Since The Creation Of Anambra State, Only The Immediate Past Governor, Peter Obi, Had Been Able To Scale The Second Term Hurdle. Though, It Is Still One-Year Away From The Governorship Election In The State, The Drums Are Already Being Beaten And The Gladiators Are Equally Perfecting Their Strategies In A Race That Might Shake The State To Its Very Foundation. PAMELA EBOH Weighs The Pros And Cons Of An Emerging Second Term Syndrome In The State
With time and tide ticking slowly to the next governorship election in Anambra State, the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano, is not letting his guards down in his bid to get a second term in office. Obiano who entered Anambra politics as a political neophyte and made it to the top echelon had indeed grown in lips and in bounds in the politics of the state, having learnt the ropes from the veterans and gurus, though he no longer have some of them with him, having fell apart.
At the moment, the governor fondly called ‘akpokuodike’ seems unperturbed with the talks from presumed enemies that he will never get a second term in office. On the other hand, whether he returns to the Agu-Awka seat of government or not, he may not be bothered as some of his followers have argued that the governor has nothing to lose, and would rather return to the life he was used to in the United States of America. Obiano was not interested in contesting the position until providence looked upon him. He recently said: “Governance is not as easy as people think.
Sometimes you don’t sleep till morning because you are up all night, busy having meetings and consulting with people in order to make the state better than you met it. “I was in the US enjoying my life and I was called to come and do this. I was never interested in becoming a governor because I made a good career out of my banking job”.
Though he may have bared his mind in that statement, political watchers in the state have argued that ‘power remains a sweet honey that once tasted, the yearning for more becomes stronger’. This may be the case with Obiano as one analyst recently put it, “power intoxicates like a fine wine, and once you are drunk with it, the hangover never dissipate”.
There are feelers that the governor despite his acclaimed good life in the United States is ready to do anything within his reach to ensure he holds grip on power for another four years and have the accolade of being the second governor in line to run an eight-year government in the state, a jinx that was broken by his predecessor, Peter Obi.
Information gathered exclusively by Saturday Telegraph revealed that the governor has started mending fences and wooing the necessary brides including perceived enemies to his side. One of those instances is his recent statement at a stakeholder’s meeting held at the governor’s lodge, where he openly revealed that he regret his fight with Obi.
Admitting that the rancour was unnecessary, he said; “My brother, Obi, laid solid foundation for my administration. He is a great leader and I owe him gratitude. There is no doubt that without him we won’t be where we are today. “Our feud with him was uncalled for. He is a good man.
I must thank my brother and predecessor, former governor Peter Obi who as the first APGA governor laid a good foundation for my administration to continue the journey for a better Anambra State. When we took over the reins of leadership, we realised that my predecessor had done a lot of work in the aspect of setting the fundamentals or what I call the enablers”.
While some notable APGA chieftains in the state view that statement as a political mumbo jumbo, some political watchers were of the opinion that the governor is only acting up and cutting corners as a humble bride in order to set the ball rolling for a smooth transition to a second term in office.
However, in the words of the former Commissioner for Information and Director General of Willie Obiano’s first term campaign bid, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike, “Obiano can only succeed for a second term based on the works he has done. Only his works can speak for him, not ‘Willie is working’ slogans. His works will endear people to support him for a second term.
Noboby can guarantee his second term except the people who are ultimately the voters”. However, voters or not, the governor has alreday cast his net in the ocean with the expectation of catching the big fishes in the political chess board of the state who are the deciding factor as to who the baton would be given to.
Apart from Obi who he feels has a good followership in the state and courting him will water the ground for more support, there is also an APGA chieftain and founding member of APGA who is perceived as the unseen brain box behind the wheels. According to reliable politicians in the state, the governor had been wooing the said APGA chieftain to join his team to no avail. It was alleged that this big fish has refused to be caught based on certain conditions which the governor refused to accept.
The first condition said to have been given by the APGA chieftain when he was approached by the governor’s team was that he will only join the train if he is allowed to come on board with his team, but that condition was refused by the governor, saying that he could not guarantee the loyalty of the group the ‘big man’ would bring on board.
The second condition was for the governor to cease all ties with the former National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, that idea was also rebuffed by Obiano who saw it as an impossible mission. Various monetary overtures were said to have been made to the APGA chieftain including an allegation that N1million naira sent to him through a close ally for providing ‘kola’ to his group was rejected as the man stood by his conditions.
Another dependable source close to the corridors of power said: “That APGA chieftain is someone he cannot do away with as far as Anambra State politics is concerned. He is like a bone in the throat of the governor as his name keeps popping up during strategy planning. “Unfortunately the man is an old second republic politician who believes in truth and principle, not the type of politicians of today who are ready to sell their birth right for money.
“The governor has even said it to someone that was brought in to woo the APGA chieftain that he had never seen a Nigerian politician that would reject money for any other thing, that he was shocked when the man refused to take money or any manner of financial inducement.
Others in the line of courting are the Presidents-General (PG) of the 177 communities in the state. It was gathered that at a recent closed-door section at the governor’s lodge in Amawbia, the governor in an effort to woo them to his side asked them to nominate three contractors each from their communities.
An inside source at the meeting said that the in addition, he promised to start paying them monthly stipend of N20, 000 but that the gesture was turned down by most of the leaders who dismissed it as worthless and below their level while promising to ensure that the mistake of 2013 was corrected even as some out of the fear of the EFCC said they would not nominate any contractor to avoid having troubles with the law.
The governor was quoted as saying in Igbo, “Ndi PG anyi ga-eri ihe this time” meaning, our PGs will eat this time. It was also revealed that the governor is no longer comfortable with the rising acceptability of “Correction 2017” reigning across the state hence; he is seeking the support of the PGs.
Obiano may have garnered a lot of enemies in his journey to political stardom; those who felt abandoned, betrayed, dumped and neglected. This crop of bed fellows may ultimately not want to see his face and well nurtured hair again as the number one man in Anambra as a result they are bent on tightening all loose ends to ensure he doesn’t succeed.
There is also another crop of politicians who feel punctured that despite having paid their dues in politics, a political neophyte was brought in to usurp their position and opportunity. To this group, Obiano must be ousted. Like in the words of an APGA chieftain; “Obiano abandoned the right direction and chose to chase shadow.
“He surrounded himself with sycophants who only sing his praise for what they can get without telling him the truth as it is. They are only destroying him for their selfish gain and the man is not aware of that. Now the time has come and we are waiting, let’s see how he will succeed in securing a second term. It’s obvious he will share money but will that money materialise into votes?”
The governor in his effort to pull the string has also employed more hands in the media to help propagate his good works but talks have it that those being brought in are more of administrative media men, not those with the type of magic to start a fire and quell it without calling on the gods.
Also the former governor of the state and presently the Minister of Labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige has repeatedly said that he has not finished the good work he started in Anambra State as a governor before his sojourn was cut short by the court.
At a recent stakeholders meeting, Ngige declared that the APC would be the party to beat in the 2017 governorship election in the state, bragging that the good works he did while steering the ship would speak for him. He said: “APC will be in serious contention for the office next year because we are determined to take over the Government House.
However, it is too early to begin to talk about whether one will contest or not since, by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, the governorship election will take place perhaps, in December next year. “Before then, the marshal plan APC has for Nigeria would have been on ground properly as we believe that will help us during the campaigns.
“For now, anybody saying he is campaigning for the governorship is only wasting his time as there is still enough time for that. “My performance as governor between 2003 and 2006 would be in good stead for our party in the race. The former governor Peter Obi and his successor, Chief Obiano, could not equal my performance.
Even when they tried to do multiplicity of roads, their roads have collapsed, while the ones I did are still in perfect conditions. Even the handover of schools they are priding themselves with was started by me as I had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the religious leaders and handed over 37 schools on paper before we left office.
“If they had followed my agricultural road map, Anambra State would have been feeding the whole nation with rice by now. If I were to be governor today, I won’t be going to Abuja for money because our state would have been self-sufficient. “A governor and his wife cannot be flying to and fro Abuja at the cost of N6 million each while the Igbariam farm settlement is begging for attention.
You people should get ready to chase them out of government house next year”. However, the governor seems unperturbed despite the side talks and political crucifixions. The former bank administrator is busy upping his game and working hard to endear himself to the electorate who ultimately hold the key to determine who will become victorious at the polls.
So far, Obiano, apart from making effort to woo the political giants in the state, he has his good works going for him especially in the area of security which has stood him out. He has also improved on Agriculture a great deal so much so that Anambra State has joined the league of exporting states in Nigeria following the success recorded in the sector with the exportation of local rice, pumpkin and bitter leaves to the United Kingdom. But the question remains: Will Obiano be able to cross the hurdle? Only time can tell.
– New Telegraph
