lockstep with his direction.
In the theater of politics, leadership is defined by the perceptions it inspires. When a State Chairman’s signals clash with the Governor’s mission, it is no longer a matter of 'speaking one's mind'- it is a direct compromise of the Governor’s mandate.
We must, therefore, confront the uncomfortable: Whose interest is served when the Chairman’s rhetoric actively sabotages the Governor’s peace? If the national APC, under the disciplined leadership of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has secured a historic 31-state super-majority through singular cohesion, Edo cannot afford the reckless luxury of a 'divided house.'
Governor Okpebholo is focused on the difficult labor of governance; it is time for the party leadership to return to the fundamental duty of loyalty. Anything less is not merely a distraction- it is a calculated betrayal of the mandate and a threat to the party’s future.
_Efosa Uhunamure writes from Iguoshodin_
