Analysing The Outcome Of Ngor Okpala By-Election, The Passive- Aggressive Strategy Adopted By Hope Uzodimma, Credibility & Other Issues

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA

While you may not agree with my assertion about the  political capacity, spread of acceptability and strength of  popularity of  the candidacy of Okenze Blyden Amajirionwu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last Saturday’s by-election for Ngor-Okpala vacant seat at the Imo State House of Assembly, it is an irrevocable fact that the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, did not only make a wise decision, but a right choice in nominating the ace politician to fill-up the vacant seat abandoned by Hon. Tochi Okereke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through unrepentant truancy and absenteeism.

As supporters, members and critical stakeholders of the  All Progressives Congress, APC, including appointees of the 3R Government are jumping up and down in celebration of a rather  ‘pyrrhic victory’, what they have failed to understand is that it was not just the political party that delivered their candidate, Blyden Amajirionwu, but his popularity, acceptability, singularity of purpose in leadership and constant touch with the people at the grassroots.

Okenze Blyden Amajirionwu, a former Imo State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democracy, who had once contested for Aboh Mbaise|Ngor -Okpala Federal Constituency in the 2011 general elections against Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, is on ground; a people’s man. Little wonder, Hope Uzodimma, a smart boardroom political strategist capitalized on these salient factors to project him other than younger aspirants like; Okereke Godson Bishop and Eziefule Opara.

Borrowing a leaf from Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri that “Congratulations is better than sorry”, I would have said:  “It is as ironical as it’s embarrassing to see a deluge of the membership and entire leadership of  the All Progressives Congress, Imo APC, jubilating and throwing  party bash over the just concluded Imo State House of Assembly  by-election for vacant Ngor-Okpala constituency. As someone had questioned on my post, “Ordinary by-election?” While no victory is cheap, but with the level of financial commitments, political engagements, social re-engineering and preparations put in place for that singular electoral outing, one might think Imo was preparing for another general election. But it is understandably so, when you see it from the prism of a popularity contest between the incumbent governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and his immediate predecessor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. It ought to have also served as a litmus test of the acceptability of Governor Hope Uzodimma by Imo people from the eyes of the Presidency and the powerful Northern Caliphate, who installed him on that seat through the most controversial Supreme Court judgement of January 14, 2020.  

 The honest truth remains that, Governor Hope Uzodimma would have invariably lost the Presidential audience he enjoys from Muhammadu Buhari, his background support and confidence if the Peoples Democratic Party had won the Saturday by-election in Imo State; having been randomly defeated in two national assignments as Presidential Campaign Council Chairman during Edo State Governorship Elections and Anambra State Governorship Elections, respectively. To Onwa Onyoko, it was a ”do or die affair” hoo-ha. You can go to court – Election Tribunal, to seek redress and judgement. Of course, he is a political power horse in legal fireworks  and court processes. You can ask Chief Emeka Ihedioha and Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

In the aftermath of last Saturday’s political melodrama, I asked in retrospect: Why must the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, struggle so hard to win an ordinary by-election for a vacant position, which was won by the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections?

The sheer absurdity of the pyrrhic victory is also coming on the heels that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with all the political arsenal at its disposal, intimidating armed security personnel at its beck and call, well oiled and financed state campaign council,  thoroughly mobilized State Working Committee of the party, mobilized Interim Council Chairmen across the 27LGAs, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Commissioners, Heads of Department, the entire members of the Imo State House of Assembly including the State Governor for the by-election, is likening to the ongoing power supremacy between Russia and Ukraine.

However, if after two years on the saddle as a governor who is in power and in government at both State and Federal levels, you are still struggling and losing sleep over an ordinary by-election for a vacant seat at the Imo State House of Assembly, then you must sit back and reassess your acceptability by the people.

 If the 20 APC members, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Majority leader, a serving Senator;  Frank Ibezim,  serving Minister; Chief Emeka Nwajiuba, two serving Members of the House of Representatives members; Deacon Chike Okafor and Hon. Miriam Onuoha, etc, were mobilized to convince the people as well as canvass for votes and galvanize supports for their candidate in Ngor Okpala, Blyden Amajirionwu, it means the governor has a lot of work to do especially, as a little known and unpopular  Jeff Emeka Nwachukwu of the Peoples Democratic Party;  nominated by Rt. Hon. Bede Eke against Emeka Ihedioha’s preferred popular candidate, secured more than 65% votes count: 7,161  as  against the 9,248 votes of a rather well known and popular Blyden Amajirionwu with % State party’s political structure, financial backing and security deployment.

From what played out in the last Saturday’s by-election in Imo as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was struggling so hard to win on a landslide victory, there are three major factors I have dispassionately deciphered will save anyone aspiring for any elective positions ahead of 2023 polls on the platform of the party: your popularity, acceptability and financial capacity, not necessarily the party especially, with the newly signed Electoral Act Amendment Bill. Because in the 2023 general elections, all these people must go back to their various Local Government Areas to deliver themselves and the card- readers shall be our living witnesses as everybody answers the father’s name.

Judging from above backdrop, it is therefore, not surprising to see that Governor Hope Uzodimma adopted both Gorilla and Passive -Aggressive political strategy when he allegedly received a brief that majority of Ngor Okpala electorate were still voting PDP after collecting the N10,000.00 bounty shared by the 3R agents at the various polling units. Before you could say Jack, a dozen of armed security personnel were reportedly deployed to the various INEC wards for security and patrol surveillance in an ordinary by-election. But why would you collect money from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and vote against the party in the name of political correctness? Why can’t Ngor Okpala voters behave like Anambra people, who rejected vote smugglers and their money, but voted their conscience and choice candidate, Prof. Charles Soludo?

Do you blame the governor or his handlers for adopting a passive aggressive strategy? As the presence of harmless army battalion became the ultimate terror that paralysed  the people’s will to resist and destroy their ability to plan a strategic response over the alleged electoral fraud that happened at Sentiego Hotel, Airport Road, by alleged  government appointees working for Sen. Hope Uzodimma and the All Progressives Congress. 

In a typical political warfare, sowing uncertainty and panic through acts of terror or intimidating  military presence especially, with the security impasse in some LGAs in Imo State and across the South East also contributed in scaring away a lot of eligible voters from participating in the exercise as out of the 94,118,00  registered voters captured by the  Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, only 18,83,00 voters were accredited and 17,280,00 total valid votes counted.

Regrettably, the goal in terror or gorilla-like campaign is not battlefield victory but causing maximum chaos and fear while provoking the opposing political side into desperate overreaction;  melting invisibly into the population, tailoring their actions for the mass and social media: just like the political alarm Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo and other media hirelings of the Peoples Democratic Party were doing on Saturday, as Gov. Hope Uzodimma and his APC foot soldiers were having a field day at the various polling units across the 11 INEC wards that made up Ngor Okpala State Constituency. It was a war of nerves. And Gov. Hope Uzodimma has a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in this Political Arts of seduction.

Moving  forward ahead 2023 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Action Alliance , AA, and other victims of political terror in Imo State must study the Uzodimma’s dangerous scheming political strategy, and must not succumb to fear or even anger; but must plot the most effective counter- strategy and stay balanced because in the face of a terror political campaign, your rationality is the last line of defense.

Finally, while many accusations and counter- accusations have gone out about alleged electoral fraud and manipulations recorded at the various polling units in Ngor Okpala during last Saturday’s by-election in Imo State by the Peoples Democratic Party against the All Progressives Congress, APC, which is the bane of political development in Nigeria. Regrettably, the time frame to adjudicate this matter is limited as the nation prepares for another general elections come 2023.

To this end, to defeat a passive -aggressive political warrior, boardroom political strategist and goal-getter like Hope Uzodimma, all the gladiators in Imo State should form a formidable political alliance, set aside their individual selfish interests, place the interest of the people above party and see it as a mass movement. Anything outside the above, they may end up in Court to challenge his second term victory. But from all indications, the governor, who has shown relative impressive outing lately, can only be stopped from a possible re-election bid if Imo people should speak with one voice as they did in 2011. 

Njoku Macdonald Obinna,

Publisher, 4th Estate Reporters.