My Unbiased Assessment and Admonition
Ugochimereze Chinedu Asuzu
It was Israelmore Ayivor, a young and dynamic Ghanaian writer, who posited, and rightly so, that:
“True leaders do not make choices with reference to the opinion of the majority. They make choices based on the opinion of the truth and the truth can come from either the majority or the minority!”
In giving to the import of the quote as above outlined, given the context of one big family in respect to the People’s Democratic Party, Imo State Chapter; one is wont to decipher that it is not in all cases that majority are right. Yes, majority most often than not can carry the votes as they do say, but certainly not the truth, hence truth must be upheld irrespective of the angle or section the bearer or speaker hails from, as a significant minority might be holding on to the truth while nuisance majority are holding on to the decisions.
Hence,
I’ve viewed with utter consternation and demoralizing fatigue the undemocratic stand of some elements in the Imo PDP who stoutly and flagrantly try to muzzle and trample on the rights of those who hold dissenting opinions to certain principles or objectives held to by those who seem to call the shots in the party in respect to the forthcoming gubernatorial elections of the state on who is likely to be the flag bearer of the party in Imo state come 2024 gubernatorial election. They do this notwithstanding the fact that we are in a democracy where the rights and privileges of individuals should not only be allowed but avowedly protected.
Inarguably,
the rights to own opinions is one of the sacred rights of humanity, which forms part of the natural laws that makes us human, it’s inalienable not only by institutional provisions but by the sacrosanct nature of humanity, take this rights away from humans they become less than their imbued capacity as humans. In that sense the beauty of democracy comes to play, the heart of it being the ability of the delegates elected by the people to freely choose the right candidate they deem fit to carry the flag of the party on any given position, and as party members until a particular individual is granted the right to carry the flag everyone desirous of presenting themselves to serve should be respected and protected by the leadership of the party, and none should be discriminated upon on that basis.
Another like it,
we are all made in the image of God. This is what makes our worth and our dignity inherent and inseparable from who we are, whether governments or party leadership recognize human rights or not. We do not have rights because we deserve them; we do not have rights because we have earned them; we do not have rights because party leaders confers it on us, rather we have rights because we are humans, and these rights must be respected at all times otherwise it becomes an abuse or man’s inhumanity to man.
We have at the last count, but with the benefits of hindsight and foresight I am aware more will surface before the countdown to the 2024 Imo Gubernatorial elections, two very dynamic leaders in their own rights of the PDP extraction with interest in presenting themselves to serve Ndi-Imo n’akwa Ndi-PDP in the capacity of being governor of the state at the expiration of the tenure of the present occupier of the seat; namely Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (Omenkeahuruanya) and Sen. Nnaemeka Anyanwu (SamDaddy). These two political gladiators are yet holding sway for the now in the Imo Chapter of the party.
Interestingly,
both men are qualified in the eyes of the law and other necessary indices, and while we look forward to having more qualified party members indicate interest to participate in the gubernatorial primaries, because the more the merrier, we expect that a level playing field should be the criteria for us as a party to pick the best, it mustn’t be a particular individual who we’ve tested several times, or he could be but certainly through the right process devoid of unnecessary antagonism or intimidation, rather the one thrown up by the members of the party, because the popularity of yesterday might not be adequate for the prosecution of today’s political realities, then again, the popularity of yesterday could yet again be re- energized and re-validated for today’s contest, but it can only stand the genuine interpretation of a re- validation only when it’s allowed to pass through the unbiased scrutiny of a free and fair contest, not by bullying or victimizing dissenting voices; as it’s infantile for any to imagine in a participatory democracy that anyone who doesn’t support your ambition hates you, as one may not necessarily hate you by not supporting your ambition, rather he or she might have preference for another by choice, and the choice of the individual should be respected as well and not be interpreted to mean what it ought not be.
Devoid of sentiments,
The only route to winning ways for the Imo PDP is to close ranks and throw open the processes that in turn would produce our gubernatorial candidate, that way anyone that emerged is seen as our collective candidate and not the candidate of one internal fraction, faction or the other, because once it happens that way the seed of failure is planted already at that gestation stage, which its roots keeps getting bigger and stronger to work against the candidate at the polls, oftentimes we encounter stuffs such as this, the corollary aftereffects often imagined than experienced. I believe that the victory of the PDP in the next gubernatorial election in Imo state should be uppermost in the minds of genuine members of the party, hence sentimental attachments should not form the basis for our support, rather the broader outlook to the reality of the time we’re in, and who it favours most among those that will present themselves to serve. Getting it right this time is essentially expedient as much as it’s the best thing to do, as otherwise will spell doom for the future of our great party in the state.
All we are saying therefore,
is that none should be ostracized, victimized or denigrated in the party as a result of their preference, it’s yet an internal arrangement, we all mustn’t belong to one camp, but we most certainly are of one political party, if for the right reasons and given the right environment for cohabitation as a big family, all interests should be accommodated.
According to the Bible, humans are unique because, unlike all the other creatures on the planet, humans carry more of the characteristics of God, hence we are created in God’s image. Everyone bears what Christian teaching calls the imago Dei—Latin words for “image of God”—and therefore are often referred to as image bearers. For this reason, humans have worth; they have value over and above anything else in creation and when you try to reduce the worth of any human to nought they fight and sometimes fight dirty that the environment would be affected for any beneficial progress to be made. When this notion is applied to ethics and human rights, it is revolutionary to wit.
We therefore admonish,
that the party leaders should no longer segregate or try to cut off certain individuals because you suspect they won’t be supporting your preferred aspirant, again we all mustn’t support one aspirant in our party, as doing so is killing the party completely, because if we end up giving the impression that our party has no more room for any other aspirant but one, we make our party unattractive, as the beauty, strength and reach of a political party is resident in how many aspirants jostling to carry the flag of the party at any given electioneering year, and if at the end of the day we scare away all interested aspirants from our party because you have the interest of a particular individual at heart, we end up losing, because those people will leave the party and work against her interest, but if you’re so certain the popularity of your preferred candidate is strong and yet lively, then what’s the jittery about? Why not open up the party for test of this popularity that way we make assurance double sure, and likewise gain the support of those who would’ve left because their interests weren’t accommodated, whilst becoming a win win situation, as it’s only one who is not so sure of his popularity that tries every and anything in the book not to test popularity, we have absolutely nothing to lose by opening our doors rather everything to lose by choosing to be pariah.
Most importantly,
the party leadership and it’s membership should not be seen to be biased, because it’s their personal interests that fans the ember of disunity most often than not, they are elected party executives not for any particular aspirant but for all the aspirants and members of the party, as such, they are expected to be above board, by trying to align themselves more with the objectives, principles and laws guiding the party, seen doing more of what binds us than what separate us, and not seeking for their personal or individual interests alone, though they have the rights like any other party members to own opinion on their rights of choice of a candidate, but given to the dictate and expectations of their privileged positions in the party executive, they should never be seen publicly identifying with a particular aspirant against the others, because when they do they lose the respect due their offices and positions in the leadership of the party planting division, and unnecessarily overheat the system, making the environment hostile and volatile, thereby creating unrest; they must have it in the closet of their hearts the candidate they desire, while ultimately looking forward to working with the eventual candidate the electorates will choose during and after the primaries that’s what democracy entail and dictate.
Finally,
Should anyone emerge from a consolidated and all-inclusive party arrangements, less rancour and backbiting would be experienced afterwards and this will ultimately lead to an all embracing atmosphere that will usher in a robust participation in the campaigns and other necessities accompanying electoral success.
Let us think about this and work assiduously towards creating the enabling environment within the party for success assurance and consolidation. Thanks
Ugochimereze Chinedu Asuzu, is a consummate realist, sociopolitical analyst, chief convener of IkoroNdigbo Assembly, founder and BOT Chairman of I Stand With PDP.
