BY Jerry Uhuo

The political development in Ebonyi in the last two months is gradually re-enacting the era of Abuja and Ebonyi Groups of the fourth Republic when the tussle for political power divided the Ebonyi family to almost irreconcilable proportion. The difference in the present case is that those who are expected to lead the people are the ones who have become belligerents in the struggle. Belligerency is act of waging war, acting in a hostile manner or engaging in combat. When Governor Martin Elechi announced about a month ago that he had decided to present Prof. Onyebuch Chukwu as his Successor in government House in 2015, he never expected that such decision would have ignited the type of political fire we have today in Ebonyi. And because the Governor is not someone known for taking advice of people around him, he has not shown any disposition towards retreating from such decision. He has rather deployed his arsenals to throw punches to anyone who stood against his determination to handover to anyone of his choice. This situation has clearly brought out the facts that the people we thought were democrats in the State were mere fishers of bread and butter in political offices and never representatives of the people.

How else would one explain that Politicians who were “elected” to represent their people in political offices and who claim to hold people’s mandate will endorse imposition on one hand and yet seek the mandate of the people on the other hand for their own selfish interest. The recent publications emanating from the Members of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State are a show of shame. Even though I would ordinarily not be surprised on the development knowing the caliber of people some of them are, what is intriguing is the fact that Members in the Federal House of Representatives purportedly elected by the people of their Constituencies and who should be players in national politics have suddenly reduced themselves to praise singers and promoters of undemocratic principles, military fiat, intimidation, highhandedness, abuse of rule of law and due process. Yet the same people sit in the Hallowed Chambers of the House of Representatives to cheer and admire their colleagues promote and make laws for the good governance in the country. Even though most of them contribute no ideas nor initiate any bills or motions, yet they have been there for over three years and should have learnt that there are rules in democratic process.

When Governor Elechi purportedly endorsed Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu as his Successor, many citizens of the State rose in strong condemnation of the action and the most recurring argument against the Governor was that he did not consult with any political Stakeholder in the State. Even though the Governor later denied endorsing anybody alleging that it was Ebonyi people that decided to request Chukwu to resign his appointment and seek the mandate of Ebonyians for the governorship of the State, nothing has changed in the mood of most Ebonyians and especially the Political Stakeholders on the issue. But one interesting thing was that in a publication in National Dailies which came to give the impression that the endorsement was from Abakaliki Bloc and not Ebonyi people as a whole, a Member of the House of Representatives Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga was among those who signed the endorsement by the so called Abakaliki bloc. No other Member from the House of Representatives from Abakaliki Bloc signed the document. Last week, the same Hon. Ogbaga was among the Members of the House who issued a press conference dissociating himself with the so called endorsement even though he did not tell Ebonyians if his signature in the first publication purportedly from Abakaliki bloc was forged. The press conference was signed by three out of six members of the House of Representatives. Hons. Peter Ogeali and Tobias Okwuru were on the document they did not sign. Few days ago, both men came on the air and denied being part of the press conference and suddenly aligned themselves with the endorsement in the name of Abakaliki bloc, an action many saw as a desperate bid to secure the endorsement of the Governor to return to the House of Representatives. Then one asks, where the position of the people who hold the mandate in this regard?

Last week also, former Governor of Ebonyi State Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu led strong delegation made up of Political Stakeholders in Ebonyi including the Hon. Speaker of the State House of Assembly Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku to the Chairman of the PDP to express their displeasure in the way the party is run in the State at this period and their fears over the chances of the party in the next elections if the situation is not checked and nipped in the bud. At the same time, the State High Court sitting in Abakaliki quashed the purported impeachment of Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku as Speaker of the State House of Assembly by a group of members belonging to the endorsement camp.

Today, the Court order has been thrown to the winds as the renegade group is still imposing itself in the mind of the people using the State Radio and Television thereby creating political tension among the people. While everyone is waiting for the National Organizing Secretary of the PDP to release list of authentic ward and national delegates for the party’s primary elections, Ebonyi is boiling daily through the actions of the Governor and some PDP members on his side. The Deputy Governor Engr. Dave Umahi has virtually relocated to Abuja from where he allegedly throws his own political punches.

There are two clear political divisions now in the State, the group that support Governor Martin Elechi on the candidacy of Prof. Chukwu and the second group which appears to be in majority and are opposed to imposition of any aspirant, instead they are canvassing for a level playing ground for all political aspirants as has been the case since 1999. While Governor Elechi may be feeling that he has the power to install anyone as a Successor perhaps remembering how he came to power, Ebonyi people generally are of the view that democracy has been in Ebonyi for 16 years and they should be allowed to exercise their franchise in deciding who leads the State in 2015 not only on the governorship but also in other political positions such as Members of National and State Houses of Assembly. It is an irony that the people who should be directing on where we are going in this political dispensation are the people who are throwing political punches against each other. If Governor Elechi cannot work together with Members of the National Assembly from Ebonyi State both past and present including the current Secretary to Government of the Federation who was a former President of the Senate, former Governor of the State who handed over to him, former Deputy Governors, his own Deputy Governor, former Ministers, Members of the State House of Assembly both past and present, Stakeholders of the State such as Senator Offia Nwali the man who started and completed the crusade for the creation of Ebonyi State, other Founding Fathers, Traditional Rulers, and other sons of the State, then Ebonyi will be in for a new history in making where one man with only one vote in a society with 1.6 million eligible voters becomes a majority.

The reason why democracy has survived in many countries of the world is because it is the only system of government that allows people to express their opinion, rights and privileges in the choice of leadership in the society. As I have written elsewhere “Democracy is popularly believed to be the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The theories of social contract agree that political power is derived from the people. Elections constitute the process through which the people choose their leaders and bestow legitimacy on the government. Elections also constitute the key processes of transiting from one government to another. Once an election is rigged, it is no more a democratic transition, and consolidation of democracy is negated. Yet, the real social and political values in a democracy, and democratic transition, are two: competition and participation. These two values have not been visible in Nigeria’s over 50 years of independence and even in the last 16 years of democratic experiment. This is because godfathers and incumbent rulers do not allow for real competition among contestants for political power during transitions. They use electoral laws, and political thugs to hunt and hound opponents. Hence there are no public debates, party rallies are sabotaged, and rules never allow opponents equal playing ground. At the end of it all, elections are rigged, and the people’s votes do not count. In this way, the participation of the people is ruled out. This absence of competition (which rule out alternatives so dear to democracy) and participation negate best democratic principles, and violate the tenets of social contract between rulers and the ruled” (see my work “Democratic Transition and Consolidation in Nigeria”, 2012).

It is apparent that Ebonyians this time want to be part of the decision of who become the Governor of Ebonyi State and who represent them in National and State Houses of Assembly in 2015. If Ebonyians have been part of or involved in the electioneering process of emerging leaders in the State, perhaps, the current belligerent attitude among political leaders in the State would have been averted. The political war is unnecessary. If we are practicing true democracy, the Governor cannot insist on installing a Successor without the people of Ebonyi. Elections to all political offices for 2015 in Ebonyi must be given equal and level playing field for all contestants including the governorship. There is no zoning formula in Ebonyi, a credible candidate from any part of the State can win elections to any position. What is needed is for the people to have the freedom to exercise their franchise in electing their leaders at whatever level. It will be uncharitable for Governor Martin Elechi to fight the people that brought him to power and cooperated with him for the past 7 years to bring some level of peace in the State. By such fight, the chances of PDP in Ebonyi will be diminished; after all, elections ought not to be about parties but about persons with democratic and credible credentials and political sagacity. If our leaders become belligerent as is the case currently, who will mediate? For Ebonyi people, we must insist on our right to choose our leader, we shall never accept any form of imposition at any level of political leadership. We must not miss this CHANCE to reclaim our mandate. It is our RIGHT.



Uhuo is a Public Affairs Analyst and Stakeholder in Ebonyi Project.


source http://jerryuhuo.com.ng/2014/11/ebonyi-2015-as-leaders-become-political-belligerents-for-power-2/