If the political happenings pulsating from the heart of Ndi Anambra as they firm up to hit the polls to elect their next Chief Executive Officer in the scheduled coming gubernatorial elections is anything to appreciate, then, the state of foreboding as exemplified by the actions and activities of the politicians in the state calls for serious concern. Interestingly, people have expressed their satisfaction at the array of political figures gearing to take over the seat of governor Willie Obiano when his final term in office as governor expires later in the year. Their satisfaction however stems from the pedigree of most of these political actors. While some are agreed that some of these politicians have what it takes to steer the ship of Ndi Anambra as exemplified in the management of their vast business empires, others are accomplished technocrats, guintessential intellectuals and many more. In other words, these politicians are already self made and can stand their own without necessarily waiting on the doors of the self imposed political god fathers to be taken into the ante room where the fortunes of those they are meant to serve are discussed.
Ironically, as it is typical of the political actors in our clime, most of the politicians presenting themselves to govern the state have exhibited high level of pomposity and arrogance to claim equal stake to the Anambra government house. It is equally important to note that by consensual arrangement, the gubernatorial seat is being ceded to all politicians from the stock of Anambra South Senatorial zone in the same way, Enugu State is firming to look the way of Enugu East when the Enugu North zone completes their time in 2023. While the pedigree of these politicians have been applauded by pundits, it remains to be seen if the politicians are actually interested in upping the ante in value addition to the benefit of the people they want to govern or so it seems. While the shenanigans going on in the name of primary elections to elect various party standard bearers cannot be totally ruled out in a state like Anambra or other state for that matter, the sence of foreboding that has parvaded the state since the exercise to elect standard bearers for Anambra governorship across party lines has continued to befuddle even the most avowed political optimist.
This feeling of foreboding gave impetus to the statement authored by C. Dons Adinuba, the Anambra Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment where he equally condemned the shenanigans going on in the name of primary elections by political parties such as the opposition PDP and APC in the state. While he noted that, the ruling APGA have already demonstrated leadership by electing their party standard bearer without acrimony in the person of the erstwhile CBN Governor, Prof
Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the same cannot be said of the activities of PDP and APC which produced conflicting candidates as their standard bearers. It is important to recall that APGA, the ruling party in Anambra state conducted its primary election to elect it’s flag bearer in the Nov. 6 scheduled gubernatorial election on June 15, 2021 and shortly after, court nullified the emergence of Prof. C. C. Soludo as the APGA’s candidate after other aggrieved members disagreed with the conduct of the primary election. However, it seems the matter leading to the political logjam has been watered down by the stakeholders of the party. When, it was the turn of the opposition political parties in the state to conduct theirs, hell was let loose. Suddenly, all the governorship aspirants on the platform of these parties and their collaborators took part in some unwholesome activities to see to the emergence of their respective candidatures. Their actions led to the polarization and factionalization of their parties which gave vent to the conduct of parallel primary elections elsewhere and the emergence of more flag bearers, each group claiming to have the authority over the other and therefore the custody of the authentic flag bearer of their respective parties. This is no cheery at all.
Deriving from the above therefore, one is inclined to interrogate the potency of these shenanigans going on in Anambra state vis avis it’s effects on the peace of the state on one hand and on the peace and harmony of the states in the South East region on the other. It is often expressed that whenever the eyes are shedding tears, the nose dripples also. Every state in the South East go-political zone holds much more importance to one other to encourage peace and harmony to thrive for the good of the people. Deriving from these expressions still, one cannot gloss over the enormous sacrifices being made by governor Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi of Enugu State. Even, though it might be claimed that 2023 is way far off for such political heat in Enugu State, every discerning political pundit could not equally argue forcefully that governor Ugwuanyi’s insistence on focusing in the continual delivery of his political mandate to stem distractions have largely helped to distill political schemings that would otherwise have ensured unintended consequences for his administration. If Governor Ugwuanyi would remain as resolute in the discharge of democracy dividends to the people as he has refused to be drawn out to make categorical statement as to where the pendulum of gubernatorial candidates emerges from or even anointed or preferred candidate which I am confident he will, then there is greater hope for Ndi Enugu that what is playing out in Anambra state would never find its way to Enugu State. His Excellency, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi I am confident is a game changer. History would always record it in his favour that he is one leader in the state since the return of democracy in 1999 who never allowed political brigandage to hold sway. It is never in contention that past political leaders have had to create subtanarean groups who haunt and coax opposition to obedience and submission. Year 2015 to date has witnessed a tremendous change in the narratives as far as political brinkmanship is concerned in Enugu State. Governor Ugwuanyi has truly proven that he is a man of peace to the core and no agitation to stampede him to compromise his set standards to jeopardize the level of political harmony enjoyed in Enugu state will work.
History beckons! 2023 beckons! There is abundant hope that governor Ugwuanyi would bequeath to Ndi Enugu a replica of his 8 years trajectories and even more. Enugu state would perpetually remain in the firm hands of the Almighty God. Thank you Gburu-Gburu for believing in God.
Bibian Anekwe News .. added… His Excellency Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will project our Governor come 2023.
Written by
Austin Okechukwu Chijioke.
Public Affairs Commentator.
Media Team Member: Enugu Di n’aka Chukwu movement.
