The real tragedy of Nigerian democracy is actually the attitude of the typical Nigerian politician. Attitude has been described as how we react or respond to things that happen to us within or around our environment. Politics is described as a game. In a game sometimes you win and at other times you lose. You cannot win all of the time because sometimes you may find someone who has a better strategy, who is more prepared, who is more acceptable, who has more experience, and whose destiny and everything supports to knock your ambition down. This is what I think perhaps would have accounted for the clinching of the ticket by Emeka Ihedioha.
I am not saying that Senator Samuel Anyanwu is crying blue murder for nothing. He may have an axe to grind actually with the process which many of us knows as is typical of us is always flawed. I am also not an advocate of beating up a child and saying that he should not cry. People should stand up against injustice meted to them especially in this country where it has been proven that might is right and everyone is taking advantage of the weaknesses of another. Having said that, my thinking again is that Samdaddy is conducting himself like a bad loser typical of Owelle Rochas Okorocha whose cookies appear to have finally crumbled. He may soon be retired from politics same way he claimed to have retired others.
Immediately after the People’s Democratic Party primary election which was adjudged as the best among parties in the state Samdaddy got up to embrace Ihedioha on the spot signifying that he was at home with the conduct. To the shock of many he was later to approach the courts to contest the victory. Some party leaders had described his action as being influenced by some forces outside him. ‘As a politician I think that as a party man who lost to another competitor, Samdaddy showed his true character that time as a good party man. But after leaving the scene, the fifth Columnist now came in to influence whatever action that you are seeing now. These are people who felt that PDP should not have it that easy going, who felt that PDP has to be disorganized, who felt that Emeka Ihedioha should be distracted. Left for Samdaddy alone, I don’t think that that decision was entirely his’’.
The above is a reaction coming from Hon Chuma Nnaji, a former deputy Speaker and one time Commissioner who is a die in the wood PDP loyalist. We got to know that early in the in the protestation the Imo PDP elders of the party had intervened to broker peace during which period they upheld the PDP Imo primary election but that did not deter Anyanwu from challenging the outcome. On why the litigant cannot be reined in by the elders especially one credited to be close to him. A visibly agitated journalist queried, how can they control these boys when they are all relying on them for support? According to the guy, this is the reason they cannot speak out on the evils going on in the state for fear of cutting off their source of survival because they all run to the government house for largesse.
So far it has been a tale of woes for the Senator as he has been thrashed twice or so in the court on the same matter including attracting a fine. The climax is the formation of a new-PDP and the issuance of ultimatum to the national leadership to do its bidding or it would port entirely to another party. This is like saying it must be me or nobody. The Ikeduru born Senator was originally gunning to retain his senatorial seat and mid-way to the consternation of his supporters opted for the Douglas House and suddenly became a hot contender to the front runner and eventual winner EmekaIhedioha. At a time Imo people thought that the PDP primary election issue has gone into history, Anyanwu is still raking it up. He forgot that the more he is throwing mud fighting the more he loses ground.
I can bet Samdaddy would have had an easy ride if he had continued with the Senate position. But right now he has neither the governor nor the Senate or any other elective position. Could that be the reason he is still fighting so as to remain relevant? On paper Ihedioha looks good for the job having traversed this path unsuccessfully before. He worked so hard to tour every nook and cranny of this state. He was one time Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the House of Reps. Anyanwu’s main grouse is that the election which threw him up was manipulated even from the national leadership.
Anyanwu within a short period in politics has made giant strides moving from Council Chairman to the State Assembly and to the Senate. It was an easy ride and perhaps he feels that the recent effort to place more icing on the cake by clinching the governorship position should not be challenged. If the issues are anchored on manipulation and rigging we are tempted to askif the elections that threw up Anyanwu all these days are devoid of manipulations even if they had gone unchallenged. It is a matter of conscience. He should accept the situation in good faith and not give himself out as playing the spoilers role. He is already losing the sympathy of many of his admirers especially those from Owerri Zone.
A clear issue that stands out is that the so called Owerri Zone are not serious in their agitation for the governorship seat they have made so much noise about accusing others of marginalizing them. It is no longer in doubt that they are jeopardizing their chances now because if they are sincere about it they have no choice than to rally round Ihedioha who is the only Owerri man among the big three parties with a ticket. That is the right thing to do if they mean business. If Araraume or Uzodinma clinches the position and insists on two tenures your guess is as good as mine when it should get to the turn of Owerri people.
Our politicians should learn to be good sportsmen. There is always another time. Buhari ran four times before he got the presidential seat. Serial defector Atiku has laboured so much until now when he picked the ticket. We have read that someone in America, Abraham Lincoln, I guess ran many times, a record yet unequalled by any man on earth before he realized his political ambition. There is always another time to try again. Politicians should cease from making elections a do or die affairs. Samdaddy, it is not about you alone.
