TheCable

Former governor of Enugu state, proprietor of the Ebeano political dynasty, and now serving senator of federal republic of Nigeria, Chimaroke Nnamani recently stirred the hornets’ nest when he declared that there is a tradition in Enugu state, which permits the incumbent governor to select his successor. Nnamani was the first governor of Enugu state in the current dispensation and must have initiated the anti-democratic practice by imposing his own successor in the person of Sullivan Chime, believing it must remain so.

Enugu state is made up of about four million people, a population Nnamani dismisses as an inconsequential and an irrelevant majority.

For those who missed Nnamani’s inglorious proclamation, permit a quote which sums it up: “The governor is the leader who directs affairs. He will determine who succeeds him without compromising the electoral processes and whomever he chooses will be our next governor”. The senator of the Ebeano dynasty has declared that the right of the governor to choose his successor is absolute and sacrosanct.

To him therefore the prerogative of the incumbent state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to produce his successor without challenges is a foregone conclusion for being, as he claimed, in line with the precedent of an incumbent governor of Enugu to determine his successor at least since 1999.

Nnamani also said: “I have absolute loyalty and respect for my governor who is also the leader of the Ebeano political family. He has demonstrated capacity and leadership. We are waiting for him to lead the way to go in 2023 and we shall follow”.

The excitement in Enugu state over the political developments in the state where accomplished sons of the state are showing interest in contesting for the office of the governor in 2023 is healthy. One also notes that many of the aspirants are traceable to the Ebeano political family founded by Chimaroke Nnamani himself. But that has not doused the machinations, conspiracies and subterfuges over the governorship since the leader is already showing manifest bias.

The bone of contention has been the claim that there has been the principle of rotation in the state, which has been strongly disputed and even disproved with facts. Hiding behind this façade, what Chimaroke Nnamani is pushing is the imposition of a governor regardless of the will of the Enugu people. Nigerian brand of democracy has been embarrassingly made into an oligarchy and elite conspiracy, thus removing both the voting masses and the party members in the equation. This is precisely the reason the likes of Nnamani voted against direct primaries and electronic transfer of votes in the senate before the house of reps came to the rescue.

Particularly worrisome is that it was through the imposition of governors, who are not the popular choice that the south-east came to be saddled with the worst set of governors, who have not been able to ensure basic development and security of lives and properties. Consequently, the zone has strangely become the home of unknown gunmen (UGM). If Chimaroke Nnamani gets away with his imposition plot, Enugu state may get yet another governor, who may not be able to improve the fortunes of the state or stand up for his people when it matters most.

More importantly, Enugu state is fundamentally what Kaduna state is to the north and Ibadan is to the south-west. As the political capital of the south-east and indeed the Igbos, who becomes the governor of Enugu state patently matters to every Igbo person. The south-east would be finished finally if the zone produces the kind of incumbent crop of governors in 2023. Perpetrating the imposition culture will not augur well with the future of Enugu state and Igbo land. The will of the people must be allowed to prevail. Let the popular choice of the people emerge.

So, Chimaroke Nnamani needs to be reminded that Enugu state is no governor’s farmland. As a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, the least expected of him is setting a level playing ground to enable the emergence of the very best that Enugu state can offer. Eliminating the party members and the electorate from choosing the gubernatorial flag bearer and ultimately the governor will prove to be an anathema. It could also hurt the chances of the PDP when such imposition stirs up anger and instigates protest votes. In fact, anyone in doubt should go to that Facebook post to see the protest, outrage, and disappointment expressed by Enugu and Nigerian people over the lawmaker’s post. Nnamani needs not be reminded that it is not impossible for the opposition party in the state to produce the next governor. There are precedents where impositions led to losses of ruling parties in elections in this dispensation, even at presidential level.

The likes of Nnamani should play god with caution lest ‘had I known’ will come home to roost. By then, it would be too late.

Mefor, a forensic and social psychologist and journalist, writes from Abuja. He can be reached via [email protected]