By: Sam. Onwuemeodo.
March 27, (Newshour.com.ng) – lmo State Governor, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, Onwa Oyoko,has his own kind or brand of politics. And he does not give a damn.
Look at his political chart, between the time he went to the Senate and here we are today, his style of politics has remained akin. The same. He does not believe in taking Political prisoners. He does not play “safe”. The Omuma man does not massage or patronize opponents. He does not dribble like Jay Jay Okocha. lf he was to be a member of the then Green Eagles, he would have dragged Jersey with Daniel Amokachie, the Bull. ln Hollywood, he would not have had anything to do with James Bond, 007. He would have also dragged roles with either Commandoo or Van Dame.
The Ngor Okpala re-run Assembly election before now and the February 25, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections, only strengthened the fact that, he has not changed the style of his politics. And he is not ready to change it, because it has been working effectively for him. And the reason l have no sympathy for lmo PDP and lmo Labour Party, over what happened in the Assembly election on March 18, 2023.
All that transpired on February 25, with regard to the Presidential and National Assembly elections in lmo, were enough to tell lmo PDP and lmo LP, what to expect in the Assembly election. They decided to go on Sabbatical. On holidays. On picnic.
After the Presidential and National Assembly polls , lmo PDP and its leaders didn’t see the need to meet to review what happened and then ginger members and sympathisers. And to restrategize.
They didn’t see the importance of keeping whatever was their grouse against each other behind and go for gold. They didn’t see the efficacy of meeting with the Party’s House of Assembly Candidates to find out the level of their readiness or preparations or what they had on ground, respectively, and then make contributions or inputs where necessary or where needed.
Rather, the PDP leaders began to talk about the ” doo” for the conducted Presidential election. There were accusations and Counter- accusations. Denials upon denials. It was therefore not surprising that, the governor and his party, APC, made mince meat of them, even in areas considered or known to be lmo PDP catchment areas or strongholds. Such areas were taken away from them or annexed. They began to scream, when the damage had already been done.
Even now, they seem not to have learnt their lesson or lessons. Read the Parable of the ten Virgins, ( Matthew 25). And see the costly price of not being prepared and needless division. lt’s always deadly. Very excruciating and of course, regrettable.
For the Labour Party in lmo, they deserted the camp and departed for unknown destinations, after the Presidential election. lnstead of the sadness or disappointment the outcome of the February 25 election brought, push them into action, they, on their own, decided to pursue rat. The envisaged leaders of the party went on Pilgrimage. There was no leadership again on ground to do the needful. The guber aspirants in the Party felt unconcerned. Nobody could fill the gap when it was mostly needed. The guber aspirants didn’t know or had pretended not to have known that, the House of Assembly election could not be totally detached from subsequent elections, including that of the governorship. They’re interwoven. They’re intertwined.
The height of the Party’s unseriousness was brought to bear, when its National Working Committee, NWC, in its wisdom or lack of it, dissolved the State EXCO of the Party without looking at the graph . And that was few days after the February 25 presidential election and equally few days to the State Assembly election. And they had set up a caretaker committee to take over the administration of the Party in the state. And when you look at the National Chairman of the party, you could easily know why he took such unreasonable action in the circumstance. In fact, not everything one sees, that he would talk about. Otherwise, l would have said something here. But you can read my lips correctly. Everybody is hungry. But the ability to manage yours, makes the difference. Do you understand?
We’re talking about the period the Party would have used to discuss the March 18 State Assembly election and prepare for it. They rather used it to be fighting for either the reinstatement of the sacked State EXCO or for the Caretaker Committee to stay put.
ln other words, lmo Labour Party wasn’t prepared for the March 18 Assembly election. The candidates were on their own. No leadership to galvanize and ginger them. So, when the APC’s political tanks arrived their camps, there was no resistance of any kind. The man died .
lsreal, inspite of their small size as a nation, has continued to defeat the whole of the Arab world because of their unity of purpose and their readiness, 247. Aside God’s promise upon them . That’s to say, heaven helps those who help themselves. Do not allow the “enemy” or opponent to take you unawares or meet you unprepared. That was the lots or portions of both lmo PDP and lmo Labour Party.
Today, Governor Uzodinma and his foot soldiers have given lmo and her people, twenty seven House of Assembly members and all of them , APC. The first of its kind in the history of lmo State since its creation in 1976. This is not a palatable and preservable history. And with this development, the governor has opened a new, but worrisome chapter in the politics of the State.
If you ask me, l would describe the incident as a blackmail against the state, her people, her democracy and her egaliterian or republican nature. It’s also a blackmail, perhaps, unknown to them, against the governor and his government, because the story would continue to be told in versions or in diverse tongues.
ln case you do not know, Onwa has made history that, under his governorship and for the first time in the life of lmo , the House of Assembly of twenty seven members would be from one Political party, APC . This is historic. But l know that the main history wouldn’t find it funny. Wouldn’t find it palatable. l also know that, if ninety percent of lmo people aren’t happy with this development, fifty five percent of them are APC members. The governor may not believe me, but that’s the truth of the matter. And they have their reasons for not being happy. Reasons for their resentment, including the fact that, it’s anachronistic to the kind of politics lmo and the people of the State have been known for, over the years.
Under Sam Mbakwe, the Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, the most popular here then, had members. The National Party of Nigeria, NPN, seen then as Northern Party, had members. The Great Nigeria Peoples Party, GNPP , owned by lbrahim Waziri, a Northerner, had members in lmo House Assembly . And so on. lt was a lively House and very attractive.
Even under Commander Anthony Emeluwa Oguguo, as Military Administrator, under his supervision , the Social Democratic Party, SDP and the National Republican Convention, NRC, had members respectively, in lmo House of Assembly . Evans Enwerem, became the governor.
In 1999, with Col. Tanko Zubairu as the Military Administrator, who supervised the elections of that year, lmo Assembly had both PDP and ANPP members. The trend had continued till 2007. Then, the State Assembly had PDP and APGA members. ln 2011, PDP and APGA members. ln 2015, APC and PDP members. ln 2019, APC and PDP members. And in 2023, under Governor Uzodinma, the Assembly now has only APC members. I do not see this development as a healthy one . lt does not show growth in our politics. lt does not show maturity on the side of lmo politics.
l am not against those declared winners in the March 18 election. l congratulate them all. l have no portion in the sons of Jesse. l am only expressing my personal opinion, which does not change anything. Do you understand?. You can tag it fruitless exercise, if you so wish . How the candidates emerged winners should be left for them and their God. And of course, the courts. lt has no bearing with yours faithfully.
With all these, the lmo number one citizen has got or is almost getting the toga of a “powerful or strong” governor. And l do not wish him that. Powerful or strong leaders do not earn favourable chapters in History. Posterity does not also reckon with them. They always leave scares behind. Bitter tales. And Sycophants always feed fat on Powerful or strong leaders.
No past Military Administrator or past governor of lmo state had been strong or powerful. They also had all the instruments or tools the current governor has. But they were not powerful.
Onwa needs a historian around him to let him know that, all over the world, leaders who ended up being powerful, never carved out imperishable niches for themselves. And even if they had worked hard , the citizenry lost interest because they were intimidated into being cowards, instead of being proud citizens. Do you understand?. The system in America, for instance, is what is powerful and not the President.
ln the Scripture, God never had it funny with all the powerful kings. Ahab who killed Naboth over his vineyard. He killed and took possession. Pharoh who took lsrealites captive. Nebuchadnezzar who began to act as god. Rehoboam who told the lsrealites that he was going to flog them with Scorpion. Senacheribe of Assyria who besieged Jerusalem and was collecting tributes. Herod, who , after he had felt that he had conquered all, his subjects had no option than to describe his voice as that of God. The rest became history. He paid dearly for it.
But kings who were not powerful, but led their people with compassion or meekness, God never let them down. David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Josiah, etc. lnfact , in the case of Hezekiah, when he was about to die , he cried unto God . And God added fifteen more years to him ( 2kings 20: 6).
Assuming Onwa has not known, the elections of February 25 and March 18, have only increased the number of lmo People who have reservations for his government or even for him. Let him ask any Psychologist in his kitchen cabinet. As usual, his handlers had also resorted to mockery, instead of being humane or considerate.
Some people had also alluded that, the governor has been working to secure his second term. l hasten to let the governor know that, the beauty of his governorship won’t be in second term. lt’s not in second term.
Achike Udenwa and Rochas Okorocha who did second term of eight years each, aren’t more appealing today to lmo people than Sam. Mbakwe who did only one term. He won election in 1983 for second term, but the Military struck on December 31, 1983 and that was the end. He missed his second term. So, the aroma is not in second term, but in People- oriented leadership, not minding how short or brief. Not minding the duration.
No doubt, the lmo Governor is fully incharge. He is in control. The opposition seems cowed. And l wish him well. One lgbo name is Maduabuchi. One is Uwasomba. Another one is Onyeikegbulem. They speak volumes. And the battle gets tougher, when the defeated feels also humiliated or mocked. Self preservation becomes an issue. And only GOD can predict what would happen next.
May God judge me with all l have written here, while we continue to clap for Jesus.
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