The Choice in The Anambra Anambra Election: Ifeanyi Ubah or A Godfather’s Minion

If there is anything that is clear in the run up to the Saturday November 16, 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra state, it remains the role of the godfather.

It is tragic that this same problem of the political godfather, with enough money to enthrone a stooge in the Government House, Awka, as the Governor of Anambra state is still on. In fact, in this election, it has heightened. Worse still, it is no longer hidden. Worst of all, the people seem to condone, even approve and applaud it.

How short this makes the collective and institutional memory of Anambra state appear? About a decade ago, Anambra could not progress on any field as the interests of the godfathers that brought former Governor Mbadinuju  and made him a Governor,  held the state to ransom. They wanted a huge return on their investments – naturally. The man was just a Governor in name as the state was run by a mafia-like gang. The result was that while other states sprinted forward, Anambra regressed.

When it was time for another election as the first tenure of four years had ended, everyone agreed that the man had not “performed”.  He could not have because he was not there to perform; he was an investment and the investors wanted a return on their investment – not good leadership or “performance”. Then entered Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige as Governor.  He too, rode into the Government House, Awka, on the back of godfathers. But when the call of the godfathers to be settled became too loud and insistent for comfort, he was forced to rebel. That rebellion was met with force – and the state was almost totally thrashed. A state of emergency hung in the air. Anambra won the dubious distinction of being the only state whose serving governor was kidnapped. Anambra State went up in flames. Ngige like Emperor Nero fiddles while Anambra burns.

In the end, the judiciary ruled that even the election which brought him to power was rigged and so he was removed to make way for Governor Peter Obi. What Anambra people did not know was that for Obi to get to that high office, he too had signed and sealed a pact with Ngige’s erstwhile godfathers.  But he reneged and ran into the camp of the Ikemba Nnewi, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegu-Ojukwu for protection. That appeared to have worked.

Now, one would have expected Gov. Obi to have shunned the idea of himself becoming a godfather. But curiously, he has turned into one himself – single-handedly deciding where to zone his party’s ticket to as his party’s National Chairman has charged. The man he has single-handedly chosen, Mr. Willie Obiano has been his friend and account officer for long. Both were chummy chummies at the Fidelity Bank.

The Choice in The Anambra Anambra Election: Ifeanyi Ubah or A Godfather’s Minion

By Ikechukwu Ekwealor

If there is anything that is clear in the run up to the Saturday November 16, 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra state, it remains the role of the godfather.

It is tragic that this same problem of the political godfather, with enough money to enthrone a stooge in the Government House, Awka, as the Governor of Anambra state is still on. In fact, in this election, it has heightened. Worse still, it is no longer hidden. Worst of all, the people seem to condone, even approve and applaud it.

How short this makes the collective and institutional memory of Anambra state appear? About a decade ago, Anambra could not progress on any field as the interests of the godfathers that brought former Governor Mbadinuju  and made him a Governor,  held the state to ransom. They wanted a huge return on their investments – naturally. The man was just a Governor in name as the state was run by a mafia-like gang. The result was that while other states sprinted forward, Anambra regressed.

When it was time for another election as the first tenure of four years had ended, everyone agreed that the man had not “performed”.  He could not have because he was not there to perform; he was an investment and the investors wanted a return on their investment – not good leadership or “performance”. Then entered Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige as Governor.  He too, rode into the Government House, Awka, on the back of godfathers. But when the call of the godfathers to be settled became too loud and insistent for comfort, he was forced to rebel. That rebellion was met with force – and the state was almost totally thrashed. A state of emergency hung in the air. Anambra won the dubious distinction of being the only state whose serving governor was kidnapped. Anambra State went up in flames. Ngige like Emperor Nero fiddles while Anambra burns.

In the end, the judiciary ruled that even the election which brought him to power was rigged and so he was removed to make way for Governor Peter Obi. What Anambra people did not know was that for Obi to get to that high office, he too had signed and sealed a pact with Ngige’s erstwhile godfathers.  But he reneged and ran into the camp of the Ikemba Nnewi, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegu-Ojukwu for protection. That appeared to have worked.

Now, one would have expected Gov. Obi to have shunned the idea of himself becoming a godfather. But curiously, he has turned into one himself – single-handedly deciding where to zone his party’s ticket to as his party’s National Chairman has charged. The man he has single-handedly chosen, Mr. Willie Obiano has been his friend and account officer for long. Both were chummy chummies at the Fidelity Bank.

On the godfather issue, even the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a worse offender than the APGA. Prince Arthur Eze, the same one who shouted himself hoarse that if the late despotic ruler, Sani Abacha, did not transmute into a civilian president, Nigeria would be engulfed in war, has openly stated that he has made a capital outlay of N3 billion available to be used in putting Mr. Tony Nwoye in office as Governor. Some other godfathers have queued up behind him. So, Nwoye will have multiple godfathers if he becomes Governor.

The very man who fought against godfatherism, Ngige, is now beholden to an out of state godfather – Bola Tinubu. A bigger and more dangerous one who sees nothing wrong in deportation of the igbos from Lagos.

That leaves only Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah as the major contestant that has no godfather. Ubah has kept stressing that Almighty God is his Godfather.  So far, none has come up to say that he is funding Ubah’s campaign. So far, Ubah appears to be the truly independent man among all the governors- to be. Not surprisingly too, he was the first to emerge on the race track; the others couldn’t because they had to wait for someone to sponsor them. But Ubah has been and has remained his own man.

Anambrarians should remember the damage the godfather syndrome has done to the state, making it the nation’s laughing stock and vow never again. Or they should keep repeating the same old mistake – but should not whine when things go wrong. A man being led by the noose by a godfather will only act like a slave on a leash. The Governor that has no godfather will never be a stooge to anybody.

That is the reason why Anambra should vote for Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. Under his watch, Anambra would be free indeed. He was able to produce a manifesto of sterling qualities because he has depended on his planned projects that should uplift Anambra state as his selling point. It will obviously be a grievous mistake to let Ubah and this chance to strike a death blow on godfatherism pass Anambra bye. But the Anambra people should, as they troop out to vote tomorrow –Saturday - remember just this adage: “as you make your bed, so you lie on it” is real