Uche Onyeagocha: A Senatorial Material Par Excellence

Perhaps, the most evolutionary dialectics playing out in Imo State, nay, Nigeria, today, is the upsurge and display of strong, principled and outspoken political aspirants who have stepped out to challenge various offices, ranging from the legislature, to the executive, in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

One of such men of honour, and great potential for all-round representation, especially in today’s Nigeria, where impunity, nepotism and other vices hold sway against justice and equity, is Honorable Uche Onyeagocha – an irrepressible political exhibitionist.

Indeed, Onyeagocha’s resolve to speak for the Imo East senatorial zone, by extension, Ndi Igbo, has bees adjudged by political pundits as apt and divine, especially in the face of gross injustice, marginalisation, humiliation, confrontation and degradation of the average Igbo man, whose welfare has been shortchanged by many a political representative who had hitherto claimed to advocate for him, including his South East Governor.

A time like this in the history of Igbo nation and Nigeria calls for the recruitment of Igbo first eleven, and winning team–men of character and value, whose principles and actions ignite hope and redemption.

Yes! Action. Action, it is argued, speaks louder than voice. Onyeagocha’s strong voice and actions in the past single him out as the Igbo’s symbol of consolation and hope, after a chequered era of neglect and disdain by her leaders.

He has, by his singular deeds, across time, reverently and consistently lifted the banners of bravery, fair play, perseverance, political consistency and an unquenchable advocacy for the downtrodden.

Imolites, are indeed, extensively fascinated by Uche’s overwhelming personality, unqualified humility, commendable independent mindedness, potent diplomacy, astounding integrity,  wonderful roadmap and action plans in politics, even as he heads to the Red Chamber.

Little wonder, his intellectual midwifery as an attorney, and his audacious stand with  the Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta, (MEND) militants, was the only way to broker peace between the Musa Yar’adua- led Nigerian Government, and the ravaging militants that stalled Nigeria’s oil exploration activities, for years, sending the expatriates packing, and crippling the industry, a decade ago.

As a one-time member of the House of Representatives – the only one controversially elected under the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, he was a one man riot squad. His personality was towering and awe inspiring.  With a rich elocutionary endowment, Onyeagocha would hold his ground on plenary before colleagues, invoking his mantra of speaking out against injustice, upholding equity and constitutional legality.

He was so passionate about the injustice Nigerian Government mates out to the South East, that on the floor of the Green Chamber, he moved for recognition of the Independent People of Biafra to be accorded an independent Status.

To him, courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquest of it.

As a politician, many stories of him in the public space are tonics for motivation, for embedded in them, are lessons of dexterity, doggedness, commitment and fearlessness.

A young man, who has flirted with kings, money bags, power drunks, and sometimes looked at them in the face to challenge their exuberance, and possibly spit on their faces, for several inhuman, anti-developmental, wicked, acts and on actions, just to liberate the masses from their man made slur of social degradation.

So relevant have the political crusades Onyeagocha has led, through previous contests for this Senatorial seat, Governorship contests, leading popular protests and agitations, demonstrations against anti peoples’ policies; and nurturing, funding, and popularizing new political parties, just to build opposition platforms, that he has become the peoples’ toast, a catalyst of, and a sine qua non, in every positive  Political development that impacts lmolites, just to find a platform.

He remains the prime mover of Imo political emancipation, that is at sight.

While serving as a political adviser to former Governor Rocha’s Okorocha, it was same Onyeagocha who called the governors bluff, staging a walk out on him,

Immediately resigning his appointment and putting on his toga of political confrontation, promising to resist and fight him if he insisted on forcing his in law, Uche Nwosu, from same Orlu zone, on Imolites as his successor.

Uche quit his camp and party, declared to contest same position under APGA, keenly challenged the office  before closing ranks again with other progressives and later become Rochas’s albatross in successfully rigging the Governorship election of 2019.

It was his extraordinary courage in tearing the smuggled falsified result sheet, a brave act for which he was ready to be jailed, that torpedoed Rocha’s plan of foisting Nwosu on Imo State as governor.

Being used as a vessel of honour in suffocating Okorocha and deflating his over bloated ego was no mean feat in both Owerri zone and Imo State generally, as a diminutive “David’ strangled the gigantic Goliath (Rochas)with all the state resources and power at his disposal.

This singular effort which ushered in Former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, an urbane, cool headed, popular choice from Owerri zone  to office, forming a team and government that simplified governance and  put smiles on people’s faces , though short-lived.

This feat further positioned Onyeagocha permanently in his prospects minds as a peoples defender, whose payback time would definitely come in form of bigger responsibilities emanating from a hard won goodwill and public confidence.

Since the reward for hard work is more work, it wasn’t surprising that he was appointed Secretary to the State Government – a position he held to the admiration of all, working so tirelessly and becoming the engine room – in that short but impressive outing.

No army can stop an idea whose time is up. Onyeagocha’s time to blossom in the senate, playing the political chase game he is a master in is now. I don’t for see any contretemps to his rise and shine, including the forces of incumbency that are already at work but systematically giving way to sound judgments ,and superior ‘orograpgy,’ even in Owerri Federal Constituency, the opposition headquarters.

For Mbaise, it isn’t in context that our eyes are still on the Governorship race, even more seriously. We have done it before. We shall do it again. This is definitely a payback time to a deserving brother, who stuck his neck when our collective will and political future were being dragged to the mud, even at the expense of sacrificing our own non conformists. A man, who never kept silent at the face of tyranny.

Tested and found worthy in character and in learning, any man, who could resist the temptation of foregoing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Greek gift of One hundred million Naira (N100m) to get a third term bid to the Presidency in 2010, must be an epitome of high moral values and good representation. He will definitely do everything within his powers to protect, defend, empower, improve the lot of his people, convinced that power belongs to the people.

As Imo State heralds his entry into the fray, and as he consults with constituents, heading to the Red Chamber, be it known to all, that Onyeagocha will be a ranking member of the parliament, and his dynamism and intellectual tools will prescribe him for a serious leadership role in the Senate; he will be speaking and fighting for a people that had been pejoratively described as a dot in a circle. Imbedded in the necessity for Onyeagocha’s victory, beginning with the primaries, is the imperative of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha returning  to Douglas House, Owerri -a project which Onyeagocha himself has sworn to spearhead as the Campaign Manager, immediately he is declared Senator.

A combination of the two contesting against any politician in Imo State, including the incumbent poses a serious threat to charlatanism in leadership as it is being witnessed today in the State. The duo remains a winning team any day. Ndigbo, above all, would have found two more sources of pride, honour, legitimate advocacy, and activism, that cannot be gagged, bought over, like the Nnamdi Kanu and Enyinnaya Abaribe of today, whose indomitable will and indefatigable efforts cannot escape full historical  documentation.   

• Martin Nnaemeka Njoku, a Politician and Media Consultant writes in from Lagos.