2019 Election: Dr. Uche Ogah You stood out for President Muhammadu Buhari

GREAT IMO JONATHAN

Dr. Uche Ogah, few days ago I came across a media content being pushed around by agents of political subterfuge in Abia State, mostly on the payroll of PDP, trying to diminish your towering figure in Abia APC. All because they want to inherit your labour and they want to be appointed as Minister ahead of you. My friends in Abuja also told me about many clandestine moves being made by this group of people (from Abia) to stop you from being made a minister. And I asked; why?

Although this senseless behaviour is understandable, because it is in the nature of some politicians to engage in subterfuge, to manoeuvre, manipulate and to evolve smear campaigns in order to gain advantage. But I asked why because in the case of Abia State, it does not make sense at all. It does not make sense because people who are wise will always seek to put their best foot forward. They will always seek to ensure that the man who has the capacity, the courage and the best interest of the state and the nation at heart and can work perfectly well with President Muhammadu Buhari and defend him before the people represents them. That is why I asked.

I asked because:

1. Dr. Uche Ogah, you contested the party primary against six other eminent sons of Abia State in a “Direct Primary”, which meant that party faithfuls across the state were involved in choosing who amongst all aspirants was best qualified to lead the party and to give it the effective brand representation required. And you won.

Not only did you win, you won with eighty six thousand votes plus and your closest rival got ten thousand plus. That was a testament of how much confidence the party members in the state reposed in you. It was a testament that you are the most loved and influential party man in the state, with the best ability to make many Abians subscribe to the party; what was considered a taboo before you joined the party.

2. I asked because, prior to your joining APC in Abia State many did not want to have anything to do with the party. Not because there were not good people in the party who were doing their best before you came in. But because there is something you represent in Abia State. You represent goodness, you represent kindness and you are that man who has touched the lives of the generality of Abians positively with whatever God has given to you. Not that you are the richest and not because you were in politics. In fact, we all know that you are in politics to further your acts of goodness, because you are always seeking means and ways to help the poor.

And that is what President Buhari stands for. And that is what is needed at this time.

But we know that many of the people who are scheming against you are looking for ways to gain personal advantage, going by their history; they do not have history of helping the poor.

3. I asked because, Dr. Uche Ogah, you were the best campaigner President Buhari had in 2019, East of the Niger. Your first phase of campaigns across local areas for one month, up to 48 hours before 2019 presidential election was for President Muhammadu Buhari. You made it a point of duty and you were bold about it. To the extent that on the day you inaugurated your Campaign Council, you made a public statement in support of President Buhari that shook the whole of Abia State and even some party leaders, who were taken aback. All because of the hostility the party faced in the state at the time, arising from the acerbic campaign mounted by the PDP in the state against the party and Mr. President. Dr. Uche Ogah you withstood the PDP and spoke boldly in favour of President Buhari. You even placed your victory on the line when you told Abians “Don’t vote for me if you will not vote for President Buhari”. A statement that no other APC candidate in Abia State was bold to make.

In less than one hour after you made that statement, the news broke in the media, the state was on fire. National newspapers like Daily Independent, carried it and it became a controversy that got even some party leaders in the state angry. Yet, Dr. Uche Ogah you did not give in. You stood out still for President Buhari.

I remember you gathering royal fathers in Ikwuano Local Government area to educate them on how good President Buhari has been to Ndi Abia and Ndi Igbo. You listed many things he has done for Abia State and many others in the pipeline, including Ikwuano to Akwa Ibom Road which contract for reconstruction was awarded last month.

Dr. Uche Ogah, you made me write an article that showcased President Buhari’s positive impact in Abia State and was also on radio in Umuahia against a PDP Abia State government appointee to argue them.

Dr. Uche Ogah, I am careful to mention these things because there is nobody in Abia APC today that can say he did for APC and President Muhammadu Buhari what you did. Everybody contributed their quota but you stood out.

4. You did not only campaign for President Buhari and the party, you also campaigned for all our candidates. You did not stop at that, you gave cash money to candidates of our party even when yourself was in need of money for many other pressing needs. And because of your goodwill, candidates of our party from your senatorial district won elections. You went ahead to win the gubernatorial election but was shortchanged by INEC and compromised security officials and politicians.

It is on record that Dr. Uche Ogah you are about the ONLY person in Abia that won elections 5 over 5 in your local government. Meaning that you won victory for the party in your local government in all the elections conducted in 2019. If those scheming against you were as outstanding in their local government areas, we would have been able to secure our votes and taken hold of our victory. But they have no record of performance, at least to show why they should be so gifted with a ministerial appointment.

5. Dr. Uche Ogah, I asked because, those who are scheming against you cannot stand your record and ability. Beyond the fact that you are the highest promoter of President Muhammadu Buhari and APC in Abia State, you have a history of performance in any job you have been given to do. You are a man driven by the desire for quality performance. Your performance in Zenith Bank helped you to become an Assistant General Manager under ten years. Your ability to get the job done made it possible for you to build your company into a conglomerate of 13 subsidiaries in 10 years. You are a man built for performance and you are a result orientated person. And I bet say without prejudice that none of those scheming against you can present such an outstanding record as you do.

And that is what President Buhari must consider. Because, right now, what President Buhari and Nigeria needs (in addition to those that have done well in their first tenure as ministers) are people who are result orientated. Nigerians are in a hurry and President Buhari cannot do it alone. Mr. President needs ministers who can make tremendous things happen and scheming politicians cannot be trusted in this regard. Mr. President needs ministers who will not only perform but who also have positive influence and goodwill in their states that can protect him and the party and help build the people.

6. I asked because, only a fool doubts a proof. And I challenge anybody from Abia APC who is scheming against Dr. Uche Ogah to show the world his or her evidence of performance for the party in the last election or even his or her history of how he or she has affected the people of Abia state positively in the times past, to warrant Mr President and our great party to hand over our future in the state to him or her.

People must know the limit of their shenanigan and stop stretching them too far. As much as I do not want to give attention to those imbecilic characters who have been mandated by some cowards to attack the image of Dr. Uche Ogah because they want ministerial appointment, I will want to warn those cowards behind those imbeciles to be careful. If they are men enough and they believe they are better than Dr. Uche Ogah, they should come out in the open and make that claims and also present their records.

But for us APC members in Abia State, Dr. Uche Ogah is our most outstanding person, he stood out for President Buhari and will do so going forward. He is one man that will protect and promote the interest of APC, President Buhari and the nation in Abia State if given the opportunity to serve as minister.

Dr. Uche Ogah you stood out for President Buhari, APC and the nation and I challenge anybody to contradict me.

Great Imo Jonathan writes from Umuahia, Abia State.