It is not for nothing that the birthday of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is being heralded by a bouquet of eulogies. The story of the day is not that he turned 60 today. The catch, instead, is that the man has an uncommon story behind him.

Even his tomorrow evokes pulsating possibilities.

But then, we must admit that 60 years is significant in the life of every human. It is the beginning of ripeness. But the fanfare of the moment, as we have already underlined, is not anchored on this remarkable new age. More than anything else, we are being reminded of the unique political journey and experience of this effervescent political actor.

As someone who has been on the trail of Ihedioha and his politics, I have a lot of recollections to make. Today has copiously reminded me of where we are coming from. We cannot but recall that some of us were in a mournful mood this time five years ago. I was at the centre of the outcry that greeted the event of January 14, 2020. Ihedioha’s birthday was just about two months away from the time the violation took place. The mood at the time, even on his birthday, reflected the perfidy that we were dealing with. Thus, in an article entitled “For Ihedioha, Sweet are the Uses of Adversity”, published on his 55th birthday, I had remarked that Ihedioha, the man who has been sinned against, was turning his adversity into strength. I had written: “At 55, he has been confronted with the worst oddity in Nigeria’s electoral history. But he is certainly not deterred. The experience has made him a stronger man. The chicanery that we were treated to has taught him particularly that the road to greatness is, more often than not, strewn with spikes…But as a man gifted with the power of reflection, Ihedioha has approached his travail with philosophical calmness. He knows the value of introspection and he has deployed it brilliantly in his present circumstance. Were Ihedioha made of a simpler stuff, he would have been howling. But he is not. He is approaching the issue with arresting calmness. The lessons of adversity have taught him that the battle is not his. It is the Lord’s.”

One year after, on the occasion of his 56th birthday, I remarked again that Ihedioha, in spite of all odds, has persevered. I wrote: “He has belied the expectations of those who thought that he would cave in under the situation. As a matter of fact, he has proved to be stronger than we ever imagined in a situation of adversity. In fact, time, the great healer, has taken control. It has lifted our spirits. We have joined Ihedioha to persevere, not in sin but in fortitude…But what has encouraged some of us the most is the Spartan disposition of Ihedioha whose loss we consider our loss. Since the unfortunate incident of January 14, 2020, the man has remained self-restrained, simple and laconic. Brevity of speech has been his watchword. Contrary to the expectation of those who set out to undo him, the man has, since leaving office, been riding the crest in a manner that has left his detractors gaping.

From all indications, Ihedioha is waiting to exhale. What is gratifying at moment is that his vision remains enduring. It has not and cannot be preyed upon by political adventurers and buccaneers. In fact, the present state of affairs compels recollections on the part of some of us who believe that his bottled-up energy will, sooner or later, find expression in a way that mankind will find remarkable.”

We can hardly say more about this man of arresting grace and candor. At 60, Ihedioha remains a burst of energy. He does not look deterred. He is as vivacious as ever. I wish him a rewarding ride on Fortune’s Wheels in the years ahead.

 

I will not comment on Rivers State

 

I have strong reasons why I will not comment on Rivers State. First, I will be sounding patently familiar if I do. Second, I will be regurgitating my longstanding frustrations about the tragedy called Nigeria.

I may not be a patriot in the strictest sense of the word, but I have, for more than three decades now, been actively involved in matters Nigerian. I have been writing from the standpoint of a social crusader. I have frowned on things that we have continued to do wrong. And I have tried to proffer solutions. I started this crusading journey with so much fervour. I wanted to see a country that is guided by right actions. I wanted to be associated with a people that would learn from the mistakes of history. But more than three decades after, I look back, most distressingly, in disappointment. The Nigerian situation has continued to nosedive. The country has remained on the path of infinite regress. There is no area of our national life where we can lay claim to progress. Before our very eyes, things we thought were impossible have been taking place. They have even come to look normal and acceptable in our eyes because we have, compulsively, come to be glued to them.

If our patriotic interventions on Nigeria have been worth the effort, the violators of the land would have recognized the idiocy and stupidity of their actions and retraced their steps. But what we see instead is a deepening customization of the incongruous.

How can anyone comment meaningfully on the Rivers situation when all we see is an intricate web of conspiracy being woven around 2027? Nigeria has a President that has failed the people. Rather than strive to turn a new leaf, he is being single-minded in his pursuit of a second term ambition. He has bared his fangs. In him, Machiavelli lives on.

Will it make sense to comment on Rivers State when the entire country is being led by the nose? While the 27 lawmakers against Governor Fubara were busy rehearsing impeachment just to divert our attention from the real deal, the Supreme Court was handed over a script to write. It prepared for the President a state of emergency script.

Why should we split hairs over Rivers State when we inhabit a lawless land? The Constitution, the rule book that should guide and moderate our actions, has long been thrown overboard. The constitutional threshold that must be met for someone to be declared President is clearly spelt out in the rule book. But our judges overlooked it and chose instead to send language on unsolicited holiday. The words “conjunction” and “disjunction” were ingeniously misapplied to achieve a predetermined outcome.

Now the same Constitution is being toyed with again. Its provisions on state of emergency are being thwarted. The people are even tired of pointing out the pitfalls in the actions of those that should know. What is the point commenting on Rivers State when institutions of state that are supposed to serve the common good have been cajoled into serving the interest of one man. What a tragedy!

Have I commented on Rivers State? No, I have not.