Moment of truth

A groundswell of celebrations is ongoing in Imo North, following the resolution of the protracted legal battle over who represents the zone in the Senate of the Ninth Assembly. Swirling dust coursing from stamping feet of dancers has covered the skyline, as the people jubilate over the positive end of a protracted feud that stagnated everything in the zone. The contest had been between Sir Frank Ibezim and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, both of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on one hand, and Chief Emma Okewulonu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the fringes.

However, in a landmark unanimous decision on Friday, April 16, 2021, the apex court upheld Ibezim’s election, thus, torpedoing Araraume’s seeming desperation to return to the seat he vacated after previously occupying it for eight years.

Regardless of the victory, the Ibezim camp should be restrained in their exultation. Of course, it is an epoch in the life of the former commissioner in Imo State but also  a big setback for Araraume. Ibezim needs him as much as Imo North does, because the man is far from finished. He should be accorded his respect, not just him but also other die-hard opponents. Politics is a game with neither permanent friends nor enemies; only interests are permanent.

Therefore, it would be salutary if the Ibezim team realises that the distinguished senator-elect is not the victor and Araraume the vanquished; Imo North won. So, both those who mourn and rejoice should be subdued in doing so for the greater good of Imo North.

Having lost almost two years of the tenure of this Senate, all hands must be on deck to drive the zone forward. Hands must be pumped in statesmanlike camaraderie and bridges of peace and brotherhood constructed across the entire zone, irrespective of political affiliations.

All must recognise that Araraume had equal right with Ibezim and all other contestants to vie to occupy the seat Senator Ben Uwajumogu vacated due to his untimely death in late 2019. Araraume also had the right to initiate legal actions, if he felt shortchanged. However, in matters like this, there is need to consult reason and eschew bitterness, and not ignore the fact that this is fraternal contest. I am not sure this was considered, otherwise the matter would not have dragged this long.

I have repeatedly said that Araraume’s bid was not necessarily due to inordinate ambition but he was propelled by fraudulent hangers-on, who were not really interested in his success but only had eyes on his seeming inexhaustible deep war chest. They goaded him and painted rosy pictures of a flawless case but sapped him off instead.

That was why they pretended not to notice that the matter was statute barred, even when Ibezim’s team expressed its confusion with the case. I remember listening to Chief Oseloka Zikora, one of the arrowheads of Ibezim’s campaign, wondering on television whether the matter before the courts was pre- or post-election. He argued that, if it was a pre-election matter, then it was statute barred, having commenced beyond 14 days of the action, as the law prescribed. However, if it was post-election matter, it ought to have gone to the election petition tribunal and not the regular court. Moreover, it riles to common sense and legal processes to accuse Ibezim of certificate forgery and yet stealthily avoid inviting WAEC, owners of the certificates, to come and deny or authenticate the allegation. I also listened to Araraume’s lawyer defending the indefensible and, today, the rest, they say, is history.

The double jeopardy for Araraume is losing the case as well as the huge amount of money gone down the drain. I had once written, urging him to redirect the money being wasted in the case to establishing memorable legacies across Imo North.

Losing the case is quite painful but there is still hope for him. He could reclaim his glory by congratulating Ibezim and taking his seat among the comity of elder statesmen and advise the younger generation from behind the scenes.

Araraume should help in peace-building in the zone and mobilise equally endowed constituents to bring out the zone from the backwaters where it seems stuck even as the other two zones of the state have marched far ahead. He should beware of devious sycophants and flatterers, who do not mean well for him and listen to sincere advice from people like us who tell him the bitter truth, not out of disrespect or hatred.

As Ibezim collects his certificate of return from INEC this week, there is yet one more tricky hurdle to scale, they must not go overboard in their celebration. The PDP and their candidate, Okewulonu, are at the tribunal asking to be declared winners of the by-election, citing conflicting judicial pronouncements, which he claimed meant that the APC had no candidate in the by-election.

It would be recalled that, while one court declared Ibezim the lawful APC candidate for the by-election, which the party affirmed, another court disqualified him over contrived certificate forgery. As a layman, I believe APC had a candidate that was certified by legal pronouncement. Last Friday’s Supreme Court  ruling has also addressed this matter.

Ordinarily, one would go to sleep but we live in a society where the law is not interpreted fairly. We have seen that both the bench and the bar are not exempt from the corrosive corruption ravaging the land. While interpreting the laws in our courts, a lot of sentiments is brought to bear. We have seen cases where bizarre judgments are passed. We have seen where judgments are brazenly ignored or obeyed selectively. That is why the Ibezim camp should not rest on its oars yet.

In fact, my wish is that Okewulonu be discouraged from going to tribunal at all. He can be dissuaded because there is still tomorrow and like I have always insisted, this is a brotherly contest in which there is neither loser nor winner. It would be nice if leading lights of the zone waded into this matter for the greater good. That was the same position I canvassed in the Araraume saga but was sadly ignored. Now several billions have been expended on the insincere propositions of political jobbers and legal buccaneers, leaving Imo North largely the loser. 

It is time we told ourselves the bitter truth about the emergence of a new generation of leaders in Imo North. Truth is irrepressible and can never be buried. Even if you bury it, it is just a matter of time before it exhumes itself. In any case, it is an impossible mission to kill and bury truth. Truth is like pregnancy. Any woman can claim not knowing a man but when the stomach begins to shoot out, what was done behind closed doors advertises itself.

Therefore, without naming names for now to avoid stirring controversy, we must recognise the change of guards in the leadership of Imo North. These new leaders are younger, sagacious, urbane, highly educated and foresighted and with huge and unassailable reach nationwide; they abound in politics and across party lines and different strata of society. It is is a very good development and the earlier the older generation recognised this, the more honourable their transition.

It is because of failure to recognise this fact or ignoring it that resulted in  Araraume’s situation today. Many say Araraume has come to the end of the road politically. It remains to be seen how true this is. However, as an old war horse, I believe there is still some fight in him. He is a repository of knowledge and wisdom that may come useful if well applied.

It would be better for Araraume and the old brigade to rebrand and face today’s realities and support this new generation of leaders in the zone. Not acknowledging that the ship has left the harbour is tantamount to self-delusion but accepting the obvious is the only way they can bow out in glory.

Imo North has just rediscovered itself and may not be kindly disposed to clogs in the wheel of its march to match up with the other zones nor tolerate any blight on its urgent trajectory; that is the truth, the bitter truth.