Oshiomhole's Private Jet Scandal: Lessons from the South African 'Mgbeke' Saga - Ugoji Egbujo

 

I pity Oshiomhole. At 73, our grandfathers had young wives. The culture of polygamy permitted them to keep a harem to cater to all their fantasies. They probably believed a touch of nubility was needed to soothe aging nerves and joints, especially when the gaze of the older wives had shifted to their grandchildren. But Western civilisation turned up and upturned that order. Now a full-fledged Chief cannot travel in peace with a damsel without having to tell tales to placate ranting meddlesome kids on social media in order to preserve his hard-earned reputation.

The author expresses pity for Oshiomhole at age 73, contrasting modern reactions to such scandals with traditional cultural norms where older men (grandfathers) had young wives or harems due to polygamy.

It criticizes Oshiomhole's team for quickly dismissing the viral video as AI-generated, calling the denial pointless and poorly handled—especially since the South African woman reportedly posted the video herself on Instagram, which "all but confirmed" the encounter.

The piece describes Oshiomhole's response and his aides' efforts as desperate and ineffective, likening him to "a rat in a trap" and his team "digging a hole in a vain attempt to free him."

It appears to mock the handling of the scandal, suggesting it has damaged his image unnecessarily, and touches on broader themes of age, masculinity, culture, and political hypocrisy or poor PR in Nigerian public life.