By Ilogebe Chidi
For the past one week, the social media space has been agog with accusations, counter-accusations, affirmations and counter-affirmations following the Press release of the former Governor of Enugu state and the Senator representing the good people of Enugu East Senatorial Zone, HE Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani on the 26th of January, 2022 via his official page on the meta interactive medium, Facebook.
The Cerebral Senator and progenitor of the Ebeano political family in his press statement, succinctly stated that “It is the prerogative of the State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to produce his successor without challenges”. He attributed this opinion to the fact that it has been the tradition in the state for incumbent governors of the state to determine their successors at least since 1999.
Since the release of the press statement by the Senator, social media political analysts, pundits and activists have lost sleep. The statement as sensitive as it is, holds its literal and literary meanings depending on which angle of the prism you want to view it from. The big question now is; does the view of the Senator hold any water? Is the statement factual?
Firstly, sincerely speaking, the statement of the Senator took the center stage of the political discourse for days not just because it came from a sitting Senator but because the influence of the same person can not be wished away no matter how one tries to trivialize it. Ditto, it is a factual statement because this same Senator, when he held sway as a governor produced his successor in 2007, and his successor produced the incumbent. So, what makes it out of place for the incumbent to determine who succeeds him?
Having taken time to understudy why there were mixed reactions following the statement, I came to the realization that there were two categories of people that attacked the Senator and the statement. The first category being social media politicians, activists and analysts whose duty is to seat all day on Facebook and Whatsapp probably with borrowed data always wanting to prove an inexistent online relevance and wallow in the belief or rather ignorance of wannabe political gladiators. These set of people believe that elections are won on the social media. They rarely participate in grassroot political activities, don’t understand the internal workings of political parties neither do they possess permanent Voters cards.
The second category is the camp of a man who feels political power is his father’s property and therefore his birthright. Having represented a Senatorial Zone for going to twenty years now, and is challenging the very ingredient that has made Enugu’s political firmament calm and Peaceful – the zoning of the seat of power. The surprising aspect of the agitations of this camp is the fact they understand the internal workings of the party, they know the truth but have decided to feign ignorance. They have decided to sacrifice the peace we enjoy in Enugu state at the altar of greed and avarice. They are saddled by the awareness that Gov. Ugwuanyi is the Leader of the party in the South East and in the State, wherever he directs, we the party faithfuls follow.
I am deeply convinced that the man from mpu is hiding something from his followers and media vuvuzelas that do nothing but disturb everyone on the social media with their boisterous and scalar engagements. In my opinion, the man from mpu is seeking a ground with which to negotiate and remain politically relevant. If Gov. Ugwuanyi will give him that soft landing is what I cannot ascertain at the moment because it is very visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that Governor Ugwuanyi is fully incharge.
Looking back at the manner with which the political, economic, religious and youth stakeholders rallied round in the three Senatorial zones of the state in the bid to show solidarity and encourage H.E the Governor to point any direction and they will gladly and boldly follow tells a lot about the endearing and sagacious persona of the Governor.
Before the media politicians with zero grassroot value will come for my head, they should note that no Governor from Enugu has developed the rural areas like Ugwuanyi, from Ohodo to Opi to Orba to Ama-Akpaka to Ezimo to mbu to Akpugo, Amuri, Amokwe, Akpugoeze down to Amufia, to mention just a few, his footprints are indelibly engraved in the hearts of the people in the hinterlands.
This puts to rest the reason Gov. Ugwuanyi is the only Governor in Nigeria that has garnered the highest percentage of votes cast in any gubernatorial election – 95.54% of total votes cast in Enugu in 2019. Enugu State currently boasts of the record as the only state with more than 90% of the political stakeholders (including opposition) being at peace with the incumbent governor, it has never happened in any state.
The reason for the agitations from these two categories is well understood. But they should note that Gov. Willie Obiano projected Soludo and ndi Anambra towed that direction. Gov. Udom of Akwa Ibom has pronounced his most preferred candidate, heavens did not fall. Ugwuanyi is no less a Governor! He shall go ahead and pronounce his successor and we the party faithfuls with PVC will tow that direction.
For the naysayers, alas, they cry foul, foul! “Senator Chimaroke has said what has never been said before”, “In this 21st century, the people will decide their Governor”, “Where is the democracy?”
Perhaps, they are not wrong. The people must decide who governs them, but that has to be, of course, after political parties have presented their candidates. For the singular purpose of schooling political greenhorns, before any candidate goes to the polls to be elected in the general elections, he/she must navigate the rigors of clinching the ticket of a party through the primary elections.
On this backdrop, it is unarguable that Enugu state is PDP and PDP is Enugu state, this is not unconnected to the fact that all the governors PDP has presented to ndi Enugu have performed excellently.
So, when it is being said that, “Ugwuanyi will produce his successor”, the people should understand that it simply means, PDP will present a credible candidate to ndi Enugu, and other parties will present too. It is at this point that ndi Enugu can decide to vote their most preferred choice from the candidates presented by the political parties, which in my opinion, our great party – PDP, will emerge victorious.
To whom it may concern, with the above elucidations and with the realization that elections are not won on the social media but in the polling units/voting points in the hinterlands, suffice to say that Ugwuanyi will produce his successor.
Q.E.D.
