Date Published: 09/21/09
Anambra 2010: PDP’s Crowd of Aspirants By Tony-Anthony John
The political tempo in Anambra State as regards to the 2010 gubernatorial election, is after all, not only tensed up in the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, where there has been crack in the party. But, the situation on ground in the strong contender, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, seems that 2010 gubernatorial election would likely create some disharmony in the PDP where numerous aspirants are indicating interests.
It was reported that no fewer than 50 aspirants collected the expression of interest form at N250,000.00 each. These are just in one family-PDP. As at Tuesday, September 15, about 32 met the dateline for the submission of the forms. I see this ugly development as a worrisome situation, which gives a wrong signal to the forthcoming election.
My worry is complemented by the statement made by the Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is also the Chairman, Screening Appeal Committee, in respect of the Anambra State governorship election. He said: “Well, it is worrisome. But, about 50 persons have purchased the form. So, it means that to them, the amount is small. If 50 persons can pay N5 million in Anambra, it means that something is wrong.”
The Senate Deputy President went further to say that; “So, if you bring it to N1 million or N500,000.00, it means that he number of candidates would have reached 1,000 by now. So, it is strange. It is something that we need to address to find out an appropriate sum for purposes of obtaining form. Five million naira to me, I believe, is excessive.” This is a frank statement which I must commend him for.
But, I fault his other statement that: “Political parties don’t have any farm and their farm is this season and they have to pay their bill”. By interpretation, it means that politics is practically business. If this his view is imbibed, it would lead our society nowhere. I see politics as an art of moral governance which has to do with ideals and principles.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the USA, said that “the most practical kind of politics is the politics of decency.” Another renowned philosopher, Dwight Eisenhower, said that; “politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.” The views of these men are quite different from what we practice in this country.
Politics in Nigeria, is that of greed; politics of money and cruelty. Otherwise, how would you describe this strange “incident” where about 50 aspirants in a party are showing interest to contest for a governorship seat in a state? In fact, it is strange.
Though Eisenhower stated that politics ought to be for every citizen of a country, he made a clear distinction that it must be for those who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and preserve what is good and fruitful in the national heritage. In fact, I am against the PDP for creating a platform that depicts corruption where everybody, both literate and non-literate want to participate, without any morality to protect the rights and privileges of the electorate, nor preserve the national heritage.
If really the aspirants have positive intention to serve members of the public and contribute meaningfully to our democracy, coming out en masse from one party to indicate interest in one position, shows a clearer picture of how they want to ruin the state. It is also an indication that Nigerian politics is pure business and only those that have the money would make it.
One of the aspirants, Senator Emmanuel Anosike had this to say in respect of the screening exercise currently going on in Enugu Zonal office of the party. “We are not violent as portrayed outside and we have not been involved in the crisis in Anambra State.” If I understand Senator Anosike clearly, he is exonerating all of them that want to govern the state under the PDP platform from the politically-motivated crisis in the state.
Let us take it that these crowds of gubernatorial gamblers are the saints that want to revamp the state from the claws of greedy politicians where “godfatherism” reigns supreme. To me, they all lack moral sanctity to represent the electorate from what they have exhibited. Sponsors of these aspirants and the party should have put their house in order, before demonstrating such open shame.
If this act is a strategy the PDP wants to use in intimidating other political parties in the 2010 governorship election in the state, well, it is left for the opposition parties to brace up the challenges for the battle ahead.
But, if the PDP tax hurdles for the aspirants are anything to go by, it would be a welcome development of sanitizing the party of filthiness. I urge the Screening Committee headed by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Jubrin Aminu, to maintain its ground that all of them vying for the seat should produce tax certificates covering three years payment and be made to defend them.
Quite unlike in PDP activities, journalists are barred from covering the screening exercise. The PDP South-East zonal Organising Secretary had stated that the reason for making the exercise be in camera is because it is an internal affair. Credibility in whatever you do is when all interests are satisfied, especially in this type of exercise where everybody has a stake.
Tony-Anthony John
07038493735
rosanconnection@yahoo.com
