Why Anambra Can't Afford Herd Mentality Politics

By Emeka Ozumba

A Physics teacher in Islamabad, Pervez Hoodboy, wondered: "How is it that otherwise sane and sensible people become moronically incapable of grasping reality?" He went further to blame it on our brain, which he argues is "still evolving and still primitive, it readily sacrifices rational evidence-based conclusions in favour of primal ones. And so conformism trumps individual judgement." This is akin to herd mentality in politics.

The general ethos of the people determines their brand of politics and choices they make. We all can agree that to make informed judgement one needs to understand the issues at stake; anything to the contrary is flawed, leading to behavior such as herd mentality. British political theorist Bernard Crick, said that “politics is not merely a struggle for power..." but involves decisions on "who gets what, when and how; the exercise of power; and ensuring the welfare of whole communities." 

The changing dynamics of Nigerian politics and the emergence of the third force driven by a savvy and youthful electorate known as Obidients, spurned political disruptions across the land - a political phenomenon that saw most of us dancing to the  "ELuuuPeee" beat on February 25, 2023 Presidential election. Even as  the Presidential election remains disputed, we cannot lose sight of the fact that politics is local.


Ndi Anambra have made a quantum leap in political participation since the days of emancipation from the godfathers. It took Governor Chris Ngige's revolt, Mr Peter Obi's culture of prudence and Chief Willie Obiano's sustainance of the developmental strides to reorder the stakes and, over two decades after, ndi Anambra can beat their chests as one of the most politically astute, progressive and liberated people in Nigeria.

The Governorship and Legislative elections are scheduled for March 18, 2023, but in Anambra  only the election of Legislators is at stake, having done Governorship election almost a year ago. However, the contest has thrown up a number of challenges: Whereas Anambra State Governor, His Excellency Chukwuma Soludo is desirous of maintaining majority control of the House by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to enable him get legal backing for his policies and programmes, new guys on the block, the Labour Party, riding on the crest of the support it enjoyed during the Presidential Poll, are angling to upset the status-quo in Anambra by calling on voters to ignore others and stick with them in what would amount to "follow-follow politics."

Elephant in the room: There are rumbles in the camp of APGA following disenchantment arising from the last elections and lack of fulfillment of some promises by the Governor and his team. Another issue is the Governor's written position on the Obidients' quest for  Presidency which alienated not a few, among other concerns. As expected, some want a pound of flesh and are gearing up to rock the boat in Anambra inspite of spirited efforts by Mr Governor and his team to douse the disenchantment and make amends with the best of resources available. The jury is still out on whether his efforts and rapprochement are far reaching enough to calm the local partisans.

However, there are concerned Ndi Anambra who wish to know: Why would the aggrieved insist on throwing the baby away with the bath water? Can Ndi Anambra afford a disruption in the stability and development they've enjoyed under APGA over the years to embrace a new era of uncertainty?

Methinks, the way forward is for the aggrieved to see reason and avoid disrupting the status quo for short-term gain. Group interest has since 2003 become the golden rule for Anambra State politics, hence domestication of the zoning arrangement to the community level. We cannot afford to bite our noses to spite our faces. Again, with regard to the Legislature, we can't be dismissive of experienced and qualified legislative candidates within APGA, nay other parties. Rather, let's call for close scrutiny of the contenders than pandering to apostles of disruption. Let the locals make their choices at the polls in the thirty state Constituencies. Let Ndi Anambra live up to the time honored culture of accommodation of all shades of opinion and preference for development rather than pander to the dictates of the infestation of hate-filled rants in our political space.

*Ozumba is Managing Consultant at Ozion Limited - Communication & Political Strategists.

Have you checked kano?


Everything is NNPP


Make Una dey rest

Neckpresser101:
Have you checked kano?


Everything is NNPP


Make Una dey rest

THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IGBOS EMOTIONAL AND BIASED.ANAMBRA TOO DEY EMOTIONAL. WHO CARES WHAT YOU WRITE HERE,SOLUDO MUST PAY FOR WHAT HE DID TO OBI.IKPEAZU AND UGWUANYI HAVE PAID THEIRS.

This is information warfare. The herd mentality is a natural outcome of common cause and effect on a 'herd' by external force.

OBI-dients are majorly an evolved Gen-Z of Nigerians who are no longer interested in Religious and Tribal Propaganda that has kept the States and Nation divided.

In the words of OBI, hunger and poverty does not recognize if you are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo or (insert your tribe) and the market price of items are not tribe and religious dependent, so the OBIDIENTS will NEVER give up, until Peter Obi becomes President. Peter is the only Hope for a country that has been governed by AGED ANCESTRIAL DOGMA and a Political Mafia that will soon be made jobless.

In Anambra, Soludo can be spared his office for now, but all States Assemblies and National Assembly, if we want to evolve must be replaced with OBIDIENTS.

We want to change the Politics and the politicians to people that will take Nigeria from Consumption to Production.

This journey is not about Peter Obi alone as President, he alone can not do it without having OBIDIENTS in Legislatures, Judiciary and Executive Arms of Government.

Labour Party is a great platform for Obidients, so we need new wines in new bottles.

There is Dignity in Labour. And Labour Party will rock the boat and the ship of Nigeria will sail in great positive direction.

Soludo must learn that APGA might be old, but Labour Party will soon produce many Governors and Senators and Rep members that APGA wont be able to match Labor for ever and ever.

CHANGE is gini? Constant!!!

APGA is not the name of a person.

If by now, you don't know that blackmailing Igbo people politically is a failed mission. Then you need to upgrade your IQ.

Any governor that points to members of state house assembly as a reason why he failed in office, such a governor is already a failure.

All this epistle are stinky trash. Gov Soludo is not a wise man. Man is stupid,foolish and arrogance in nature.
Anambra people must surely deal with him . He should go and learn from his predecessor (Obiano ).

Denoh68:
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IGBOS EMOTIONAL AND BIASED.ANAMBRA TOO DEY EMOTIONAL. WHO CARES WHAT YOU WRITE HERE,SOLUDO MUST PAY FOR WHAT HE DID TO OBI.IKPEAZU AND UGWUANYI HAVE PAID THEIRS.

They're just sad Igbos stop doing Biafra
And the wide support Obi received from other Nigerians and the fact that obi won more states by the time he takes back Rivers



They're mostly mad that Tinubu not only lost his state but his local government.


They forgot not only Igbos voted Obi


They'll be alright


I do love the hate they're generating now it's going to make the support base even stronger it's just a counter productive move



It's good as they're raising propagandas and hate speeches

Let's keep our calm not to engage them

As for Soludo he's in trouble and he knows that

You don't fight the choice of people that chose you


The reason why anambarians trusted APGA was because of Obi's performance