All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has come to stay in Imo State. Little wonder, some people prophesy that APGA will rule Imo State for 36 years. We are yet to verify, scrutinize and discern the prophecy. As an objective cum pragmatic freelance, activist and political analyst, this piece tries to tell us the bitter or hard truth of life and politics which may not be pleasant to some of us.
Going down memory lane at the inception of APGA in 2002 in Imo State, Owerri North LGA is and has remained the capital and heart of the party in the state. The remaining pioneer members/founders of the then insignificant but great political party have suffered political deprivation irrespective of their sincerity of purpose, non violence in their evident robbery of victory by the almighty PDP then and their “onyeaghalanwanneyaism” orientation. As a matter of fact, we learnt and saw that the erstwhile PDP had serious in-house squabbles as they were eating what does not belong to them, nay, reaping where they did not sow.This manifested in their factionalized groups like Onongono, Abuja or federal group, new face. Etc and we saw how they ended. One can say that it is all politics and democracy but I reiterate that we must sustain our nascent democracy in Imo State. But then, we must spell out a lot of issues in sustaining our nascent democracy by only telling ourselves the hard truth. In the light of this, it baffles some of us when some people misinterpret, misrepresent and misplace some political values of zoning, election, appointment, second term and the likes because of selfish reasons and personal aggrandizement.
Inasmuch as whatever has advantage must have disadvantage, the abovementioned political dividends have their circumstantial plus and minus. For instance, our today’s zoning is for PDP and not APGA, ACN, PPA or any other political party as we must always say the political truth. Democratically, zoning shall be good if and only if all the political parties or areas concerned come together and agree on their turn by turn and sharing pattern. But then, you cannot bring anyhow candidate, incredible, unsaleable and unpopular candidate on the strength of zoning and expect the populace to join you.Lest,we sacrifice excellence on the altar of mediocrity. What we want is a credible candidate with good track records, experienced, who can represent or lead us to the Promised Land and deliver the goods entrusted to him, irrespective of whose ox is gored, party or zone the person belongs. This is applicable to giving political appointments, elections, second term syndrome, merger and the likes. I am not mincing words to say that the era of politics of godfatherism and godmotherism should stop, even though I don’t have any. Nde Ndaa shi, Madam Shi, Nde Abuja Shi, Uncle m Shi, Our leader shi, Honorable and Dishonorable shi ect. is mere cheapening ourselves and reducing our ‘EGO’. Why not ‘Shila’ your own because, if you don’t say I am, nobody will say you are. Thank God, that system is gradually dying in our current political scenario.
A flashback of PDP internal factionalization has crept into our beloved APGA as we now have the old original APGA and new face of APGA (or APGA-APGA cum APGA-PDP) The burning question is: Who are these new face of APGA? Do we need to go to the blues or moon to see them? They are in our respective chapters and wards since the victory of APGA in 2011. The APGA I know is like a movement of one family that is all embracing and all encompassing with the spirit of ‘Onyeaghalanwanneya’. Unfortunately, some of these new entrants joined APGA without proper orientation, due process of declaration at various levels and they are pushing the people that planted and watered the field/ground of APGA many years ago away. This is totally wrong in its ramification. Beware!!! I weep for my great party. ‘Remember, those who neglect you today will surely celebrate you tomorrow’. Real APGANS are never sycophants, selfish, greedy, power-hungry, money conscious, selective, pompous nor autocratic. They love themselves, believe in ‘live and let live’, so that the poor masses can enjoy the dividends of democracy. This is epitomized and manifested in the gigantic cum developmental strides and achievements under two years of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) government led by his Excellency, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha. I am proud to be a real APGAN, as my people (ward/community) have now felt the impact of politics in my locality as well as other communities, unlike the politricks of previous parties. Our persistence, perseverance and sacrifices in APGA many years ago are not in vain and we now deserve personal recognition and empowerment in this government. The hard truth must be told.
At this juncture, its just a tip of the iceberg to talk on the merger of ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC to form APC (All Progressives Congress).I will extensively dwell on it in my next write-up. Politics is a game, a wise game of interest which should aim at satisfying the summum bonum(ie common good), just like Democracy has been defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people. A real politician should be a servant leader and not vice versa, ‘a servant dealer’. In as much as APGA is one of the registered political parties in Nigeria, it has a national image. But the foundation as we all know is Igboic, or Igboism, Biafranism, Ojukwuism,
Massobianism, Nnaemekaism, gburugburuism, onyeaghalanwanneyaism, Ahamefulaism, Agbasoism and kokorokoooism. Therefore, any attempt to deregister, disintegrate, divide or decimate it will be a disservice to the Igbo god and deity and may lead to anarchy or political disaster cum suicide. As the party is legally backed with a constitution, it must be respected and all actions should be dealt constitutionally with the consent of the masses. Remember, you can deceive some of the people some of the time and not all of the people all of the time. And when a conscienceless power meets a powerless conscience, the effect is a double tragedy. Anyway, forming or joining a merger of mega-political parties is a nouvelle idea and a welcome development insofar as it is a convincing and collective interest/agreement that gears towards manpower empowerment cum human development. Hence, vox populi, vox Dei.
In conclusion, I can recall one of my childhood songs, The more we are together, the happier we shall be and united we stand, divided we fall. So whether you are an old APGA or NEW FACE OF APGA, be careful in your political actions, intrigues and engineering as what binds us together is greater than what separates us. Respect the following political rules for posterity to remember you because the eagle eye is watching:
—Whatever you sow is what you reap. You cannot work in company and expect your salary in company B. whoever suffers early must enjoy at last. You must carry the bag of politics (i.e. tutelage) before you benefit from it. Politics is all about investment, patience and loyalty. He who forgets the past shall not see the future. Whom the cap fits, let him wear it. We must look before we leap. We must sit first before we relax. A new fowl/cock goes first with one leg up. Let us not forget ‘pay back’ period, as honour is given to whom honour is due and a labourer deserves his/her wages. Never bite the figer that fed you. Be good to people you see on your way down because you will definitely see them on your way up.
Summarily, let us try as much as we can to eschew and shun the politics of pull him down (PHD) syndrome, calumny, bitterness, false accusation character assassination and sycophancy. Wherever you see yourself, use your position for the good/betterment of others. Do not destroy. Aluta continua, Victoria ascerta. Merci beaucoup.
Comrade Nnaemeka Njoku writes from Owerri North LGA.
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RE: UWAJUMOGU, THE ROLLING STONE
By Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha
