By Our News Analyst
The two phenomena can be a happy blend if handled judiciously. The name Eddie Turay has been ringing a bell for decades in our national politics. When some of today’s APC stalwarts had virtually dumped the party after the war Eddie Turay held the fort. When Ernest Koroma, Alpha Khan and others were indulging in opportunism he stayed put.
He was later beaten to the leadership by Ernest Koroma but that did not dampen his spirit to quit the party. He could have formed another party but he stuck on. His steadfastness resulted in his being rewarded by an ambassadorship. That is one way politicians get rid of their potential rivals by sending them out of their countries.
After his term of duty in London when he has almost faded out of the political limelight he has recently come into focus in connection with the retirement or non-retirement of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. Contrary to the stance of his veteran colleague, Dr Victor Bockarie Foh, he has come in on the side of Ernest Koroma albeit highly diplomatically. In the present intra-party imbroglio he seems to be on the fence as his language on the issue portrays. It looks like he is taking the opportunity of payback time to Ernest Koroma. He may well hang on the coattails of the ex-President to have his niche in the future APC dispensation.
He was unfairly critical of Alpha Khan accusing him of a syndrome of gallivanting from one party to the other of which his benefactor Ernest Koroma was also guilty. Just why he criticized Alpha Khan for not resigning if he did not like the leadership of Ernest Koroma is absurd. People opt for change in leadership rather than resigning. He made some contradictory statements that Ernest Koroma was still the leader and that he had no intention to be in active politics as if some dementia was getting hold of him.
His real position on the Ernest Koroma retirement issue after all his circumlocution was unveiled in his unguarded statement that, “If I were Ernest Koroma I would have relinquished my position but we cannot force him to do so because he is legitimately occupying the position until the party’s new convention in December 2019.”
It is not unreasonable to think that Eddie Turay having tasted power in his earlier leadership of the party would want to have a shot at it again instead of atrophying. Eddie has succeeded in playing politics with diplomacy. .