Obiano’s quest for re-election

 By Chris Nonyelum
ON Wednesday, 31st May, 2017, Dr. Okey Odunze and his political associates who cut across prominent politicians from all the 21 local governments in the state and beyond converged at the prestigious Jesse Hotel in Awka where Odunze paid glowing tributes to Governor Obiano and expressed his commitment and determination to ensure that the governor gets a second electoral mandate. Dr. Okey Odunze’s decision to lend his awesome political weight in Anambra State politics to the incumbent governor signalled a new vista of hope for success in the pursuance of Obiano’s re-election. Dr. Odunze’s support is not just a case of mere verbalisation or passive endorsement, but one of being prepared to unleash every of  political instrument at his disposal towards the actualisation of victory for Governor Obiano in the upcoming gubernatorial election in November 2017.
It was indeed cheering news to most well-meaning indigenes of Anambra State, who are deeply impressed with the incumbent governor’s excellent performance, but nonetheless worried that the APC might wrench power from him through unwholesome means.
Notwithstanding Dr. Willie Obiano’s popularity among the masses, tongues were wagging before now that he has not been enjoying the support of any hardcore politician with political clout to guarantee a second electoral mandate for him, especially at a period the APC leaders in the state are making desperate moves to wrench power from the governor. But with Odunze’s resurgent political activities in the state geared towards ensuring the governor’s re-election, Obiano’s teeming supporters are heaving a sigh of relief.  They have genuine reasons to express fervent expectations of victory in the light of Odunze’s current support for the governor.  At every electioneering campaign engineering process in Anambra state since early 90’s, Dr. Okey Odunze has strategically played critical roles in determining the electoral fortunes of victorious gubernatorial candidates. He took the old Anambra State which then included the current Enugu State by storm after he became the state Chairman of SDP (Social Democratic Party) and later emerged as its gubernatorial candidate.
Dr Udunze’s political machine, in the ensuing campaign to secure the electoral mandate of the people, was awesome and the most proactive. Charismatic in his approach to wooing the electorate, Odunze was generally perceived as a precocious political phenomenon determined to prosecute an entirely brand new political engineering process anchored on massive mobilisation of the youths and market women, with unprecedented recourse to one-on-one campaign initiative in every nook and cranny of the state.  He was barely 29 years old when he contested in the old Anambra state governorship election in 1991.
It was glaring that Odunze was at the verge of recording a landslide victory when  the electoral umpire, using purported incidences of isolated pockets of violence in certain areas of the state, disqualified him from continuing participation in the election.
As a very young man, it must have been indeed an unforgettable baptism of fire in politics. But Odunze remained undaunted and later emerged the National Treasurer of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party and one of its major stakeholders. He has since contributed to the electoral victories of at least three past governors of Anambra state. Some people argued that Odunze was able to make a remarkable impact in grassroots mobilisation because he was very young, with awesome financial resources at his disposal which he deployed with youthful exuberance and indifference. While there may be some semblance of truth in having such perception, the major driving force in Odunze’s populist acceptance and followership is his uncanny ability to apply his oratorical skills in such a way that appeals to the sensibilities of his listeners. Odunze has the rare ability of gauging the expectations of the people and knowing exactly the pendulum to which their aspiration is tilting. He would now tailor his campaign strategy and initiatives to align with such aspirations and in tandem with his proposed development imperatives.
The ensuing result is always an emergence of a deluge of youths, men and women eager to identify with his aspirations. He is even more potent when he speaks favourably about others. This, of course, makes him a favourite mouthpiece for any aspirant. That much was proven at Jesse Hotel where he held his audience spellbound for hours while extolling the governor’s virtues, sterling qualities, exemplary and astute leadership in Anambra state. Beyond this, Odunze is a consummate political strategist and crafty electoral campaign planner.
He has a forceful character that does not lend itself to the issuance of orders and commands that must be obeyed and adhered strictly to. He merely acts as a pathfinder who creates the pathway through compelling, oratorical articulation of his blueprints for action, making it easier for those who work with him to know exactly the direction to follow, without necessarily being cowed to do so. There is no gainsaying the fact that Dr. Willie Obiano has a worthy political ally in Dr. Okey Odunze, who is expected to render immeasurable services to him in his bid to secure a second electoral mandate.
Nonyelum  writes from Lagos.