The Danse Macabre, or, as the graveyard folks call it, the Macabray, is a dance between the living and the dead. (By the way, anything that deals with death can be called “macabre.”). It is thought to be a response to the plagues that were killing people left and right hundreds of years ago. The idea that the dead and living can come together in dance was (and is) comforting to people who have lost loved ones. It is therefore easy to see why the idea of this dance remains fascinating.
In The Graveyard Book, the dance is shown as a symbol of unity and harmony between the worlds of the living and the dead, the natural and the supernatural, it becomes a symbol of memory and forgetting.
Is Hon. Ihedioha engaging in a political macabre dance?
The news of the “mandate” given to Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives to contest Imo governorship seat in 2015 by a group of “Mbaise leaders” did not get to many unaware as the ambition of Hon. Ihedioha is well known to all in Imo and even beyond. What elicited this write-up is the bandying of some alleged selfish and expired politicians with the garb of “Ndi Mbaise” giving Ihedioha “the mandate” to contest. The resort to ethnic affinity in Ihedioha’s ambition to become governor and the manner he is reportedly desperately going about it, is only comparable to that of Sen. Ifeanyichukwu Araraume in the 2011 election.
A FALSE MANDATE
The so called leaders of Mbaise who “mandated” Hon. Ihedioha to run for the governorship seat of Imo in 2015 is alleged to be a group of aging and self serving politicians without electoral value, who are out to deceive him as long as it is in their pecuniary interest?
Mbaise nwere mmadu, we agree but this writer had expected to see the first eleven of Mbaise land like Nnanyi I.D Nwoga, an elder statesman, one of the founders of PDP and former minister of the federal republic; I did not see Mr. Frank Nneji, CEO ABC Transport and Rapido Ventures; Chief Okey Aguwa, the President of Ezurezu Mbaise, the apex leadership group of Ndi-Mbaise. I did not see Dr. Chucks Osuji, FNIPR, or Prof Uzodinma Nwalla, Mrs. Chinwe Obaji, Sen. Bright Nwanne, and other mainstream leaders of Mbaise. Moreover, what manner of “leaders”, would “endorse” a son, when other better accomplished sons and daughters of Mbaise (with unblemished record of service and loyalty like Engr. Emma Ojinere, Akajiugo Mbaise, distinguished business man and major player in the oil and gas industry, Prof. Mrs. Viola Onwuliri, currently Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister) are either in the race or will be in the race (judging from their body language)?
Moreover, the same group would endorse Engr. Emma Ojinere or even Sen. Chris Anyanwu or anyone for that matter as long as their “conditions” are met?
THE FAILURE OF “STRONG” CANDIDATES IN IMO POLITICS
Firstly, in the history of Imo state, the most powerful, connected and financially strong aspirant and or candidate has never won the governor position. In 1979, Mbakwe of NPP defeated Chief Collins Obi of the ruling NPN to emerge as governor. Late Chief Evan Enwerem of NRC defeated a much stronger and popular and likeable Alex Obi of SDP in 1991 to emerge governor. In 1999, inspite of parading the major political heavy weights in Imo state like Senator Araraume, Sen. Nzeribe, Chief Iwuanyanwu, in the then APP, Engr. Ezekiel Izuogu lost to little known and soft-speaking Achike Udenwa of PDP. Again in 2007, inspite of running in an unknown PPA, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim, defeated “almighty” Sen. Araraume to emerge governor and in recently in 2011, Owelle Rochas Okorocha emerged governor inspite of running against incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim of PDP.
Today the above scenario is replaying itself as the “almighty” Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and a 3-term federal law-maker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has openly indicated his long known aspiration to become governor of Imo state in 2015.
THE JONATHAN/PDP FACTOR
It is well known that Ihedioha and his band of loyalist within the ruling party in coalition with opposition elements have given President Jonathan sleepless nights since the emergence of the new leadership of the federal house on 6th of June, 2011. Firstly, Hon. Ihedioha and his deputy, sorry principal, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, emerged as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the lower house against their party’s zonal arrangement. This act has pitted them against the party and portrayed them as “prodigal” sons. As if this is not enough, Ihedioha and his boss have formed the bulk of opposition to their own ruling party PDP by providing shelter to dissidents to either attack their party and its leadership or their party man and President, Mr. Jonathan openly. Only recently, they gave the so called “new PDP” leadership access to the chambers even when their claim to the position is still under litigation and shrouded in deceit.
Emeka, as Hon. Ihedioha is fondly called, prepares to vie for the governorship seat, it would be a pay back time for Mr. President and the mainstream PDP to have their pound of flesh with the well known “federal might”.
THE “SECTIONAL” LEADER TAG
Many in Imo view Ihedioha as a sectional leader who has not risen above his “Aboh-Mbaiseness” to embrace other sections of Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala federal constituency, or Owerri zone, talk less of Imo state. He has been accused of favoring through appointments and contracts, mainly, his Aboh-Mbaise people to the detriment of Ngor-Okpala. He is almost always surrounded by his “people” and only feels safe in their company as if he is contesting for the governorship of Mbaiseland.
The resort to being “endorsed” by a section of Imo from Mbaise shows his inclination. One would have expected a Deputy Speaker to get a pan-Imo endorsement rather than a sectional endorsement.
THE PLATFORM?
Many have been whispering the question, under which party would Hon. Emeka Ihedioha contest for the governorship seat? This question as innocuous as it seems is pregnant and true. Would Ihedioha contest under the mainstream PDP he has opposed since emerging Deputy Speaker, a party he ran against its consensual zonal arrangements or the “new” PDP he is allegedly backing and gave access to the Green Chambers to? Now if this is the case, are the “leaders” who gave him their “mandate” ready to swim or sink with him in whatever party he chooses? I know a few of them are federal government appointees and contractors who would make a u-turn as soon as Ihedioha bids farewell to the ruling party.
THE NGOR-OKPALA QUESTION
Twice in 2003 and 2011, Hon Emeka Ihedioha ran foul of a gentleman agreement he allegedly reached with leaders of Ngor-Okpala to run for a single term and yield the seat to them as he represents Aboh-Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency. When he first broke the accord in 2003, he pleaded that he be allowed to run again to become a “ranking” member with the likelihood of emerging as a principal officer of the House. He allegedly pledged to step-down in 2011 and support an Ngor-Okpala son, but his body language betrayed him less than 2yrs after the lection as he still represents the constituency as I write. As he now prepares to run to be governor, how would he appeal to the long-suffering people of Ngor-Okpala that has one of the largest voting population in Imo or other segments of Imo state that have watched his conduct and treatment of Ndi Ngor-Okpala till date?
THE NEGLECT OF “PEOPLE’S POWER”
Every politician with discerning mind in Imo and Nigeria in general would have come to realize that rigging is going out of fashion. The election of Gov. Rochas Okorocha in 2011 has gone to show that whoever wants to lead Imo again must carry the masses along and be seen to be doing so not by merely shopping for endorsement from bands of selfish elitist groups. Also, the election of Mr. President in 2011 inspite of his being from a minority ethnic group is a lesson to all who aspire for political position in 2015 that you must show a broad based candidacy or forget your ambition. If in doubt, ask Gen. Buhari?
THE EARLY BIRD ISSUE
There is advantage and lots of disadvantages in declaring ones ambition early in politics. President Jonathan has avoided by all means declaring his ambition for 2015. If he so declares his ambition now, he becomes a lame duck president and if he says otherwise, the brick bats starts. But Emeka Ihedioha has chosen to declare his ambition and probably take the consequences that go with it?
Every human being has a right to aspire to whatever height he or she can conceive, but desperation and blind ambition is another matter. The election of 2011, has made the people of Imo wiser and they cannot be hoodwinked again to repeat the mistakes of the past. Any one who aspires to lead this state must connect strongly with the ordinary man on the street of Owerri and in the farm in Avutu as well. Such a person must show credible record of personal success, honesty, loyalty, gentlemanliness, credibility and transparency.
Ndi Imo cannot be fooled again.
Mr. Ik Ogbonna (ikogbonna@gmail.com, 08037203559), a media consultant and an Owerri based Journalist, was Director, Media/Publicity, in the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in Imo State in the 2011 election.
