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By Chibuike Onyeukwu
On March 24, 2019, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON, Omenkeahuruanya, marked his 54th birthday as Governor-elect. The day was quite remarkable as the good people of Imo State, who had a few weeks earlier given him a four-year mandate to preside over their affairs, including Nigerians who keenly followed the events in Imo, felicitated with him. By his next anniversary, the 55th, however, he was no longer their governor, no thanks to a comtroversial judicial position, two months earlier, that has since put the collective fate of the people in jeopardy.
As painful as that episode was, Imolites are yet to recover from the shock, though at least consoled by the fact that Ihedioha’s seven-month stay at the seat of government of the state was quite remarkable; a period that, most importantly, reversed an ugly trend of elite conspiracy and returned government to the people.
Two years on, and true to expectations, the people have remained as bonded with him as ever. Out of office and power, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is easily the most talked about in the state. Of course, it is not always to edify him but, left or right, he has dominated political discourse in the state. The reason is not difficult to plumb. Quite apart from leading a populist mass movement that achieved victory after years of struggle for a people-orientated government, Imolites have noted with great satisfaction the resilience and steadfastness, which he has manifested in the face of a highly debilitating political and psychological assault on his career.
For the people, Ihedioha has remained as inspiring as he was in the years prior to their first victory in 2019. He didn’t achieve that through grandstanding or by engaging in bitter braggadocio – as many ex-governors are wont to – but by returning home to be with the people and sharing in their moments of grief and triumph. As a matter of fact, his taciturn approach raises alarm in several quarters, particularly those currently in power in the state. “Why has Ihedioha not said anything on this?” is a familiar jibe among handlers of the current helmsmen.
Apparently taking a cue from the Zikist philosophy of “Show the light and the people will follow,” Ihedioha decided to mend fences with hitherto real or perceived political enemies; his final objective being to return the people to the path of peaceful co-existence. But that didn’t seem to have gone down well with those at the helm in the state currently.
“Why should Ihedioha attend burial ceremonies of relatives of our ‘enemies’?” they have not stopped asking. And since your enemy’s friend is presumed to be your enemy, they have stopped at nothing to pillory this grand enemy of theirs who has remained their nemesis despite his temporary break from power. But the people have been unmistaken in their assessment of his seven-month stint in office and the 26 months-long reign of his successor.
Take the question they keep asking about the spate of insecurity in the state. Why were there no Unknown Gunmen (UGM) in the state in the seven months Ihedioha was in office, or indeed in the eight years before him? To those in the seat of government today, the answer is that the UGM were brought by “politicians” who are not happy that they were removed from office! So easy to say but the people are not deceived. They know Ihedioha’s antecedents as a peaceful, meticulous and patriotic leader.
Their response to the despondency of the current administration to insecurity is simple and direct: “Since your best is not enough, we will revert to those who know how to keep unknown gunmen away come 2023.”
That’s where we are now and that is why there is no ceasing in the darts at Omenkeahuruanya (The One Whose Strides Are Evident), as 2023 general election approaches.
For merely receiving applaud after an inspiring speech at the fourth anniversary of the Owerri Renaissance, otherwise known as “Egbu Declaration” last November, some hatchet groups, all known as surrogates of the current administration in the state, simultaneously issued statements accusing Ihedioha of “over heating” the polity and requested the law enforcement agencies to interrogate him. Since then, no day passes without one hireling or the other in the incumbent administration speculating and indeed losing sleep over His Excellency’s expected candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship polls.
Only a few days ago, one of Senator Hope Uzodimma’s followers made a post on Facebook ‘advising’ the Rt. Hon. Ihedioha not to run for the office of the governor in 2023 but to go for the Owerri zone senatorial seat instead! Can’t we see that the fear of Ihedioha is real? Why this obsession over Ihedioha’s candidacy in the 2023 election?
I would refer those of us that are familiar with the social media to go there and see the responses and comments that greeted the aide’s meddlesomeness.
Suffice to state that, as far as the majority of the good people of Imo State are concerned, the main issue in the 2023 elections would be to interrogate how Ihedioha, in just seven months, was able to restore peaceful coexistence and economic stability; and in 26 months after he left office, the state has witnessed the highest level of social and economic disequilibrium never imagined by the people in collective history.
Agreed, it might have been as a result of the cumulative failure of past administrations but, in dealing with the past, Imolites will start with the present, as in the aphorism of two logs that fell on each other. To clear the road, you have to remove the log on top first. In other words, the people would first disassociate themselves from the perfidy of the current administration (the log on top) to get to the log(s) under.
Here, the people are, of course, encouraged by the sheer strength of character, stability and calm temperament exhibited by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, during his seven-month administration and which he has continued with since after leaving office. They see a man whose words are his bond. They see a man who is consistent with his philosophy of truly pursuing the welfare of the people more than the theatrical absurdity of endless summons at the Abuja Villa.
They see in him a man who has provided selfless, objective and result-oriented leadership for the PDP Imo State, a party that, in spite of the shenanigans of those who found themselves in power today, offers the hapless masses of the people a credible alternative.
Happy anniversary, my great boss, mentor, teacher and brother. I began this article by reminiscing of 2019 when you marked your 54th birthday as a Governor-elect. I concluded by saying that the next anniversary, which will be by this time next year, we will be inching close to the expected glory later in the year.
•Onyeukwu writes from Owerri
