The ruling party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has just concluded what it chose to christen Special National Convention. In that August occasion which many described as a charade, the party returned almost the entire exco except one position. Besides, the entire nation is enmeshed in a heated polity as a harbinger of the up-coming 2015 general election. The much dreaded merger to a mega party. All Progressive Congress APC which recently scaled through the winnowing fork of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appears almost vitiated on arrival in that the scramble for the number one ticket (Presidential Candidature) is on the verge of rendering the party a troubled home. Even the Almighty PDP in its incumbency wriggles in the pains of intra- party wrangling and rancorous intrigues that leaves much doubt as to whether the party will wade through to its destination of retaining power come 2015. Interestingly, most of the big wigs of the ruling PDP were noticeably absent in the convention whereas others went agog to desert the party as outright dissidents. Reliably, it was obvious that party Stalwarts like Obasanjo (OBJ) and his followers took an indifferent posture and avoided the convention.
The party men that conflagrate to the nearest proximity with the near-invincible political juggernaut Alhaji Atiku Abubakar prefer to decamp to a faction within PDP gearing up to run a parallel exco, a situation that excercibated a raging crisis in the party. Simultaneously, the secession of about five (5) Northern Governors of the PDP extraction to form the People’s Democratic Movement PDM is another awesome political jab that scored a remarkable political point. The observing public remains askance as to what becomes the consequence of the APC’s inability to get their acts together to arrive at a credible candidate with a reasonable integrity to withstand the tincture of the incumbent in the final bout towards the grab of the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) at the Aso Rock Villa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja by 2015. The paradox where the schism in the ruling PDP is now counter-balanced by the lingering scramble for head of the APC mega party indicates that the later may not truly possess the magic wand needed to unseat the former notwithstanding the crisis circumstances
At state levels, many states are confronted with intricacies involved in different party basis where the process of arriving at the choice of a quality candidate is posing great difficulty for some popular political parties. For instance, Anambra State is now embroiled in the intrigues of party primaries intended to definitely lock the horns of big wigs like, Andy Uba of the PDP versus Tony Nwoye, Prof. Charles Soludo (Mysteriously disqualified) versus Willie Obiano (Chief Victor Ume’s faction favourite) versus Dr. Chike Obidigbo (Maxi Okwu’s Faction Favourite) of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party (LP), and Dr. Chris Ngige of the APC. Incidentally the battle field was so packed with great and renowned political pundits of all sorts alongside many gladiators in the furious quest for power in an ensuing race for the gubernatorial election holding soon in Anambra State. Consequently, very few out of the hordes of governorship aspirants in Anambra State naming:- Senator Ani Okonkwo, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, Senator Chris Ngige, Prof. Charles Soludo, Chief Andy Uba, Chief Chris Uba. Chief Ifeanyi Uba, Chief Nwoye etc were eventually in the race after all the brouhaha. The primaries in Anambra sprang up surprises one of which was the emergence of the incumbent Governor Peter Obi’s puppet Dr. Chike Obidigbo as the official Governorship Candidate of the ruling APGA party in the state. We are in anticipation; more surprises
are bound to spring up during the gubernatorial election proper in Anambra state. Anmbara State is set for a clash of the Titians. The Rivers State political commotion is another interesting aspect of recent development signaling one big source of complication expected in the 2015 general election. For the major player in the Rivers State politics, His Excellency, Governor Rotimi Amaechi to insist on antagonizing the PDP hierarchy, even taunting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is quite unpalatable a news. The lingering imbroglio between Rotimi Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan culminated in the balkanization of the erstwhile Governor’s Forum of Nigeria (GFN) and finally truncated the Rivers State House of Assembly with the State Commissioner of Police roped into the mess of taking sides on issue as sensitive as constitutional matters. At the moment, the governor’s forum is factionalized between the Godswill Akpabio’s group and Rotimi Amaechi’s group with the later anti and the former pro-President Goodluck Jonathan respectively.
It is not irredentism to state that Imo State is the hobnob of peculiar (strange) political developments that often triggered off curious politico-constitutional questions begging for answer today. One of such oddities boarder on the Prof. Attahiru Jega’s supplementary election in the 2011 Imo Guber-election that tantamount to the Senator David Mark’s doctrine of Necessity that sent off Ikedi Ohakim and ushered in President Goodluck Jonathan at the state and Federal levels respectively. It is possible that the trends of political development may end up springing up a great surprise in the up-coming 2015 general election. This is so because, at the moment, the executive Governor of Imo State is displaying what analysts describe as political abracadabra occasioned by his idiosyncrasies that always mesmerizes the helpless masses. In spite of several acclaimed strides made of Okorocha’s Byzantine Rochanomicss principles manifested in the estimated 730 roads and infrastructural facilities projects in 730 days, the Imo elite are in the throes of repulsive antagonism under the burden of despotic leadership skills depicted in Rescue Mission government. Strangely, the ridiculous abandonment of APGA by His Excellency Governor Rochas Anayo Okorocha portends not just a bad omen for the Imo people but spells a doom for a party that escorted him (Owelle) to the much converted Douglas House. At the moment, the flag of APGA is lowered with that APC ready to be hoisted in the Imo State government house, much to the chagrin of many APGA party members and neutral Imo people at large. Imo State APGA member? are going through harrowing experience with Owelle’s sudden exit and vituperations
It is stating the obvious that the incumbent governor of Imo State, Owelle may have embarked upon what the Chinese sages perceived as a long lonely stroll in the voyage towards APC. Consequently, the decamp of Owelle into APC as an individual but n with the APGA party that launched him into power smacks of crass insensitivity and insauscience which goes not with hazards. This is not dooms prediction, but, the bitter pills column is in the habit of hitting the nails on the heads. Today, in Imo State, many a followers of the Owelle Rescue Mission Crusade are left in labyrinths of a chameleoi political overtures made by their champion (Owelle) whose dare-devil approach issues of governance has flabbergasted the Imo political class and overwhelmed flotsam and jetsam of the Imo society.
Meanwhile, keen watchers just like yours sincerely are hopeful that the Imo must better refrain of the Rescue Mission government is a pertinent phrase of encouragement that keeps our permission aglow for a better tomorrow in Imo State particularly Nigeria generally. But not with the draconian law recently passed to legalize abortion Imo State.
May God help us, Amen.
