Anthony de Mello, the great Catholic sage, in one of his teachings on sovereignty noted that “the disciples sought Enlightenment but did not know what it was or how it was attainable. Said the Master, “It cannot be attained. You cannot get hold of it.” Seeing the disciples’ downcast-look, the Master said, “Don’t be distressed. You cannot lose it either.” And this day the disciples are in search of that which can neither be lost nor taken hold of.” On enlightenment, Anthony de Mello also narrated that “the Master was an advocate both of learning and Wisdom. “Learning,” he said when asked, “Is got by reading books or listening to lectures.” “And Wisdom?” “By reading the book that is you.” He added as an afterthought: “Not an easy task at all, for every minute of the day brings a new edition of the book!”
The gubernatorial politics in Imo State today is purely the art of political parties seeking sovereignty, and the activities of these sovereignty-seekers are like the disciples above seeking enlightenment- Without knowing what it is or how it is to be attained. But, the Master’s reassurance that even though they can not attain it or get hold of it, does not mean that they will loose it either, and for this reason of grant magisterial assurance, all vie for that, which can neither be lost nor taken hold of.
At present et comme d’habitude (and as usual) in every electoral epoch, the Imo PDP is raided with recycled history- Same actors on stage, same story, same events, same results, same resolution. To this effect, what rocks its family is not unusual; neither is it peculiar to the party alone. But, what pains most is as the Igbo adage says, “agadi nwa daa nda ada ato, aguo ihe obuna ukpa onu.” On September 9-10, 2013 I published an article “Imo PDP, the Sleeping Giant.” Many pilloried me for the speculative journalistic write up, but today the truth dawns. Yet, the sleep of the giant does not make him a toy for crickets at all. Onye buru ibu ebuchala, even HIV does not touch him!
Why Imo PDP is in constant crises is just for the fact that the sovereignty it seek, suits it most but of a truth, most of its apertures (featured candidates) for the attainment of the sought-power do not know what it is and how to attain it. Can a party that by virtue of loosing hold of the Executive and Legislative Arms (which automatically makes it a minority opposition) be in its right senses in having internal discords that destroy its structures, visions and missions in a decisive warfront? If the Imo PDP really knows these two guides (- What sovereignty is and how to attain it), let it wake up now and put its house in order because it is not too late. Though sovereignty like enlightenment according the Master above, is “not an easy task at all, for every minute of the day brings a new edition of the book [events and realities]!”
Sovereignty, its management and perpetuation, are like the concept of procreation. If you procreate and do not display good parentings or take proper care of the offspring, surely they will not die all, but many will not be very useful in life; while some of them must become hooligans that will rise to challenge and attack the parents to chagrin. Yet, such challenge does not make one childless. Children are born for purely succession purposes, and thus filiations cannot be wanting in the household of a man with many children- Male and female.
The Imo PDP is like a Monarch from a Kingdom that legitimised polygyny (many wives), among these many wives, will emerge some that will be the apples of the King’s eye, some will be in the house just because of being betrothed, and others compelled to stay still because they have children. It is still possible for a King to banish any of his wives with her children if she commits abominable acts in the land. Just as by virtue of the legitimised polygyny, the King must certainly have concubines that bore him children; whom none can call bastards. In all these cases, the Ezedioramma, which the Imo PDP has been and still remains, can never be mocked for childlessness or lack of succession for the throne. One would rightly call this the actual significance of Ezeakonobi– The King is never lacked in the Palace.
Consequently the present quagmire in the Imo PDP does not make it tilt to wash. If the cases in court spill over timeframe or end as the 2007, there are Princes of the ancient PDP Kingdom outside the Palace. The Party has been in absolute enthronement of all the governors that have ruled Imo since 1999 (including Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s 2011 victory and the minus Oguta LGA gubernatorial result and plus Port Harcourt road events that defects from the Owelle camps sing today as tale-songs of past heroic acts). It was the PDP that installed its faithful candidate twice: 1999 and 2003- Chief Achike Udenwa, the PPA candidate: 2007- Chief Ikedi Ohakim (when same story as today rocked the party), the APGA candidate: 2011- Owelle Rochas Okorocha (when as rumours said, Mr President was on vendetta mission on Chief Ikedi Ohakim for not supporting him to be substantive President after President Yar’Adua’s death; same pattern that the Oguta State Constituency election 2013 was held as vendetta on the reneged Rochas and his projected godson). These were rumoured too to have been among the factors that inhibited Rochas from conducting LGA elections all these four years, and which shows that he has not tested the contestability of his APC in Imo State for any electoral position. Oh well, these are said to be rumours but every rumour bears some elements of truths and facts.
Chief Ohakim was faithful and grateful to the factors that made him Governor and so PDP regained the State through him. Owelle Okorocha in turn became O rara nwagadi nwanyi ohuu panyie ya elu. He was not only unfaithful and ungrateful to the factors that consolidated his Governorship but went extra miles to jettison the political party and platform from where he emerged, as well as renege on pacts reached with the Agbaso’s, Owerri people and top clergies in Owerri ecclesiastical province, the culminating forces for his emergence in 2011. All these Governors from outside PDP were strayed sons of the King (Imo PDP) who have at all times their birthright based on filiations to return to the father’s house at anytime. Rochas has done it several times, Araraume, Udenwa, Peter Obi, Martin Agbaso, etc. They are all great Princes of the great King Ezeakonobi, the Imo PDP.
As the gubernatorial realities are dawning, and as “every minute of the day brings a new edition of the book,” cyclic story is invoked thus- Same approach of ceremoniously bringing back a strayed Prince to the Palace is the best option if the crises still persist. Of a truth, the crises that wreck the Imo PDP at present are to great somewhat difficult as of now to predict if they will be resolved faster or not, but that does not make it prone to loosing the 2015 election, as “The PDP family in Imo State has never lost any gubernatorial election before, since the inception of contemporary democracy in 1999,” and will not loose it now. As the ancient King, it holds the throne’s ofo, his errant Prince can not throw him out. The little problem the Imo PDP has now is to doublethink and know who is the most worthy and trustworthy of its genuine sons living outside the Palace to be entrusted with the April 11 2015 enthronement, and will be faithful, grateful and distinguish himself as a true son of the Monarch in all ramifications of kingship and governance in case the King himself finally could not make it triumphal. This quandary further calls for another doublethinking- Which of these worthy and trustworthy sons will benefit not only the Imo PDP but the party at the national level?
Certainly, PPA as a queen, has taken its own share in the King’s house, and was faithful and grateful to the King (2007-2011). APGA has in turn taken her own share (2011-2015) in the King’s Palace, and was unfaithful, ungrateful and ended up in attempting to sell the King’s ancestral Staff of Office, (calling her again implies extinction of the Kingdom and annihilation of the King). Accord Party, United Progressive Party, etc., have not yet been remembered by the Monarch, and certainly, if the same events continue in the Imo PDP, the best option is to choose one of these banished queens (AP and UPP) and from her sons, choose the King, the Governor to rule Imo next month.
These two parties stand better to make the distressed King proud as they have very youthful enlightened and illustrious Princes: Ken Ojiri and Osmond Ukanacho. The parties are in its ramifications composed of parted sons of the PDP. In the UPP for instance, the State Party Chairman, Dr John Egbuchulam, was the distinguished immediate past Majority Leader of the Imo State House of Assembly (PDP, during Gov Ohakim’s tenure), the BOT Chairman of the UPP, the Presidential Candidate- Chief Chekwas Okorie, the Governorship candidate- Dr Osmond Imo Ukanacho and his Deputy- Prof Protus Nathan Uzorma, have not only been strong PDP members in the past but have been strong crusaders and bastions of the PDP both in Imo State and at the national level. Left for me, I believe that the UPP in its filiations to the ancestral throne of the Imo Monarch (PDP) will be more useful to the PDP both at the State and national levels than the Accord Party, taking the fact that since the boat at the national level is toasted by a weak wind propelled by a senescent force, and the UPP has a presidential candidate whose wave is part of the wrecking wave that toast the PDP at the national level, while accord is a domesticated local champion.
Politics is a game of numbers, permanent interest and fruitful outcomes. This presidential candidate may perhaps at last be supplicated or even decide by himself to step aside from the race and compel all its structures in the 36 States of Nigeria, the 109 senatorial zones, 360 House of Reps, 27 State House of Assembly members in Imo State, etc to join him in delivering the PDP and Mr President, not to allow what we abhor rule us Nigerians. On this note, what is of utmost importance to the PDP nationally is not only to deliver the Party at the States’ levels, but President Jonathan mostly, and on this, the UPP has obvious better useful assistance to sacrifice its structures and teaming population nationwide (and Southeast mostly) than every other political party in Imo State today that has or has no Presidential candidate, being itself the third party in the presidential race in Nigeria, and is sure of getting at least 6million votes in the presidential election come March 28.
Given the fact that almost all the gubernatorial candidates in Imo State for the April 11 gubernatorial election are strayed sons of the Ezeakonobi- Imo PDP, who says PDP will not win Imo 2015? Are all the gubernatorial candidates in Imo State for this April 11 election not contesting against one man- Rochas and the APC? When have there ever been strong and coalesced opposition parties in the State before in face-off with a single party? Is incumbency a factor not to beat? Otu onye siere oha nri, oha erichaa; ma oha siere otu onye…! The various sons of the King, in their revolution and quest to contest the shift of power to them cannot as well condole the slamming of their father, the ancient supreme Monarch. What the Father and King needs is but the warm embrace and forgiveness, and the returned Son, confession and pardon plea, and the house returns normal and back to status quo.
Prince Stanley U. Okoroji (08064378213)
