Amanze Obi
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Owerri and Abuja has just affirmed Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as the duly elected governor in the March 9 governorship election in Imo State. For those who knew the mood of the people of Imo State before the elections, the victory of Ihedioha did not come as a surprise. It was in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state. They saw it coming. And the odds favoured him for a number of reasons.
First, he has the clout and required exposure for the office. Having been in national politics for nearly two decades, and having served at the highest levels at the centre, Ihedioha has the knowledge and expertise to govern an enlightened populace such as that of Imo State.
Second, the people of Imo State squared him up with other major contestants. The objective was to ensure that the best among them emerged. The people did not want just anybody to occupy the coveted office. Their most recent experience with the occupier of the office of governor tells them that they cannot afford to gamble again as they did before. They saw the need to go for a man with character. The people wanted to deal with a man they understand. A man that they can trust. They did not want to be fooled once again. Based on this, they conducted a cursory check on the backgrounds and records of service of the top contenders. Needless to say that Ihedioha stood head and shoulder over and above the amorphous flock. He was the man of character the people were looking for. For the many long years that he has been in public office, no one has had cause to associate him with sleaze or underhand dealings. He is open enough to be read like a book. The people of Imo State then chose to go with the man they know. The man they can speak confidently about. Third, the zoning sentiment in the state favoured him. Ihedioha comes from the zone of the state that has not had it so good in terms of power sharing. Even though his Owerri zone parades a lot of technocrats and accomplished men and women in various fields of life, politics has been playing a trick on them. They have, by default, not been able to produce the governor of the state after the 18 months that Evan Enwerem of blessed memory served as governor. Under this unpalatable circumstance, it was thought that the other zones of the state would show understanding and give Owerri zone a chance. But they did not. Instead, they turned the race for the office of governor to a rat race. All manner of people, most of them howlers, polluted the atmosphere with their pretentious aspirations.
Ihedioha stepped in to sanitize the situation. His candidature made all the difference. Owerri zone, and indeed, the other zones, embraced him without hesitation. They saw him as the right man for the job. They also saw him as a man who has come to enthrone equity and good governance in the state.
It was, therefore, no surprise that the people embraced him at the polls.
There are number of other reasons Ihedioha carried the day at the polls. Suffice it say, however, that the prevailing atmosphere in Imo State before the elections worked in favour of the governor. His predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, fouled the atmosphere with bad governance. His rule-of-the-thumb approach to governance bewildered the people. They did not understand the governor who applied no method in governance. Under that order, everything went haywire. Imo was like a junkyard. Its inhabitants were in dire need of rescue. But that rescue will not just come from anybody. It will come from a man with a sense of proportion. It will come from someone who connects with the people. It will come from a decent character who will do what he says. That is where Ihedioha stands out. He is a man of his words. He entered into a social contract with the people all on his own. He does not need any persuasion to act right. It is just a part of his natural make-up. The greater majority of Imo people know that of him. They appreciate him for it. And they rewarded him at the right time through their votes.
But one thing is significant about all of this. Ihedioha does not take anything or anybody for granted. He appreciates the people for who they are. He listens to them. He knows that his strength lies with the people. And so, in whatever he does, he puts the people first. All of this is already showing in the few months he has been in the saddle. There is method to his administration. He has a clear and well defined programme of action. And he is implementing them methodically. His approach may not make sense to those who love playing to the gallery. But those who know and appreciate order and due process in governance are all at home with him. They know that Imo will come alive again under him. All of this is already captured by and encapsulated in his “Rebuild Imo” agenda.
This being the case, the governor needs all the concentration that he can afford. He does not need to be distracted. Unfortunately, there can be no rose without thorns. The governor cannot ignore the court cases filed against him and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party. He has had to deal with them. And he has been dealing with them. Fortunately, the tribunal has declared him the duly elected governor of Imo State. It dismissed the cases brought against him and his party by Ifeanyi Araraume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance; Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance; and Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress. The tribunal saw no merit in their cases. While some, according to the tribunal, based their claims on hearsay, some others paraded results that the body that conducted the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, knew nothing about. Indeed, no serious case was established against the governor and his party. In the end, the tribunal was constrained to conclude that most of the petitions against the governor were mere academic exercises. That is the verdict.That is the message from the tribunal.
Interestingly, Ihedioha, in spite of the frivolous charges brought against him, has put all that behind him. He has extended the olive branch to those who ran the election with him. He has invited them over to join hands with him in the task of rebuilding Imo. That is large-heartedness. That is sportsmanship. Ihedioha is magnanimous in victory. He is asking his brothers to be gracious in defeat. In fact, for Ihedioha, everybody is a victor in this matter. His message is that Imo is for us all. That is the spirit. It is this cosmopolitan disposition that has been working for the governor. It is a major reason he is winning.
If I were his traducers, especially those who feel aggrieved over the March 9 governorship polls, I will bury the hatchet. There is no need for them to continue to engage in the game of distraction. They know, just like the greater majority of Imo people, that what the people want at this time is what Ihedioha is offering. The way to be a good citizen is to shun negative pursuits. A support for Ihedioha is a support for all. Let us be caught on the side of the people.
. Dr Obi, Director General of Ahiajoku Institute, writes from Owerri