By Martins Chiedozie Ugwu
It’s been over a decade since 2013. A decade of political shifts, economic turmoil, technological breakthroughs, and presumably, for most reasonable adults, a degree of growth. Yet, in the tumultuous world of Enugu ADC politics, time apparently has a strange, selective way of standing still. This is evidenced by the recent flurry of activity from the self-styled “Concerned ADC Stakeholders,” who have, with impressive desperation, resurrected a long-buried court document. Their goal? To unearth a ghost and leverage it as a political weapon against the newly elected state chairman-elect, Professor Augustine Akubue.
The timing is far from subtle. Having failed to sway delegates through democratic means, these individuals have resorted to political archaeology-digging through dusty files in a vacuous attempt to undermine the will of the party members. This is not principled dissent; it is the white-knuckled flailing of those who refuse to accept defeat.
The centerpiece of their attack is a 2013 charge sheet regarding a property dispute-a civil matter long ago resolved through out-of-court settlement and upheld by a competent court. To brand this relic as a “smoking gun” is absurd; it is a damp firecracker, fizzling with the impotent rage of its handlers, led by the likes of Comrade Raphael Chika Idoko.
The absurdity is magnified by the profile of the target. Professor Akubue is a refined intellectual whose 25-year stint with the United Nations reflects verifiable integrity. Yet, the opposition would have us believe a decade-old, resolved legal issue is a greater determinant of character than a quarter-century of distinguished international service. Their actions scream of a starved attempt to derail an inauguration.
The sheer chutzpah of these individuals is astounding. While claiming to be champions of integrity, they demonstrate a complete disregard for the democratic process by rejecting the congress outcome. Even dragging in former Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo is merely a frantic smoke screen to obscure their lack of any substantive case.
It is an admission of failure. By reaching back over a decade, they have not exposed a flaw in Prof. Akubue’s character; they have exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of their own. They have demonstrated that they are not stakeholders, but disgruntled spoilers more committed to personal ambition than the success of the party.
The Enugu ADC stands at a critical juncture. The path forward lies in unity and the future, not in a petulant dwelling on the past. The people of Enugu are wiser than to fall for such transparent, petty maneuvers.
Martins Chiedozie Ugwu
