I write as unbiased umpire in the silent but fierce ongoing political war in Imo State. As a journalist without any political leanings, it is my duty to advise contending political forces on how they can improve on their political and electoral fortunes. For me and well meaning Imolites, what is important is that political contenders offer us their best to enable the people of Imo State make informed choices at the 2015 elections.
The happiness of the people of Imo State supercedes whatever real or imaginary ‘political acting or display’ our politicains always exhibit to earn our votes. Either Okorocha or the PDP, the people deserve whoever that has the mindset to return their votes with good governance and visible dividends of democracy.
Therefore, I will remind our politicians that in their desperation to hold public office,they should not forget that the electorate are the ultimate decider on who governs them. This therefore places a moral burden on public office holders and seekers irrespective of political affiliation to always take cognisance of this fact.
I have therefore taken the pain in to use this piece to critically analyze the political terrain in Imo State with the overall intent of advising both the ruling and opposition parties on they can capture victory in 2015. For me, what is important is that we get the best to pilot the affairs of governance in our dear State. No sentiments!
I believe Imo State is yet to get the best set of leaders, though i must admit that we have seen remarkable improvement in provison of dividends of democracy to the people in the last two years.
The year 2015 will present an interesting political scenario in Imo State. It will be a year the political landscape will be charged as political gladiators will unleash whatever they have in their arsenal in a bid to realize their political ambitions.
At the centre of the political war will be a fierce scramble for various elective seats. The governorship contest will be among numerous elective positions to be keenly vied for in 2015. This has set the stage for renewed political hostilities between Governor Rochas Okorocha and his followers who are have found political solace in the newly formed All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which parades so many political hench men and women desperate, thirtsy and hungry for political power.
Since the romance between Okorocha and the APC began, it has further increased the intensity of the anticipated political battle that Imolites will envisage in 2015. And I say without fear of contradiction that it will be a dicey battle whose winner will emerge after an excruciating tie. Already, contenders for the plum job have begun to ‘warm up’ which indicates that it is only the determined and the rugged that will come out victorious in the battle.
I will strive on this page to give an ‘expo’ to the two contending parties on the magic wand that will ensure the sucess of their desires and aspirations viz-a-viz as it relates to the expectations of the people.
I will start with our dear governor whose political voyage in recent times has further raised the bar of politicking in Imo. It makes the political terrain interesting. I said last week on this page that Governor Okorocha is a major actor in the political theatre of the State. This is the bitter truth. No matter the perception his political friends and foes have about him, he remains a determinant factor in the politics of Imo State in 2015. We saw in the past how then incumbent governors such as Achike Udenwa and Ikedi Ohakim were big political players whose political style influnced the political direction of the State. Udenwa fought clean, to the extent that his opponents compelled him to severally alter at random his sucessor. Ohakim fought dirty, was strong and powerful- a development which sent his foes in his political party- PDP- to another political platform.
The same goes for Okorocha who has shown resilience and strong character to weather the political storm that will gather in the scramble for the governorship contest in 2015. Having leapfrogged from APGA to APC, there are several factors which will count in his favour in the next dispensation only if he makes some imporant alterations on his political gameplan.
One, he has to define what he wants in 2015. There has been contradicting tales on his political ambition. We have heard that he joined APC to seek for either the presidency or vice. There is another assumption that in the event the presidential race becomes fierce, he will opt out and seek to run for a second term as governor of Imo State.
This is a dangerous comtemplation or game plan with dire political consequnences. With two years or less to the next election, it is strange that Owelle’s political direction is uncertain and unknown. With the strenght of the opposition in the State that has grown in leaps and bounds that is ready to make mince meat of any wrong political move of his, it is important Okorocha inform Imolites what he wants in 2015. He ought to look farther into his crystal ball and decipher which political path he wants to follow.
The people of Imo State who elected him as their governor are also entitle to know which political path their governor wants to tow in 2015. They deserve to know. He is indebted to the people of the State because he has to explain in lucid language why he opted to dump APGA and join the APC. Much as most Imolites support the coming of the APC in the nation’s political chessboard because, in the words of the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, it charges the ruling party to action and increases political competition, Okorocha has to tell Imolites why they have to follow him to the APC. He has to tell Imolites why the APC and not the APGA platform that he was elected on in 2011 now serves as a veritable tool to bring the desired change and progress in the State.
And i will advise him to forgo his presidential dream in 2015 and opt to return as governor of Imo State on the platform of the APC. The year 2019 offers Igbos the right time to aggresively seek for the presidency. Let the North and the South South who are in vintage positions to grab the presidency in 2015 fight to finish in their desperation to clinch the plum job. I will discuss this subject in subsequent articles on this colunm
Basking on the euphoria of the entrance of the APC in the political horizon of the nation is not enough to guarantee the actualization of his presidential ambition. At the same time, he has hurdles to cross or overcome if he wants to seek a second term as governor. He should note that the scenario and the political circumstances that led to his emergence as governor of the State in 2011 is no longer the same. The message he propounded in 2011 cannot serve as a propelling factor for another victory for the elections in 2015. It can never be. This is so because since Okorocha emerged governor, the Imo electorate has grown so sophisticated. The populace have seen his strenght and flaws and this will serve as determinant factors that will determine the sucess or futility of his governorship ambition. This therefore calls for political resrategizing, solid political alignment and realignment with an eye on completing so many unfinished projects his adminstration has embarked on. This will give him the required edge over his opponents.
With ertshwile political foes in the APC camp such as Achike Udenwa, Uche Onyeagocha, etc, Okorocha has a task to adjust his style of politicking by being embracing and acomodating. He ought to change his style of politicking which is boring and has compelled politicans to see less activity in the political arena in the State.
In my piece last week on this page titled ‘Okorocha And The APC Tablet’ i wrote: ‘he(Okorocha) ought to re examine his brand of politics which is averse to taking ‘political prisoners’ With a Winner Take All Mentality and inability to embrace opposition politicians, one wonders how Okorocha intends to work with his supposed political foes in Imo State such as former Governor Achike Udenwa, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Hon. Uche Onyeagocha whom by implication are now APC members’
He ought to go step further by doing away with ‘aga gum’ a local phrase that depicts one that is stingy with money. Most APGA cum APC leaders have continoulsy murmured that Okorocha is keeping them ‘dry’ and refused to ‘ikwo ose’, (refused to empower them fianacially) to enabl them to be empowered to wade the opposition before 2015
Our governor should be reminded that if this trend continues and leaps to an election year, it is capable of eroding the confidence of his followers. Political footsoldiers need political tools to function at optimum levels. And they need it on time. A situation where they are denied these instruments make them vulnerable to the whims and caprices of the opposition. Politics in our clime is not only fueled by grammar and skillful use of oratory power but hugely influnced by the factor of money. It was former United States President, Bill Clinton that said politics is all about money!, money!!, money !!!
In a society such as ours where poverty and corruption have grown to become endemic, thus eroding some cherished values, in addition to the fact that public office seekers become tingods when they suceed in their political adventure, political followers nay the electorate have suddenly developed a mindset that places emphasis on money they will benefit from aspiring politicians. Okorocha should note that this has unfortunately become part of our political culture and this is why political footsoliders, supporters and the electorate resort to placing emphasis on money as a bait to secure their support.
This is not only entrenched in Imo APGA/APC. It is nothing new in the Imo political arena. It is a norm and an undesirable element that has crept into our political physche which will be difficult to erase for now. it is also the same scenario in the PDP and other political parties. A situation where Okorocha hopes to fortify his footsoldiers when elections are around the corner will be defeatist and counter productive. It could backfire. Last minute funding of his partymen will only provide a pathway for such funds to sneak into the pockets of his followers. And this will be detrimental to the overall cause and objectives of his intentions.
For the PDP, one needs no soothsayer to say that the party is unhappy that it lost the exalted governorship seat in 2011. The party ought to conduct an internal assesment to weigh and re exmanine those cummulative factors that made it to fall apart in 2011. Such assesment is important if they really want to make an impact in the next elections.
However, i must admit that the party has shown some spark and resilience within the period it has been in political wilderness. It has kept the ruling party in the State on its toes by coming out strongly to oppose some of its policies and programmes. This is good for the State.
But the PDP ought to go a step further. It has to purge itself of the perception held by Imolites that it is a party where anything goes, where the loser overnight becomes the winner. Having won two elections(Oguta Re Run House of Assembly seat and Ezinihitte/Ahiazu Federal Constituency) after the governorship polls in 2011 shows that it has the nerve and political stamina to re launch itself into political reckoning and relevance in Imo. And the same time, it should not be carried away by this feat.
I told a PDP stalwart in the State during a conversation that the two elections might have gone in their favour, but it will be a different ball game when it comes to the governorship election. I said so because the guber polls is not only fiercly contested but attracts so much interest from the people, including seen and unseen forces.
Aside the fact of presenting a credible candidate, the PDP should resist the practice of imposition of candidates and ensure that the pratice of selecting or electing party flagbearers conform with democratic tenets. Failure to do this will certainly lead to internal implosion that will give its competitor a huge edge. And those it gave the nod to fly the party’s flag at the polls, especially the guber elections should be credible in the eyes of the people who ought to offer something fresh and unique to the electorate. This is the only factor that will arouse Imolites to give it another opportunity to govern Imo State. Relying on ‘Abuja Power’ and real or imaginary political weight of its members in Abuja cannot give it the victory it craves for. The last Governorship election remains a verfiable case study. I rest my case.
