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Why Enugu People Will Choose Next Governor

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Why Enugu People Will Choose Next Governor

By Chidiebere Nwobodo

” I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday .” — Abraham Lincoln

There is a school of thought that espouses the philosophy that old age comes with some grains of wisdom. Psychology taught us that as we grow older, we aquire more capacity to reflect critically on our actions and inactions; the reason Igbo adage says that what an old man sees while sitting down, a young man won’t see it even if he climbs the peak of an Iroko tree.

In the case of Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, ex-governor of Enugu State, I think it is to the contrary. It is more of old-habits-die-hard. Though his body might age and wane, his mind still nurses despotic tendencies. His recent controversial and degrading statement regarding how the next governor of Enugu State would emerge, affirms the belief that a leopard does not change its spots.

In a desperate move to retain his senatorial ticket, Senator Nnamani went downward spiral of retrogression to postulate that incumbent governor of Enugu State should be given the sole authority to choose his successor without opposition. In a prejudiced statement titled: “Enugu 2023: Gov Ugwuanyi will choose successor”, the ex-governor affirmed that “…it is the prerogative of the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to produce his successor without challenges”.

In the preceding paragraph of the ill-conceived statement, he alluded that there has been a precedent and tradition of incumbent governors handpicking their successors without let and hindrance. Hear him: “We have a tradition in Enugu State politics. The governor is the leader who directs affairs. He will determine who succeeds him without compromising the electoral processes and whomever he chooses will be our next governor.”

When I first read the statement posted on his Facebook page, I thought I was watching Nollywood movies where the whole community of Amaeze Kingdom was waiting on the chief priest—as the only eyes of the gods, to anoint the next king that will mount the ancient throne. On a second thought, I presumed that some hackers on the cyberspace were playing golf with the senator’s verified Facebook account. Reality dawned me when I began seeing the report on social media pages of mainstream newspapers.

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I have been hearing some social media enthusiasts from Enugu State bandied this dictatorial and disgusting narrative that the governor should be “allowed” to install his successor. I did not take them seriously despite their arrogance of ignorance. Many people, especially those from the state, were outraged and flabbergasted that an ex-governor, who has been in the senate for close to eight years, could descend to the nadir of primitive politics by amplifying such antiquated political ideology.

Imagine a senator who has been part of constitutional and Electoral Act Amendment processes coming out with such warped logic. The 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Electoral Act are the two documents that guide on how a new governor should emerge. Has Senator Nnamani replaced laws of the country with “new law book” called “Ebeano family”? the rapid reactions of the people of Enugu and Nigerians in general on Nnamani’s gaffe is indeed enough vote of no confidence in the senator for his constituents to immediately begin the processes of recalling him from the Red Chamber, as he has apparently outstayed his usefulness – that is if he ever was.

Come to think of it, this is 2022 not 1999. Chimaroke Nnamani should be reminded that Nigeria has moved past the dark era of his godfather, Olusegun Obasanjo, when election results were announced while Nigerians were queuing to exercise their franchise. 10 per cent of the atrocities and malfeasance that were permissible in 2003 will be extremely difficult to be allowed in our polity today. I am sure that Senator Nnamani has changed cars, phones, laptops and even renovated house(s) he used in 2003. Yet he wants electoral system to remain primitive.

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Why should we remain retrogressive while we can make progress? Enugu State is the former capital of old Eastern region – the epicentre of Igbo nation. Yet, because of retrogressive politics and highfalutin sycophancy cum insufferable hypocrisy that have become the biggest industry in the state, a young state like Ebonyi has taken the shine off us in terms of infrastructural developments. Primitive politics has really stunted the growth of the Coal City and churned out mediocrity.

Senator Nnamani’s sycophantic propagation meant that electorates in the state are not part of the political equation when it comes to heralding a new governor to office. Voters are mere pawns in the chessboard of political buccaneers and capones holding the state hostage. They use political powers to perpetuate elitism, cover their intellectual daftness and economic delinquencies.

With this illogical statement, Chimaroke Nnamani just reduced Enugu to enclave of herds of zombies lost in the political wilderness, waiting for their stone-aged leaders to keep browbeating them en route 2023 election. I hope the likes of Senator Nnamani won’t be angry when Enugu people are ridiculed as “Ndi Waawa”. Utterances like these are what invite opprobrium on our people. This is a grave insult on our collective intelligence as Enugu People and further confirms our worries that Enugu is progressing in error.

Get me right. In the spirit of objectivity, no one will deny Governor Ugwuanyi his constitutional rights to vote and be voted for. He has freedom to discretely endorse any candidate of his choice, lobby and sell him or her to his party delegates and entire Enugu voters. He has the right to play the needed politics for his preferred candidate to win. But eligible electorates of Enugu have the final say on who governs the state.

Meanwhile, the statement was riddled with ideological contradictions. How can a lawmaker that is worth his salt opine that a governor should be allowed to choose his successor without challenges, and in the same statement said that it could be done without “compromising the electoral processes and whoever he chooses will be our next governor”. This is not only contradictory but oxymoronic. It is akin to saying that a thief can break into my house, steal my valuables without infringing on my rights.

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Senator Nnamani’s anti-democratic statement has compromised the electoral processes already. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should call the Senator to order. This is like railroading the entire state into a political box where their choices are pigeonholed between deep blue sea and the devil. The priciest dividend of democracy is not infrastructural facilities, human development, security, etcetera. Even autocratic governments have done better in these areas than Nigeria and her band of selfish leaders. The priciest dividends of democracy are liberties, especially unhindered and uncompromised freedom to elect those who make decisions on our behalf.

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and his anachronistic cabal who still believe that results are written, governors are “appointed”, should no that times have changed. They’re dealing with a different generation of Enugu people, who are determined to resist the obsolete ideas of imposition cum political opportunism. What Senator Nnamani refers to as “precedent” and “tradition” is a brazen rape of our democracy where few select for the majority.

Enugu State is not a cult group where a few influential leaders select the next capone. Lion Building is not a coven or personal cum family heritage that can be bequeathed to someone or group of people by appointment. The geographical space called Enugu doesn’t belong to any individual. Being a senator or governor doesn’t make one custodian of destiny of Ndi Enugu. We are not stupid or bunch of zombies. We are capable of electing our next governor via constitutionally stipulated democratic means.

_Nwobodo, a political analyst writes from Abuja.


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