By Prof. Oguejiofo T. Ujam

The recent state congress of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, where two chairmen emerged amazed me. Surprisingly, and for the first time, the main opposition party to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, witnessed a massive turnout of its members.

The incredible thing about the exercise, which was actually an internal business of the party, was that APC members participated actively in electing the party’s leaders.

As I watched the tumult of men and women lining up behind a candidate, Barrister Ugochukwu Agballah in one of the parallel congresses, my mind revolved around what a similar scenario could mean for PDP, the ruling party in the state. It is on record that PDP has enjoyed a comfortable unchallenged hold on Enugu State government for the past 22 years.

Probably, it was because of this stranglehold on the electorate in Enugu State that PDP has seemingly taken a lot of things for granted. One of such is that it became easy for one man, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, for instance, to employ fallacious political calculus to deceive his gullible constituents such that he was able to keep running and returning to the National Assembly in utter disregard to the power-sharing arrangement agreed upon to ensure even spread of political influence within his Enugu West Senatorial Zone.

Just like what is playing out in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, I think politicians from Enugu State must have seen that the dynamics have changed tremendously concerning the nature of elections in the entire Southeast. I was moved by the massive participation of party faithful during the Enugu State APC congress, particularly the one in which the former President of Senate, Dr. Ken Nnamani, participated.

There are, I must say, some concrete reasons to point to sustain the belief that Enugu State is moving into an era of stiff electoral competition, especially with the existence of two strong political parties. This is quite unlike what it used to be in the last 22 years, when all it takes to triumph in an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organized election was to grab a PDP ticket.

I think that point was mooted by APC’s recourse to the option A4 method of balloting, where voters had to queue behind the candidate of their choice. Being an internal business of the party, or what is called a family affair, the fact that members had to turn out en masse and were bold to side with candidates they believe should represent them, the APC state congress in Enugu State sent a strong message to its rival, PDP.

For instance, it would be a thing of interest to know how PDP members would queue, perhaps in a governorship primary where Senator Ike Ekweremadu is among the contestants. If it would take this kind of approach to help Enugu State resolve, once for all, the various tongue-in-cheek declarations by some political actors in the state regarding the issue of zoning, that would be a welcome development.

The emerging reality would also rouse other fringe players, like my friends from Isi-Uzo, who think that kinship or marital relationships could confer on them adventitious advantages to clinch a gubernatorial ticket. The emerging normal of credible elections would be too obvious to a political party, which picks a governorship flag-bearer from Isi-Uzo. Although state creation brought about new local government and senatorial demarcations, Isi-Uzo knows that its affinity to Nsukka, that is Enugu North Senatorial District, is too deep to be erased by recent contours.

Like the Highlife music legend, Osita Osadebe, sang, Ekecha n’ama, ebulu na n’obi (after sharing at the clan level, distribution continues at the family). Voters know the right approach to achieve fairness and balance beyond mere senatorial demarcation. Family ties are well known and should not be confused with artificial structures that were erected for administrative convenience.

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The point one is trying to drive home is that narrow sentiments and shibboleths no longer drive Nigeria’s, nay Enugu State’s voter preferences. With the predominance of two mega political parties, it is becoming increasingly impossible to overwhelm the electorate with the impunity that defines the ills of a one-party system.

If there is any state where the fruits of bi-partisan political conversation are ripe for harvest, Enugu State is prominent. That is what the recent APC state congress in the state revealed. Time is gone when APC was cleverly de-marketed as a Hausa party or when a singular individual or group rides roughshod on the people in the belief that whatever the party says, holds.

From henceforth, Nigerians will begin to see a new orientation in political behaviour, particularly coming one year after the #EndSARS protests, when young people found their voice to speak truth to power. Even the so-called stomach infrastructure will fail those recycled politicians that have prospered from the primitive acquisition of filthy lucre from years of interminable stints in public office.

As new parameters are being set, elections would amount to a proper referendum on personal records of service, capacity to deliver, and earned goodwill from the people. A peep into the horizon would reveal that an era of competition of ideas beckons.

Those who would aspire to contest the governorship of Enugu State would be prepared to align with the yearnings of the people and above all, be prepared to submit workable ideas on how the state could be made more prosperous and governance more transparent.

Although academic laurels do not translate to responsible performance in public office, leaders should be challenged to explain educational qualifications they claim, including those that flaunt dubious, but lofty academic prefixes to their name to bamboozle the masses.

Corruption begins from harmless, but false claims or lifestyles. As such, those who would aspire to lead Enugu State in 2023 should do well to reflect and equip themselves with the right knowledge that things have changed. It will no longer be business as usual as far as election into public office is concerned.

In six months’ time, it is expected that those who dream to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in office should begin to dissect the socio-economic situation of the state as well as proffer workable ideas for economic prosperity, social harmony and political stability. It won’t be about redistributing filthy lucre acquired from political representation.

However, in all these, it should be noted that if the two big parties, PDP and APC, decide to become wanton, the silent sounds of the approaching third way would provide room to welcome a new era in our polity. Citizens’ participation and public inclusion are gradually becoming the bulwarks of emergent Enugu politics.

• Ujam, a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, writes from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka