Ebonyi 2015: Strange alliance against Elechi’s successor By Mazi Eze Nwakpa

              

The quest for power and, specifically, to determine who becomes the governor of Ebonyi State from May 29, 2015 has thrown up so many interesting political alliances and permutations.

Between 2002 and 2003, Dr. Sam Egwu, the then governor of Ebonyi State, was locked in a deadly duel with the then President of the Senate and Nigeria’s number three citizen, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, currently Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. By the time the dust settled, some innocent citizens of the state and even security operatives had lost their precious lives. That was in addition to billions of state funds that both groups ploughed into prosecuting the war as it were. However, today, like they say in politics, there is no permanent enemy and no permanent friend, only permanent interest. The interests of these Ebonyi power brokers have once again united them. The coming together of these old foes is even made more intriguing by yet another part of the alliance; that between the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state, Engr. Dave Umahi, and INEC Federal Commissioner, representing the South-east zone, Chief Lawrence Nwuruku. These men’s only ambition is to cage and disgrace Governor Martin Elechi because Elechi and the PDP leadership and stakeholders in Ebonyi State have thought it wise that competence and integrity be the yardstick for the selection of who flies the PDP flag in the 2015 general elections.

The Electoral Act makes it very clear that whoever wishes to contest election for public office in Nigeria, but occupies another office in the government or within the civil service, should resign the appointment and face the electoral process. But in the case of Ebonyi, the political gladiators have continued to have the ‘best of both worlds’. This brazen disregard for the laws of the land has bred nothing except the looming implosion of the young state.

The office of the SGF is literarily the ‘brain box’ of the government of Nigeria. It is the office that coordinates the intricate workings and relationships of the various ministries and Federal Government parastatals and agencies that carry out the government’s policies. To this end, the occupier of the office is usually removed from the hoopla that follows political activities in the country.

Today, Senator Anyim has, despite the acclaimed sensitivity of his office to the success or failure of the government, seemingly abandoned his official duties in order to influence who becomes the next governor of Ebonyi State. It is quite unfortunate that while the government in which Anyim’s role is central is challenged on many fronts, especially the burgeoning activities of insurgents, the SGF has abandoned his duties for the local politics of who becomes what in Ebonyi State. The first time Anyim showed interest in local politics was when he tried to dictate to Ishiagu people who should lead the Ishiagu Community Development Union (ICDU). It was clear to the people that Anyim had pecuniary interest in trying to raise a surrogate for that office. In that venture, lives were lost and property worth millions damaged, as the community headed to court to address the attempt to undermine their civic rights.

In similar vein, Chief Lawrence Nwuruku, though a career politician, has equally abandoned his sacred duties, as an electoral umpire, who is supposed to be apolitical; at least, not openly, to further acerbate the misfortunes of the Federal Government of Nigeria by dabbling into the internal party issues in Ebonyi State.

The case of Chief Nwuruku is even scarier, considering the fact that he is a Federal Commissioner in INEC, representing the entire South-east geopolitical zone. It is instructive to note that a person in such a high office within the electoral umpire should never be seen to meddle in party  affairs, even of his ward as such activity could greatly erode the trust of the electorate in the electoral system. As a matter of fact, a free and fair election can never be guaranteed in a situation where electoral officers of the highest echelon get involved in who becomes what in an election where they will superintend! What is intriguing about Nwuruku’s latest attempt is that he was nominated for the present position by Anyim. And Ebonyi people want to know whether the alliance is for good or evil, remembering that Anyim also supported Nwuruku for his ill-fated attempt to become governor after crossing to the defunct ANPP in desperation!

To be clear, the constitution of Nigeria guarantees the right of every Nigerian who satisfies its basic provisions to vote and be voted for in elections, but these rights must be exercised within the ambits of the laws of the land.

For Egwu indeed, the man has been blowing hot and cold since he left office in 2007. Though political fortune has constantly smiled on him, Egwu obviously lacks the sagacity for real service to the people. His unfortunate trajectory in the Federal Ministry of Education where the sector was deep in crises and all he could care for was wedding anniversary party, remains fresh in our minds. Egwu became the governor of Ebonyi State in 1999, even as a minority Ngbo man because the Abakaliki political bloc was skeptical of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu being from the south. All said and done, Egwu emerged the governor and the entire state united behind him.

However, by 2006/2007 when the succession time came, Egwu abandoned the support of the major stakeholders and the entire state and, out of sentiment, imposed Chief Martin Elechi on the PDP and by extension the people of Ebonyi State. Though Egwu supported the opposition during the 2011 governorship, he was not bold enough to come out in the open to campaign against Elechi. Thank God, Chief Martin Elechi turned out to be a resounding success, as he has today laid a solid foundation for the upward swing of development in Ebonyi State.

But unlike Egwu; Gov. Martin Elechi widely consulted and held town hall meetings with the three senatorial zones of the state before the adoption of Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu by the PDP, Ebonyi State chapter. It, therefore, behooves on the quartet of Sen. Anyim, Chief Nwuruku, Dr. Sam Egwu and Engr. Dave Umahi to toe the line of honour and spare Ebonyi State the chaos they are so eagerly trying to foist on Ebonyi, as those that must come to equity must come with clean hands. If they feel strongly that Ebonyi people desperately want them, they can as well join Hon. Aminu Tambuwal in seeking greener pastures in other political platforms, considering the political permutations in their state.

• Mazi Eze Nwakpu

26, Udude Street, Abakaliki