A Global Upfront Newspapers Political Analysis By Madu Onuorah
Anambra is one State in Nigeria with unique political evolution. It is a home of Who-is-Who in the nation’s political development but its politics has been anything but successful.
Since the return of democratic dispensation in 1999, Anambra State has been more in the news for the wrong reasons when it comes to politics. One political party that has come to be a victim of this is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
After pioneering the governorship of the State from 1999 to 2003, Anambra PDP has remained enmeshed in varying degree of crises. Its litigation record has remained unprecedented.
As a result, it has remained in opposition since 2006 in a State it was supposed to dominate electorally. This has been so largely due to the greed of its leaders.
One had thought that the party’s problem of sojourning in opposition was going to end in 2017 following the acclaimed poor performance of Governor Willie Obiano that was supposed to rule him out of second term. But PDP again failed itself as greed and sabotage became the game for selfish interests.
Now, ahead of another gubernatorial election in 2021, rather than pick a lesson from the past and put their house in order, vultures have started gathering in Awka to ensure that PDP remain in opposition.
Those who sabotaged the party in 2017 in the thinking that PDP losing will stud the political progress of the former Governor of the State, Mr Peter Obi, have long realized that providence, not human feeling, determine the future of every being.
The external people that helped Anambra State to lose the gubernatorial election in 2017 have continued to enjoy in their States which are still being ruled by the PDP while the Anambra people that connived with them to undermine their party continues to operate like orphans.
The only time Anambra State PDP did not allow external intervention forces to dictate their electoral performance was in 2019 general election where the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP, Obi, was able to record over 95 per cent of the votes cast in the State, the best in the region and indeed the entire country. Some of the external people injecting this crisis even stole their peoples vote to give President Muhammadu Buhari 25 per cent.
What that vote for Obi shows is that the voting population of Anambra State are in love with Obi. Yet, the elite does not want to endorse him. Otherwise, why should Anambra PDP be in the so called crisis and Obi is not even consulted, if not for anything, as a successful Governor of the State for eight years. In all these, where are the elders of PDP in the State? Where are the Board of Trustees (BOT) members?
The PDP was going to produce the three Senators from the States if it didn’t mismanage the ticket and allow it fall into the hands of an under serving person who couldn’t muster the needed support to win. By giving the Senatorial ticket to the wrong person, the PDP gifted an unknown political party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP). Not even the PDP controlled States of Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia could come close. What does that show? That clearly Anambra state is a wholly PDP state.
It is against this backdrop that I find the recent developing crisis in Anambra PDP ahead of 2021 election nauseating, making me attempt to call every Anambra PDP leader names.
Again, they have fallen into the hands of external forces who camouflage as helpers when in truth they are discord sowers. Shame to those Anambra PDP members who because of any pecuniary gain or fake political promises agree to undermine the State party’s interests.
The PDP leadership in the State should be ashamed of itself that under their watch, they are allowing forces outside to come and dictate issues in the State when they have their leaders to rely on.
It beats my imagination why Anambra State PDP leaders with all their fame and resources are unable to come together but continue to create rooms for political riffraffs to dictate the direction.
Anambra PDP leaders should rise to the challenge, take the bull by the horn and take their own destiny in their own hands. When that is done, outside interference will cease and political nobodies will be permanently denied a space. This cannot be achieved if credible leaders are not given their due rights and accorded a deserving respect. Please let these vultures be dispersed immediately.