By Emeka Nwosu
\nNigeria is in a season of politics. The politicking is reaching a fever
\npitch as the political parties and their various candidates criss-cross
\nthe length and breadth of the country campaigning for votes. Everywhere
\nyou go, the dominant issues remain the 2015 General Elections.
\nThe stakes are very high given the primacy of political power in any
\norganized State, particularly in a developing society like Nigeria. This
\nfact was clearly acknowledged by the former Ghanaian leader and foremost
\nPan-Africanist, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who said: \u201cSeek ye first the
\npolitical kingdom, every other thing shall be added onto you\u201d.
\nInherent in Nkrumah`s postulation is the assumption that political power
\nis the most potent instrument for the social and economic reconstruction
\nof any given society. Students of power and politics believe so.
\nIt is basically for this reason that the contestation for power in
\nemerging democracies in Africa and other Third World countries is
\ncharacterized by a very high level of viciousness and violence.
\nIt is therefore not surprising that Okwudiba Nnoli, the eminent Professor
\nemeritus of Political Science and the author of the classical book,
\n\u201cEthnic Politics in Nigeria\u201d defines politics as \u201cthose activities
\ndirectly or indirectly related to the acquisition, consolidation and use
\nof power\u201d.
\nAcquiring power is one thing and deploying it to serve the good of the
\nsociety is another thing altogether.
\nIn Imo State today, there is one young man who is seeking power not for
\nthe trappings of office or the grandeur that comes with such exalted
\nposition; but he is doing so to serve the common good. That man is Rt.
\nHon. Emeka Ihedioha, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
\nand gubernatorial flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Power (PDP) in Imo
\nState.
\nEmeka Ihedioha is currently the rave of the moment in the State. He is the
\nman whose time has come. His acceptance is unprecedented as he enjoys
\npopular support across all the nooks and crannies of the State.
\nHe remains the greatest threat to the incumbent APC administration led by
\nOwelle Rochas Okorocha and the best gubernatorial choice of the PDP to
\ntake over the Douglas House, Owerri.
\nIt is perhaps in realization of this obvious reality that the
\nOkorocha-controlled State media organs have launched ferocious but futile
\nattacks on the candidature of Ihedioha. The government is highly rattled
\nhence the desperation.
\nBut amidst all this, Ihedioha remains focused, calm and calculated as he
\ntakes his campaign message of liberation and restoration to all parts of
\nthe State.
\nLast Saturday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, Ihedioha was presented by
\nPresident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji
\nAdamu Muazu to the people of Imo State as their in-coming Governor. The
\nproclamation was greeted with resounding applause; an indication of the
\nwide acceptance and popularity rating of Ihedioha in the State.
\nHe is the most prepared of all those seeking to govern Imo State today,
\nhaving surely but steadily occupied critical and sensitive public
\npositions in the last two decades.
\nHe is well educated unlike some of his opponents whose educational
\nqualifications have question marks. He holds a Bachelor`s degree in Food
\nScience and Technology from the University of Lagos. In addition, he has
\nundertaken an Executive Certificate Course in Financial Management from
\nthe Stanford University, and a Leadership Certificate Course from Kennedy
\nSchool of Government, Harvard University, both world-renowned and
\nprestigious Ivy-league institutions in the United States of America (USA).
\nLike we noted earlier he has held key positions that have prepared him for
\nthe governorship of Imo State. In his current position as the Deputy
\nSpeaker, he chairs some critical committees in the National Assembly whose
\nmandate and functions lie at the very heart and soul of the 7th House of
\nRepresentatives.
\nThey include the House Ad-Hoc Committee on New Legislative Agenda; House
\nAd-Hoc Committee on Constitution Review and Committee of the Whole.
\nAs the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on New Legislative Agenda, he
\nworked assiduously alongside some of his colleagues to fashion out a
\nvision document that has defined the direction of the House in the last
\nthree and half years.
\nUnder his superintendence, the Committee produced an innovative agenda in
\nwhich the House seeks to promote internal democracy in its business and
\ndeepen the values of probity and accountability in the conduct of public
\npolicy.
\nAs the Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Constitution, he has
\nguided the House in passing critical amendments for the good of our
\nnation. Such amendments include autonomy for Local Government Councils,
\nand the making of primary health and housing as basic rights amongst many
\nother landmark amendments.
\nAs the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Ihedioha presides over the
\nconsideration of all Committee reports. This critical role is assigned to
\nhim by the Rules of the House of Representatives.
\nHe is always a delight to watch whenever he is presiding as he brings to
\nbear on the legislative process uncommon brilliance and political
\nsagacity. Through a combination of wits and statesmanship, he has on many
\noccasions steered the House out of controversies and difficult situations.
\nIhedioha has also empowered many Imo youth and women through his numerous
\nskills acquisition and training programmes organized in the State within
\nthe 12-year period he has been in the National Assembly as the
\nrepresentative of Aboh-Mbaise\/Ngor Okpala Federal constituency.
\nThis is the time to reward him for his good deeds to the people of Imo
\nState all these years of his stewardship to the nation. It is expected
\nthat on Saturday, February 28 all eligible voters will come out en masse
\nand vote for Emeka Ihedioha as the next governor of Imo State.<\/p>\n
Emeka Nwosu, a public affairs analyst was the former Political Editor of
\nthe Daily Times<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Emeka Nwosu Nigeria is in a season of politics. The politicking is reaching a fever pitch as the political parties and their various candidates criss-cross the length and breadth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n