By Obike Ukoh
Intemperate, boastful and undemocratic outbursts have become the trade mark of the current democratic dispensation.
Though unguarded utterances were normal practice of politicians in Nigeria, it had been deepened especially by those whose party are in power, either at state of federal levels.
They talk as if they possess the powers of the almighty.
What now appears to be the constant outbursts of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Mr Nyeson Wike about President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, is constantly in the national media space.
Engr David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has joined in this media gravitation to seek attention as frontline loyalist of President Tinubu’s re-election.
But his area of concentration is the South-East, where he is a “lion,’’ and Ebonyi, where he was a governor for eight years.
Unlike universal democratic practice, the former Ebonyi governor wants the people to follow him by “ fire by force.’’
Umahi, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in 2015 defected to the APC in 2020.
For the 2027 governorship election in Ebony, candidates have emerged from the various political parties.
The incumbent governor, Ogbonna Nwifuru is seeking re-election on the platform of the APC, while Chief Ifeanyi Odii, is the governorship candidate of the PDP, among others.
Odii was the governorship candidate of the PDP for the 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi.
However, though Umahi has left the PDP, he is too concerned about the PDP and its governorship candidate, the same way he is concerned about Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In all, Umahi does not want the two to succeed in their electoral ambition.
On the status of the PDP in Ebonyi State, Umahi declared that the part will not regain political control, saying he was responsible for ending the party’s dominance in the state. Interestingly, he did not say he was responsible for the “birth’’ of the party in the state.
Umahi spoke recently, during the inspection of the Cross River-Ebonyi-Benue-Abuja Trans-Saharan Highway.
He also emphasized that he had no involvement in the governorship ambition of the PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, and would not support any political move capable of undermining Governor Francis Nwifuru’s re-election bid.
“ I killed PDP when I left PDP. Whether they are alive again, I don’t know. And if they are alive, we have to `unalive’ them because PDP did not treat the people of South-East well,” Umahi said.
The former Ebony governor, who defected from the PDP to the APC in 2020, added: “We supported the PDP. “We voted for presidents in the PDP. When it was our time for them to honour us with presidential ticket, they did not honour us. We have hope in APC,’’ Umahi said.
However, Umahi who said that PDP died immediately he left the party, had turned around to say that he will prevail on the party’s candidate Odii to withdraw from the 2027 governorship race, and allow Nwiifuru complete his second tenure.
Umahi made the disclosure at his hometown Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, during a stakeholders engagement with people of Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo local government areas.
I will be the person to prevail on Odii, whom he described as “his cousin” to realise that it was not yet the turn of Ebonyj South senatorial district to produce the governor.
“I will be the one to talk to him because when I say it is not the turn of the South- East zone to be president, I still say it is not the turn of Ebonyj South district to be governor.
“The zoning arrangement is turn by turn, and that is why you cannot see me quarreling over the issue on the social media.
“I know at the right time, I will talk to Odii over the issue, and this is the right time,” the former Ebonyi governor emphasized.
He noted that the state’s governorship charter of equity was dear to him as he promoted it as a governor.
However, analysts and commentators faulted Umahi on his resolve to prevail on Odii not to run against Nwifuru to enable him complete his tenure, and his comment on Ebonyi Charter of Equity.
They noted that Umahi announced to the world that PDP is dead in Ebonyi, that the party died when he left it.
They queried, “How can the former governor of Ebonyi and an incumbent minister, and by extension a member of the Federal Executive Council(FEC), be afraid of a dead party.’’
They also want an explanation on why the emphasis should be on the PDP, and seeking an easy passage for Nwifuru, instead of hinging his re-election on performance.
They also faulted his position on the Charter of Equity, and his advocacy for “turn by turn.’’
However, as a result of how the Charter of Equity issue was handled, protagonists of qualitative leadership instead of zoning have emerged.
This group are of the view that nobody should come up with the argument regarding the Charter of Equity. They argue that the Charter of Equity which was aimed at regulating power rotation became impossible to adopt between the people of Abakaliki and Afikpo blocs.
At the last ditched effort to save the situation in January and February, 1996, the last two meetings held at the residence of Chief Anthony Ekoh in Abakaliki and that of Chief Chris Nwankwo at Enugu, failed to agree on the matter. Hence the document was not signed.
In principle, it was agreed that if the state capital is located in Abakaliki, then the first governor should come from the Afikpo bloc.
After the state was created on October 1, 1996, with the capital at Abakaliki, the same Abakaliki bloc, went ahead to produce the governor.
Not only that, the same Abakaliki bloc pushed forward one more time to produce another governor.
Abakaliki bloc has so far ruled the state for almost 20 years, while Afikpo bloc has only ruled for eight years.
This was against the Charter of Equity, as the charter recognized only two blocs.
The position of this group is that the issue of charter should not be emphasized, but focus should be on performance.
On his own part, the PDP candidate Odii has argued that he does not believe in the rotational culture of politics because it engenders mediocrity and docility.
He has promised Ebonyians that he will do things differently.
Umahi appears to agree with performance, as criteria for leadership.
When he addressed the stakeholders from Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo in his Uburu country home residence, he emphasized the importance of performance.
“We performed marvelously during my tenure as the governor and the state was proud of the governorship from the Ebonyi South.
“Gone are the days Ebonyi people were called names, if you want to insult us now, we keep you quiet with projects.’’
Can this be said about the incumbent governor? If yes, the Minister of Works, should make it a selling point and not looking for one to prevail not to contest.
The electorate should be allowed to pick from the pool of candidates.
Obike Ukoh, former Deputy Editor-In-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
