I am Igodomigodo, a robot in the hands of God —Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon

Honourable Patrick Obahiagbon, aka, Igodomigodo, is one of the most popular politicians in Nigeria today. In this chat with Saturday Tribune’s SUYI AYODELE, the lawyer, two-term member of the Edo State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives and former Chief of Staff to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, says what Nigeria needs to get out of her present economic predicament is a responsible leadership. He speaks on other issues:

Pastor Tunde Bakare is on the firing line because of his recent statements on Senator Bola Tinubu. The controversy is on whether he genuinely supported Tinubu in that video or he was playing politics. What is your stake on that?

I am not in the least surprised that the said video has engendered the pyrotechnics it’s getting. Whereas some have seen it as an audacious attempt at deodorization, others have asked when Saul became one of the prophets and have referred to it as a stealthy and diplomatic ad hominem stratagem at delegitimization. They claim for example that the pastor deliberately set out to mainstream and periscope mega issues that were discussed in whispers before his ecclesiastical intervention. I am circumspective to pontificate as to what were the intentions of the urbane and patriotically disposed pastor for I am not yet gifted in the province of finding the minds construction in the face.

The COVID-19 pandemic is on its second wave across the globe. How prepared do you think Nigeria is for this second wave in relation to how the nation handled the first wave of the pandemic?

Let me start by thanking God and the Cosmic for His manifest blessings and kindness for protecting us against the ravaging after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and this is very germane against the backdrop of the number of recorded deaths in saner climes that boast of better health infrastructure and institutional robustness compared to what we have here. I want to believe that government has learnt useful lessons from its engagements with the mortal malady thus far that should stand it in good stead in its response to the threatening and looming recrudescence. The point must, however, be made that the citizens must also be ready to cooperate and collaborate with government in its willingness to adhere to all protocols as a desideratum.

The economic hardship is biting harder everyday. With the level of insecurity and other crimes, many experts have predicted a gloomy future for Nigeria and the dangers inherent. What measures should we adopt as a nation to navigate to safer shores?

Do we really need the prognostication of experts to see and feel the national malaise, dystopia and concomitant quagmire that has enveloped us, against the backdrop of our gargantuan insecurity cul-de-sac and daunting economic gorgon medusa? I don’t think so and if you ask me the open sesame out of this national quanrantine, I will just simply say that what we need is a responsible and patriotically disposed leadership at all levels of our national life with a complementary ”recusantly” engaging  citizenry.

In Edo State and at the national level, your party, APC, has one crisis or the other to contend with. What is the way forward so that the implosion predicted before 2023 election is averted?

I am not sure we still have any crisis in the Edo State APC of that lidomidic proportions. The politically contrived crisis in Edo state has fizzled away with the governorship elections and the APC national caretaker committee has recently restored sanity back to the party by its recognition of Col. Emuse as the state chairman of the party. Regarding the state of affairs of the APC at the national level, the seeming brouhaha is not unconnected with presidential calculations and again this is not different from what is happening in any other viable and serious political party. I am supremely confident that in the nick of time,reason will prevail and we will move into the next presidential elections as one big political family to the chagrin and maniacal bewilderment of doomsday prophets

Igodomigodo is a household name in Nigeria, especially with the way you use uncommon diction. You must have drawn a lot of admiration from the opposite sex. How do you cope with their advances?

We return all the glory back to God and the Cosmic that brand IGODOMIGODO has become a household name in Nigeria and I say, GLORY BE UNTO THEE, O’ MOST HIGH GOD. True what you have said regarding drawing copious admiration from the opposite sex but again I have lavish thanks for The Grand Architect Of The Universe, who has continued to guide my steps on the path that leads to the greater Light for we are spiritual beings in a physical cloak for the continuous evolution of our soul personality in successive incarnations.

Apart from politicking, what else do you do and what is the game plan for the future?

I am a legal practitioner among others to the glory of God. Game plan for the future? Again, Igodomigodo is a robot in the hands of God.

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