By Sam Onwuemeodo
For Rochas Okorocha’s group, Governor Hope Uzodinma and Adams Oshiomhole were for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu presidential aspiration. This was the first impression or belief. The group, abinitio, also believed that the repeated or consistent or persistent campaign of calumny against Okorocha, by Uzodinma and his government, was part of his deal with the Tinubu group. We could be right. We could be wrong.
The strong feeling was that the lmo State governor was given the assignment or job of blackmailing Okorocha out of reckoning. Right from the outset, they knew that Okorocha would aspire for the 2023 presidency. l am talking about All Progressive Congress (APC). l do not know about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They began early to chase him.
When Barr. Emeka Nwajiuba came out, the feeling was that Uzodinma would have no other option than to support him. This logic was based on the fact that, to lmo people, Uzodinma and Nwajiuba have been playing together for some time now. They have become political partners, either by commission or by omission. They have become political partners in progress or in absurdity or both. All of the above.
We have also heard that it was the lmo governor, who asked or who urged Dr Ogbonnaya Onu to go and buy the APC presidential forms. This has not been confirmed. But the likelihood is overt. Overwhelming. At the end of the day, the governor went and bought forms for the Senate president, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan. And also submitted the forms for him. Perhaps, he must have also paid for the forms for him.
Whatever was the case, the lmo governor never committed any crime. He never breached any electoral law or code or ordinance. It is his right to decide on who to support in the circumstance. It is even more interesting that, the day the lmo governor went to submit Lawan’s forms at the party secretariat, Prof. Obiozor and his team were in a diplomatic meeting with the British High Commissioner, in Abuja.
The Meeting Was On Lgbo Presidency.
Prof. Obiozor, we all know, remains a product of Uzodinma with regard to the Ohaneze President. The reason Obiozor and the Ohaneze he leads have not said anything on Governor Uzodinma’s action on Lawan. Uzodinma is lmo governor of APC stock. lmo is a core lgbo state. So, what Uzodinma did was to tell the rest of the nation, not to mind the lgbo and their quest, for the presidency of the country in 2023. He succeeded in putting a caveat or disclaimer on the lgbo presidency demand.
He also let Ohaneze and its leadership down. He let the entire lgbo nation down. He also let all the lgbo aspirants down. He simply told all to hell with the lgbo presidency stuff. The governor went to submit Lawan’s forms few days after he had hosted Rotimi Amaechi at Government House, when he came to meet with lmo delegates. He has been trying to play the fast one at any given time. ln doing that, he has always given himself a deep cut. He has always misfired. He has always appeared to be acting before reasoning, in lieu of reasoning before acting.
The issue is not whether Lawan would be President or not. But, why the lmo Governor would have exercised caution, at least, considering the quest and popular feeling of Ndi lgbo, for the presidency this time and what he represents as lmo governor, on the platform of APC. Which the lgbo may or may not get. But the governor would not have shown so early that, he does not want it to happen. We are talking about a sitting governor. Get the point. The lmo governor’s politics has remained disjointed since he came on board. Always taking the wrong steps.
With the withdrawal of Chris Ngige, it is now obvious that only Okorocha and perhaps, Nwajiuba, are serious with their aspirations. l had also thought that Nwajiuba came out on the basis of “Baba Ashi”. But with the speed with which he resigned; l removed him from the list of ” Baba Ashi “.
Again, with the lmo governor’s action, he has inflicted a very serious injury on lmo APC and all the aspirants on the ticket of the party in the state. No matter the way one looks at it, APC is yet to be grounded in lmo, like the PDP. Even in the whole of Southeast. ln 2015, Okorocha had to contest for the presidential ticket of the party, against Muhammadu Buhari, to demonstrate that, the lgbos have a future in APC.
Then, in the Southeast, they had branded APC an Islamic party. Calling Okorocha, Alhaji in government house. The lmo governor would have played to keep the spirit of the lgbo presidency in APC alive, at least, for the sake of those contesting for other offices on its tickets. He simply told the world that, lmo APC does not believe in lgbo presidency and it is not a good development. It is not in the overall interest of the other aspirants for other positions on the platform of the party.
What if Okorocha or Nwajiuba picks the APC ticket and even goes ahead to win the election. It is possible. Very possible. One night can thwart ten years political programme or plan. The lmo governor should think less about his re-election. He should not be having sleepless nights over that. That’s the only reason for all these political “off-sides”. He should justify the one he has already.
The man wants to secure his political future. But what is God’s own position in all of that that? This is the issue. Man can say yes, and God would say, no. Then, the end would begin to justify the means. Any other lmo man or woman could do what the governor did, and no eyebrows would be raised. But for the governor, it’s too heavy to be overlooked or to be wished away.
ln K.B.C Onwubiko’s History of West Africa, Volume 1, the enemies had stormed the residence of the king of Mali Empire. Killed everybody in the family. But left only Sundiata, who was a cripple. He was walking with his two hands, because his legs were all down. The invading enemies wrote him off. They felt that he would die on his own, if abandoned. They left. Few years after, that same Sundiata raised a very formidable army, stormed the enemies camp, killed all of them. He succeeded in taking over Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire etc. ln other words, anything can happen. It is not over, until it is over and seen to be over. Do you understand?
Prophet Elijah told the servant to look toward the Sea. He went and said, he saw nothing. The prophet said, look well, the servant said, l could only see a little cloud like a man’s hand. Elijah said, that’s it. Abundance of rain. The servant could not understand what that little cloud that looked like a man’s hand represented. But Elijah knew it was time for abundance of rain, (l King 17: 42- 46). l am talking to somebody. To whom it may concern. We pray and watch.
