Imo State Obidients - Time of Reckoning

No to Charlatans in Leadership

The INEC State governorship elections was recently concluded for all but Four states in Nigeria. The State elections pending are for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi State Governorship Elections on 11th November 2023 and Edo State Governorship Elections in 2024. This article is focused on the Imo State Governorship elections set for November 2023.

Following the storm of the Obidients movement and its impact on Nigeria's politics, there was little doubt that future elections would attempt to draw from its tidal wave with all candidates identifying themselves with 'The Obidients'. The Labour Party in donning itself with the 'beautiful bride' gab unsurprisingly attracted candidates to its fold. This was not to be unexpected. However Obidients defined by their sworn commitment to authentic, transparent and credible candidates was going to maintain its position as an impartial umpire at every election process organised by its principal's acquired party. Never had it become more critical for such hawk-eyed monitoring to be maintained than at the recent Imo State Labour Party (LP) primary elections held on the 15 of April 2023. For Imo State Obidients, its time of reckoning

Observers at the LP primaries described a situation where one of the candidates former Senator Athan Achonu engaged in activities that undermined the credibility of the elections by actively paying non-party persons to act as delegates, supplanting registered party delegates, and in the process recording the most votes at the party primary election.

The second declared leading vote was ascribed to Major General Lincoln Keonyemere Jack Ogunewe, who by all indication, was expected to have clinched the LP ticket.

This unprecedented outcome embittered Obidients present at this event. The immediate reaction was for the observers and candidates present to appeal the outcome. LP constituted an appeal committee whose members met the following day 16th of April 2023. In its report addressed to the LP National Chairman, it outlined the members of the committee, its mandate and steps it took to address the impasse. The report went further to state the difficulties the committee experienced inviting Senator Athan Achonu to the deliberation

The allegation against Former Senator Athan Achonu were that he had allowed himself to be screened by the renegade former LP member and that he paid the sum of 300 dollars to delegates to ensure he won the election. Former Senator Athan Achonu declined to speak to the committee members and declined attempts to contact him

The committee in its strongly worded recommendation to LP leadership, advised that the Imo State Governorship election outcome be reviewed and that the runner up who did not involve himself in voter inducements be declared the winner.

Evidently, LP National Leadership did not take the advice of its own committee!

Credible and Transparent Leadership comes at a Price

NDAG and its partners, have been committed supporters of the Obidient movement and by extension, whole-heartedly, its principal Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. It is therefore of deep concern that LP National leadership has literarily turned its back on the underpinning drivers of change that has been the bedrock of the success of the Obidient's movement. This situation raises the question of the allegiance of Obidients who had assumed LP support at the National level and by extension, states who remain compliant with its premise. Clearly Imo State LP had been hijacked and what Obidients detest had become the order of the day at that primary election. His Excellency Peter Obi's statement, the process of an election is indeed more important than the outcome and a leader cannot be addressed as your excellency if the process that produced that leader is itself not excellent; has lost its relevance. Whilst LP is currently battling this incursion in election practices nationally, it appears to have turned a blind eye to the events in its recent Imo State primaries. This is not what Obidients stand for.

This singular decision, which in some ways mirrors Peter Obi's bold move, leaving PDP for LP in 2022, defines the position of Obidients who insists on its slogan 'We no dey give Shishi' and must determine the path its candidates take to be accorded the Obidient support.

The Way forward

In the light of the non-response by LP National office to the pleas of Obidients in Imo State, many have now withdrawn their support for the LP candidate from the recent primaries. To make their preference clear, Obidients in Imo State have advised Major General LKJ Ogunewe to identify another party that could offer Imolites the choice of candidates necessary for the change that Imolites deserve.

Major General LKJ Ogunewe with guidance sort and has now secured the governorship ticket for the forthcoming Imo State elections under the Action Alliance - AA Party.

This singular decision, which in some ways mirrors Peter Obi's bold move, leaving PDP for LP in 2022, defines the position of Obedients who insists on its slogan We no dey give Shishi and must determine the path its candidates take to be accorded the Obidient support. Any candidate who is selected under the Obidients umbrella, regardless of the party must pass this basic acid test. Imo State Labour party failed to pay attention to this fundamental requirement and sadly in so doing robbed itself of the opportunity to re-establish its credibility in Imo State.

Perhaps this outcome reflects the reality of imposters hijacking Imo State Labour party leadership. It is now glaring that the incumbent leadership in Imo State is doing all it can to disrupt the possibility of an authentic and formidable candidate contesting at the November election.

The falsehood that has dominated Imo State over decades since His Excellency Sam Mbakwe's legendary leadership must end. The Obidients are this time all out to ensure this outcome is achieved come November 2023.

Labour party has one option to correct its wrong, if it must attract the sympathy of Obidients in future elections in Imo State. This might seem an impossible request. It is more than certain that Senator Achonu is unlikely to win the Imo State Governorship elections despite the LP ticket now in his grasp. Regardless of the Senators claims to be separate from the incumbent governor, the fact is they are beds of the same feather, rooted from the same stock and known for numerous unsavoury activities that has left the state bereft of peace and progress. Labour party National body must make the hard decision of returning to the recommendation of its own committee and adopt its own second runner up Maj.General LKJ Ogunewe as its candidate regardless of the fact he has now moved parties to AA. In practice this would mean re-aligning its structures to support Ogunewe's candidacy. However it is unlikely LP will have the boldness to do this, in which case it might be a lost course for LP in Imo State.

Conclusion

The road to change is indeed steep and narrow with treacherous ravines on either side. The view that politics must be dirty and politicians must be corrupt has kept Nigeria in bondage, enslaved by characters whose primary motivation is their self-interest. The Obidients on the back of the #EndSars debacle, had made 2023 elections the time to assert the peoples voice and ensure that leadership in Nigeria and indeed Africa is earned by persons whose intentions are credible, evidenced and untainted by baggages. The Imo State Election is critical as it signals the readiness of a people group to change the narrative and take their destinies into their own hand. APC as a party has failed Nigerians, and sadly continue to do so. The falsehood that has dominated Imo State over decades since His Excellency Sam Mbakwe's legendary leadership must end. The Obidients are this time all out to ensure this outcome is achieved come November 2023. There is little doubt that General Ogunewe has the capacity and the sensitivity required to achieve this outcome. His background, career and wealth of experience in human relations and management across both national and international settings looms large over what has been a rudderless, sycophantic masquerading of the current incumbent. Imo State Obidients, its time to be the change.