Tag: Aspirants

Since the election of Governor Rochas Okorocha as the executive Governor of Imo state, I have refrained from joining those who pillory him for his eccentrics. Some others prefer to call it, his love for the mundane. Others will rather call him, a fake democrat. However, one wants to see it, one glaring attribute of Governor Okorocha is that he loves the world of theater. Well, that is no sin. Whether in the way he governs, with his so called fourth-tier of government or his audacious claims of unprecedented achievements in the state, which many of his critics insist exists only in the media. Even his loquaciousness and the many battles with his potential rivals for the 2015 gubernatorial elections, all speak of his character.

But one disturbing attribute of Governor Okorocha is his dishonorable treatment of the local government elections aspirants, since he became the executive governor of the state in 2011. On assuming power, he sacked the elected local government officials that he inherited from the former administration. His grouse was that the departing Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) led administration had arranged the election to foist their surrogates on his incoming administration. The jury is still out on the propriety of that action, with the many battles in court. However, as a counter to the sacking of the elected local government officials, Rochas initiated the process of conducting another local government election since 2012. And that is the crux of this piece. The fact is that those who embarked on that democratic journey, appears to have entered a vehicle which in the Nigeria local parlance, is called “one chance”.

The ‘one chance’ vehicle is usually manned by mean hearted miscreants who pretend to be normal transport operators, and who while on the excruciating journey to nowhere, rob and disposes the distrusting and unlucky passenger they pick on the road, of all his or her belongings, before shoving him or her out from the moving vehicle, to either death or permanent incapacity, before zooming off with the items stolen from the victims. In Imo State, Governor Rochas has since 2012 encouraged the local council election aspirants that an election would soon take place, with all the material and physical exertions that go with that prospect. To keep the aspirants hopeful and engaged, the governor has continuously and disingenuously encouraged the aspirants to engage in one meaningless and expensive gambit or tour of the communities or other form of trickery or another.

Now with just about five months to Governor Okorocha’s personal re-election battles, the aspirants who have spent all they have worked for in life, and who may have borrowed to satiate the insatiable pilots of this ‘one chance’ vehicle; may yet go for the last lurch, unless Rochas changes his mind to act honourable. Without knowing it, Rochas is creating an army of disposed political activists, and that is not good for his image and the state. For while many usually dismiss Governor Okorocha for his theatrics, I have always held hope that the man has his peculiar style. After all, before he became a governor in the current political dispensation, Rochas had already made his name as a philanthropist, even if he may be showy about that. So if as a governor, he makes a drama of every political opportunity, he is only behaving true to character.

But, while Governor Rochas may have other fellow comrades in other states, playing poker with democracy at the local government level, it appears Rochas has elevated his maltreatment of the aspirants to a new level. This is because Rochas the man of theater and constitutional absurdity, dose not see the incongruity of giving instruction to local council aspirants, to engage in expensive and time consuming community tours, as if they are state officials, under his command. Rochas also appears not to appreciate that most of the aspirants are completely distraught with the process, but are merely hanging on, having already been encouraged to go full throttle on several occasion, in the earnest believe that the elections where by the corner.

As a governor on the platform of a party that professes progressivism, the All Progressive Congress (APC), I encourage Governor Rochas to immediately take steps to redeem his image and that of the party by conducting the local council elections that has seen many turns and twists in his state in the past three years. I hope he knows that such a matter will be a campaign issue in his bid for reelection and also for other party aspirants to national offices, particularly the presidency. Unless he has other plans, Governor Okorocha should realise that if he doesn’t conduct the local council election before the next gubernatorial elections, the malcontent that he has mobilised at the local level, is enough to jeopardize his chances and that of his party candidates in the other elections.

Governor Rochas must also realize that the grassroots contestants, who have been mobilizing the local electorates in the past three years, can be persuaded to join his numerous detractors to derail his own ambitions. Indeed, as the foremost APC political office holder in the south-east zone, Rochas must begin to act as the rallying point for the party in the zone. To do this, Rochas must act in a manner to inspire confidence and exude leadership discipline. Thus his word must be his bond. He can not afford to be seen as untrustworthy. He must rally his followers and expand the frontiers of the party. He must not reduce his party interest to what will benefit Governor Rochas Okorocha and nothing else. Immediately conducting the local government election in consonance with the provisions of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution is in the state’s best interest.