And The Worries Continue In Anambra State, The Way Out By Ik Oguejiofor

By Ik Oguejiofor
That there is going to be INEC-conducted Governorship election in
Anambra State by November 16, 2013 is no longer news. What is
particularly new unlike in the past is the assuming uncertain
posturing of politicians in the state. With the exception of few new
politicians entering the governorship race, creamed with decorated
markedbuses, campaign offices and posters almost everywhere in most
cities and towns of the state. And as you will expect, one of the
reasons for this visibility can be partly attributed to the fact that
these new entrants are required to ensure wider political reach of the
Anambra people ahead oftheir party primaries. Other politicians and
aspirants that have participated in the Governorship election once or
twice in the past now adopt a more strategic approach posturing. Well,
their current posturing must be seen as a reason gained in experience
that in a very politically unique Anambra State, one requires more
than mere visibility to win in an election.
Also important is the mood of the present administration of APGA led
by Governor Peter Obi. The general feelings within the government
circledoes not relate towards any exciting exercise since the Court of
Appeal's judgement in Enugu that returned the National Leadership of
APGA back to Chief Victor Umeh and the INEC recognition of the
Umeh-led executive against Peter Obi favoured Chief Maxi Okwu. Though
the APGA faction led by Maxi Okwu has expressed their willingness to
appealagainst the judgement, still the Governor of Anambra State
remains worried about the next move and a combination of factors point
to the growing political no-show.
First as a serving Governor, Peter Obi with disputable but remarkable
achievements in the state will be happy to have an easy ride on the
choice of the party candidate of his likely successor. But that does
not seem to be happening now and with the return of the party
machineries back to his erstwhile buddy, the Governor is indeed
worried. There arealso indications that the Governor andhis kitchen
cabinet is contemplating mass exist to a new political party. While
this will remain news, one thing is important in assessing what will
become of the final decision of Governor Peter Obi. The Governor
recognises the financial implication ofjoining a new political party
close to the election even with the Local Government election slated
for October 5, particularly in areas of building grassroots support
and strong party structure. Again, what will become of the only likely
surviving pan-Igbo political party thatAPGA have always appear to
anchor? What are the legacies of the late founder of APGA, Chief
Odumegwu Ojukwu, that Peter Obi rode to secure power and even got him
travelling around the state for campaigns in his very sick days?
Surely, the opposition are waiting for his action as much as the
people of Anambra State. So before the Governor lays a moral,
political and sustenance struggle. But whatever his decision, his
detractors are poised to use his actions or inactions to father their
net. So, do not get it twisted when you hear that Governor Peter Obi
did not celebrate his birthday on the 17th of July, for surely there
are many worries.
However, one would have expected that the development and no rosy
relationship within the ruling party and the Governor's camp will come
with greater opportunities for the opposition parties in the state.
Alas! There is no halleluiah as the opposition political parties have
evena greater fight as the Governor. The PDP in Anambra State has not
for over a decade now been without internal conflicts. There are cases
in the past that state party structure has up to three state chairmen
claiming rightfuland authentic representation of the PDP in the state.
It is general knowledge that the PDP's inability to harmonize their
internal interest has been responsible for the party poor show at
various elections in the state.Even as the build-up to the November16,
2013 Governorship draws closer, the prospect that the PDP will succeed
in bringing together her legions of interest and aspirants to accept a
common ground and supportone candidate is dim. For whatever reason,
the PDP is home to political front liners in the state and over a
period of time there has been fractured relationship among
stakeholders and as one will expect, the fight now within the party is
who will become the last EMPEROR and surely whoever becomes the party
choice is regarded as such. So when eventually, the PDP comes up with
their choice for the election, as always there is going to be
explosion of massive decamp to other political parties by those
characters not favoured in the process. And, there is also absolutely
no way that PDP atthis time will succeed in harmonizing divergent
interests in its house in Anambra State to accept a common front
without the hammer of stringent sanctions. And how can the National
leadership of the party achieve this feast without being accused of
bias or disposition to a particular group? We shall see in the coming
days, but imagine such a decision with Senator Emmanuel (Andy) Ubah,
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Nicholas Ukachukwu, and Com. JosephNwoye or
someone to represent the PDP and how the acceptability level will be
received? So for the PDP in Anambra State, the journey continues!
The combinations of other oppositionpolitical parties in the state -
notably the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) joined by others with the
exception of Labour Party and tiny shots of others are fast
metamorphosing into new political party hopeful All Progressive
Congress (APC). In Anambra State, this movement is being marshalled by
Dr. Chris Ngige, Senator Annie Okonkwo and couple ofothers who are
themselves interested in contesting the November Governorship
election. When eventually the APC is registered and the structure
takes shape in the state, there will be little time left to plan,
organise and smoothens things before the election. So the APC will be
time constrained to get its house in order and ahead of the 2015
Presidential Election, which is the party's main target. The national
leadership of the would-be party will be faced to protect its house
against internal party democracy which it has rightly accused the
ruling PDP of lacking. With the composition of the elements, political
heavyweights and individuals in Anambra State in APC, achievement of a
common ground to present one candidate within the time frame for the
Governorship election without being accused of imposition and
subversion of the democratic process is slim and for a fresh party,
the best bet would be to fill no candidate or allow for the various
structures and political parties that make up APC in the state to
decompose and present their respective candidate. Again, there
areother choices always available to a political party in Nigeria. So
while we wait on the eventual outcome of the APC registration from
INEC, the future journey and participations in November election in
the state though desirable is even yet to start.
The confusions and the way out
Friedrich Nietzsche, the German Philosopher had declared "you must
have chaos within you to give birth toa dancing start". In Anambra
State, though there are no traces of visible chaos in the system and
people goingabout their normal duties, still the political uncertainty
and the lack of clearly thought out plan by political parties and
politicians other than winning at the election show that thepeople of
Anambra State are more likely to be cowed or have their rightful
choice thwarted in the process if things are not checked. There is a
greater possibility that the forthcoming election will be massively
rushed despite the INEC clear timetable. This is because by thetime
political parties end up with choosing or electing their individual
flag bearer and the mass of decamping that will follow; the Anambra
electorates will be faced with list of possible candidates to make
choice of without fully having a glance of what these candidates
profile, programmes and campaigns promises are. At this time, election
in the state and as much in other parts of the country will return to
cash cow where those who have the financial resources are able to con
the masses and buy their votes.
But watch it, time has changed. Moreso things are no longer the same,
and even in this politically staged uncertainty, Anambra people
possess the avid prospect to elect thebest choice out of the pool if
only the parties involved will do the right thing. Helping demystify
the chaos will start from INEC. The electoral body must be truly
impartial in the conduct and administration of the entire process and
conduct of the election. While INEC activities in the last
Governorship election in AnambraState remained at average level, the
body must see the conduct of this election as a snapshot of what
Nigerians at large will expect in her preparation towards the Nigeria
2015 General Elections.
And for Governor Peter Obi
The opportunity has beckoned to either consolidate on your
achievements or destroy them by insisting on having the prerogative
ofchoosing your successor and not reconciling with your party. The
power of incumbent which you enjoy is once again being tested, how you
use that is up to you and be mindful that soon you will be without
them and the people of Anambra State are watching you.
And you politician Governorship candidate(s)Define your goals,
articulate and relate your programmes to the people in such a way that
governanceand government is not seen as a rocket science. Some of you
want to build bridges, airports and make Anambra an overnight
heaven…well, congratulations in advance but can you truly achieve on
those? Again a lot of you are waiting on the decisions of your various
parties to begin let the general people of Anambra State see your good
programmes. Sorry to you because only a handful of you will eventually
get that party ticket and by the time you conclude arrangement for
another political party, most of your supporters and good people of
Anambra State are already taken and the remaining will be there as
long asyour big money can carry. At the end, your candidate will
become a regular noise making siren.
For PDP et al
To survive in this Governorship election, your discreet choice of a
credible candidate is the only way to be victorious. As you may have
noticed that the failure to do this in the past have caused you
failures at the pool, at the end some of the politicians will decamp
to another party to stand in for election and laterre-emerge as your
member. This has been the cycle, for the reason you do not have
internal discipline and politicians in the state know that in you lies
a Father Christmas bouquet. Ifthe politicians you house are viable
candidates, why have they not won elections even from another party?
Soget it right now or forget it.
Guess who will wins, Anambra people wins…
At the end, the people of Anambra State will have a Governor. But for
now and the weeks to follow, let the worries continue.