THE DANDER IN POLITICAL ANOINTING. PART 1

I have never met Honourable Ifeany Ugwuanyi personally. It would amount to free and cheap talk for me to say I can conjecture what kind of a governor he will become. If the messages credited to him on a few billboards around the Udenu and Igboeze Norht axis are anything TO go by, one would begin to assume that he is a fine humble man. The same billboard messages will also become a yardstick to know how malleable and docile he can be in the hands of inordinate political godfathers. He has on some occasions had to lift billboards wishing the people happy Easter celebrations and I did see on one occasion where he congratulated people for returning him to the Federal House of Reps.

After seeing this message from Honourable Ugwuanyi, I returned to Lagos and sent my son to go and buy fuel – you know PHCN, or whatever they have metamorphosed to now, never ceases to give us light 24/7 – and when he came back I asked him to thank me. He looked up and said to me, Daddy, I agree you are my father and I also agree that the fuel I bought is for our general good but I would not thank you for taking all the pains to go on that errand. He told me that if I and his siblings won’t thank him for doing the service on our behalf, then we could hold our peace but we should not expect a thank you from him for doing us a favour. And come to think of it. If he had thanked us or me, it would have been because he used part of the fuel money for his personal gains.

From even a distant point, one hears that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyis’s anointment is acceptable by people outside of the ring of “Enugu PDP family”; and that is using Governor Chime’s own coinage. Several of my friends in the social media have even floated pages of campaign supports for him but what do you expect in a country where what matters is how do I get involved to catch a portion of the loot when time comes, now that a sitting governor has given his tacit support to a candidate.

From the Nigerian perspective of democracy, and probably Enugu in particular, the Enugu State governorship race for 2015 is as good as fought and won. Firstly, the incumbent Governor has given his support, secondly he is in the “winning” machine called PDP. Even other political groups – yes, you heard me well, I did not say political parties – are jittery to crane their necks in other to rear their heads. Even though I do not doubt the antecedents, integrity and pedigree of Hon. Ugwuanyi it would have been a lot better for him if all the candidates where duly and satisfactorily given a good hearing. In a game of soccer of eleven players, one recalcitrant player can mar a game.


But from a distance also comes the discordant tune that some stake holders and political heavyweights are threatening to go to court as a show of discontentment to the manner of the anointing. Initially, we heard that among the political juggernauts eyeing the Lion building included, but not limited to, Enugu State PDP chapter Chairman – and a man I have met once and felt his dexterity – Engineer Vita Aba, Senator Ayogu Eze whom from a distance I have always know his legerdemain, Hon. Pat Asadu who is a slow and noiseless, but stiff, operator, ebullient Lawmaker and Enugu House of Assembly boss – Hon. Eugene Odoh, Onwa Fidel Ayogu, etc. In short, one account put the number to sixteen candidates.

The magic wand that made all these people withdraw in favour of Hon. Ugwanyi – without any debate – has many implications. It is either Enugu State has, finally, gotten the best they’ve been looking for, or the others did not even know what they wanted when they indicated interests, or they only wanted to make noise and be settled or, still, there was powerful anointing oil that Gov. Chime sprinkled on their heads that removed all the canker worms and caterpillars that has hitherto destroyed the reasoning of the politicians. If none of the above happened then, only one other conclusion can be inferred. There was an unseen hand of incumbency intimidation that chocked these other men to submit without any other reason other than a notion of “united” PDP family and some promises of being asked to present candidate for some other juicy positions.

But from the grapevine, it is still not impossible that the Abuja end of the game has not been settled as there is this notion that the Rock has asked smaller chapter to desist from consensus for now. I used to know that Gov. Chime was in the good books of President Jonathan as I was a living witness to Chime’s over 100% support for the President – on behalf of Enugu people – on the consensus that produced Goodluck for Nigeria. But I do not know now if the romance is still the same. And indications abound that the relationship may have gone a little awry. Apart from occasional crowd rental by Gov. Chime for the Presidents visits to the East, Chime was not able to secure any meaningful federal presence in Enugu State. Appointing Enugu indigenes alone should not become a hair-raising feat that would equal a support of 130% from Gov. Chime to the President. If the likes of Senator Ayogu Eze have done more romance to the Presidency in Abuja, then anything may start happening in Enugu governorship race very soon. The rumour mill is indicating that if the horse trading going on now is not handled properly, anything is possible.

The big looser may be people like Senator Ayogu Eze and Hon. Pat Asadu. If they did not play any significant role in the emergence of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at Enugu level and they cannot use Abuja connection to dismantle that arrangement, then their own seats are already on the line. Gov. Chime may still carry the war further north by insisting that Senator Ayogu Eze and Hon. Pat Asadu should vacate for some other persons.