TIDE AGAINST ELECHI IN EBONYI

By Felix Uka Correspondent, Abakaliki

As the 2015 general elections draw closer, the political situation in Ebonyi State has witnessed a twist which paints a picture of a people taking their fate into their own hands such that a great number of the people have discarded the former arrangement where the state government played influential roles in the determination of who leads the state. Some observers of the change say it is a revolution of sorts while some others declare that it is a swift manifestation of true democracy in the area.

PDP governorship candidate, Umahi, at a rally

The situation threw up questions as to whether the outing governor, Martin Nwancho Elechi, who is

concluding his two terms on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet in the fold. He was quoted to have told people of the state to choose who to vote for as against the usual appeal expected from the leader of a ruling political party for his people should vote for PDP candidates. Even as the governor had said he was still with the party, many put that to doubt, alleging that he is romancing another political party, the Labor Party (LP).

That notwithstanding, the PDP in Ebonyi state is evidently waxing stronger with a coalition of various powers and political blocs coming together against the suspected posture of Elechi, like they are out against a common political enemy. Even those who had before now been opposed to each other have become allies with the common goal of ensuring victory against Elechi’s alleged position. Even a number of serving cabinet members of the governor have left him, appearing at PDP rallies. They are canvassing in favour of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election and victory for the deputy governor of the state, Engineer Dave Nweze Umahi, flag bearer of the PDP through Divine Mandate Organization, the campaign body for the Umahi’s governorship election.

Those who were still on the fence on the developments might have dropped their reservations after the Umahi’s recent campaign flag off at Ikwo, home of Elechi. The flag off was a confirmation of the continued domination of the party in the state.

Most notable politicians in the state attended the rally but for the state governor Chief Martin Elechi. Those who graced the event include former governor Sam Egwu, former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu, the Deputy National Secretary of PDP, Onwe S. Onwe, the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Rt. Hon. Chukwuman Nwazunku accompanied by 18 members of the 24-member house of assembly and their spouses, the Acting state chairman of the PDP, Chief Joseph Onwe, his predecessor, Prince Ugorji Ama Oti, one-time state chairman of the party, Chief Okeagu Ogada, Chief G. O. C. Chukwu, pioneer state chairman of the PDP, the south East zone’s publicity secretary, Chief Ali Odefa, former deputy governor of the state, Professor Chigozie Ogbu, Senator Emmanuel Agboti, Senator Sonni Ogbuorji, Senator Nguji Ngele, senator Emmanuel Onwe, Chief Julius Amaorji, Lagos based business mogul. While the PDP rally held in Ikwo with such catholic crowd, the Labor Party (LP) held hers, same day at Onueke, in Abakaliki council area with a brief number of persons comparable to a gathering in a ‘Block Rosary’ arrangement. The LP governorship candidate, Chief Edward Nwankweagu, has since his declaration busied parts of the state with posters but might yet be preparing for activities that could indicate the strength of his team.

At the Ikwo rally, Umahi told the crowd that he was in the area to seek their support and votes for President Goodluck Jonathan and other candidates of the PDP. Umahi, one-time state chairman of the PDP explained that he had garnered the requisite experiences and has the will to generate the best for the state, and promised fairness to all persons across the state, noting that even as he expected them to vote for him, all the PDP candidates, he most appealed to them to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan during the presidential elections, noting that the Jonathan’s presidency favoured them most, and would the more favour them from 2015.He explained that his decision to lead the state as a governor is driven by the poise to improve the welfare of his people, drive away poverty, improve on the human and infrastructure of the state, more so to give sense of belonging to them. The PDP governorship candidate enjoined the party faithful and others in the state to avoid any acts that could be violent saying that even in the events of provocations they should be tolerant so that the elections would be peaceful, free and fair. In his own speech, Dr. Sam Egwu, the first civilian governor of the state and one-time Minister of Education said that it was out of place for any sensitive politician in the area to consider challenging the PDP. Egwu said Umahi was fit to lead the state having been a successful business man, chairman of the party in the state and had learnt the rudiments of administration having been a deputy governor, so urged the people of the state to vote for him and other candidates of the party. It was a speech making with many of the Ebonyi political big wigs throwing their support behind Jonathan and Umahi.

The development has put many analysts to task as to how and why the table suddenly turned against the governor’s move to solely plant his successor. Many politicians in the state explained that the failure of the governor’s bid was because he wanted to impose candidates on the people without consultation with the key players in the state including his predecessor, Sam Egwu, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, a serving Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, and a host of others and his impulsive disregard of his deputy, Umahi, to the point that Elechi was quoted to have referred to him with unprintable words. He was said to have earlier promised Umahi support to his bid to seek for the governorship seat. Many saw theses as costly mistakes that put to query Elechi’s public declaration that the governorship should rotate to the southern bloc of the state with some people saying that he wanted to favour the late sage, Dr. Akanu Ibiam, the foremost founding father of Ebonyi by causing a particular section of the south to pic the slot. The question that greeted that disguise was whether Akanu Ibiam has no child left on the planet earth if the excuse for every Ebonyian to bow and salute the ‘military command’ was that he wanted to compensate Akanu Ibiam? And when that bid failed, the observers ask why the LP could not have elected to pick theirgovernorship candidate from the south to justify the shout that powershould shift to the south come 2015. Instead, the candidate was chosen from Izzi, home of the governor’s wife putting to test the genuine intention of throwing up the former Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, in the first instance. Now, the government has lost the party structure to the masses led by Umahi’s Divine Mandate Organization. The government has lost grip of the House of Assembly with 18 out of the 24 members of the house in the fold of the Divine Mandate Organization. It even took the deputy governor, standing down his campaigns to convince the law makers to accept the 2015 appropriation bill from the governor hence Umahi had to appear with him at the house to present the document. Even as people rumoured that there were moves to impeach the governor, his deputy had said that would not happen always resounding that Elechi remains his boss. Of course the house during its recent plenary session mandated the state government to submit details of the financial accruals to the state, including Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Federation Allocation and donor agencies to the House on Friday, January 9, 2015. The House, which sat with 18 out of 24 members, equally directed that membership of boards and parastatals of government remain dissolved. Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the House Chief Chukwuma Nwazunku, noted that the constitution of the caretaker committees and coordinators were unconstitutional. “This House also orders the immediate dissolution of the reconstituted boards of the State Local Government Service Commission, Universal Basic Education Board, Secondary Education Board, among others.” He noted that they were not against the governor making appointments “but what we are contending is that the appointments did not pass though the constitutional House screening”. He added that the governor after the dissolution can still re-appoint them and present them for screening.

Nwazunku also noted that the state government should submit to the House, all details of the federal allocation, internally generated revenue and all funds accruable to the state from January 1 to December31, 2014. “The dissolved caretaker committees should submit all relevant government’s documents in their possession to the Head of Personnel Management (HPM) before close of work on Tuesday while the governor should submit the financial details before Jan.9, 2015.” He noted that the House was also inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and other anti-graft agencies while the state Commissioner of Police should ensure that all government properties at the disposal of the deposed persons, are recovered and protected,” he said.

In a swift reaction, Elechi, through his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Onyekachi Eni, urged caretaker chairmen and coordinators to go about their businesses, as the House’s resolution was merely advisory, which the executive may take or reject. Elechi also stated that all the issues the House passed resolution on were subjects of litigation, and called on the citizens of the state to remain calm as the state government would take necessary action to address the issues.

With the foregoing, one is not in doubt that the fire is on the mountain against the governor such that only a quick reversal to peoples’ opinion that their choice of who leads them should stand moreso as the PDP tends to have been better repositioned towards larger victories in the oncoming elections