2011: The South East Stand

Okwesilieze Nwodo, National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

Ahead the 2011 general elections, governors of the South east, one of the tripods on which Nigeria stands, rules the zone out of next year’s presidential contest – a decision that is generating ripples among the people
By Anene Ugoani, Enugu
The new National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Okwesilieze Nwodo, on Monday, July 5, 2010 exploited the ambience offered by the extensive reception organised in his honour by the Enugu State government, to make profound political statements on how the Igbo nation will vote in the 2011 presidential poll. Nwodo also used the event held at the famous Okpara Square to fore warn that a wind of change would certainly blow over the country as well as the PDP during his tenure.
He explicitly told the huge crowd which boasted prominent Igbos across party lines, including the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi and his counterpart in Abia  State, Theodore Ahamefula Orji, both of whom are of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), that the Igbo nation would vote for a presidential candidate with Igbo interests at heart, regardless of religion or wherever he comes from. The governors of the five states in the South-east region were present when Nwodo spoke, and  unlike in the recent past, all of them, in separate speeches, agreed to present a common front on the issue.
Aside the five governors, other party stalwarts who attended the reception included Alhaji Ali Ahmed Gonak, who represented President Jonathan Goodluck, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Board of Trustees{BOT] member of the PDP, Victor Attah, former governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Senator Ayogu Eze.
Other party chieftains that were present are former Information Minister, John Nnia Nwodo, Second Republic Senator, Offia Nwali, former governor of Imo Sttate, Navy Commodore Anthony Oguguo(rtd), former deputy governor of Enugu state, Okechukwu Itayi, Enugu State PDP chairman, Vita Abba, PDP National Vice-Chairman, South east, Olisa Metuh, as well as members of the PDP National Working Committee(NWC), commissioners in the governments of the five South east states, members of the State and National Assemblies and local council chairmen from the area.
As early as 8.a.m., all roads leading to Okpara Square had been blocked by vehicular and human traffic as thousands of people massed at the place. And several musical groups that came from different states in the South east region, sang the praises of Nwodo and the governors.
In his welcome speech, Enugu State chairman of the party, Abba talked about how Governor Sullivan Chime has over the last three years transformed Enugu metropolis into a befitting political capital of the South east region. Although there are 54 registered political parties in the country, Abba said that as far as he was concerned, everyone in the state belonged to the PDP. He added that the emergence of Nwodo as National Chairman of the PDP, would bring victory to the party in the 2011 elections.
And addressing the mammoth crowd, Metuh declared that the Igbo race would not allow any external political influence to dictate to it in next year’s general elections. “ We have our own leaders”, he stated. Looking at Governors Chime and Orji, who were seated in the covered VIP area, he said: “ Your Excellency, the road is very clear”. It was difficult, however, for the people to know whether he referred to Governor Chime, who is bidding for a  second four-year term in office, or wooing Governor Orji to fight his re-election battle in 2011 on the platform of the PDP. Governor Orji has since dumped the Progressive People’s Alliance(PPA), on whose platform he was elected in 2007,  and defected to the APGA.
When it was the turn of ex-Governor Attah to speak to the people from the podium, he traced the history of the PDP back to 1998, when it was launched. Although the party started well, he recounted, it shortly “ caught the virus”.
He described Nwodo as a de-tribalised Nigerian and recalled how at the 1998 national convention of the party, Nwodo, then the National Secretary, declined to manipulate the votes in favour of former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, a fellow Igbo. Attah urged Nwodo to lead the PDP well, saying if he failed as its chairman, there was just no way the Presidency could function well.
In his speech at the event, Governor Orji disclosed that the Southeast governors rose from their meeting at the Enugu State Government House on Sunday, July 4, 2010 – a day before – with the resolution that five of them would attend the reception for Nwodo. He stated that in line with that resolution, he had to grace the occasion to felicitate with the new National Chairman of the PDP. “ I am a true Igbo man. I am here to tell Nwodo to go ahead”, Orji said.
The Imo State Governor, Ohakim, who is at present troubled by his predecessor, Achike Udenwa, passionately pleaded with Nwodo to rid the party of godfathers and the imposition of candidates. Ohakim had decamped to the PDP from the PPA shortly after his election in 2007 and wants a second term in office, but Udenwa, leading other opposition elements within the party, is bent on sabotaging his efforts.
Also speaking at the reception, Governor Martias Elechi of Ebonyi state described Nwodo as a true democrat. He insisted that although Nwodo was a governor in a military government, he was, however, not a military governor. Nwodo, he said, upon assumption of office, had asked leaders of the party to eschew godfatherism, imposition of candidates and political thuggery. He, affirming that PDP in his state had already rid itself of the vices listed by Nwodo.
When it was the turn of Governor Obi of Anambra state to speak, he said so in Igbo language. He disclosed that he cancelled the State Executive Committee(EXCO) meeting in order to find time to identify with Nwodo at the event, on the grounds that he happens to be a fellow Igbo man. The five governors in the South east zone, he said, had resolved to support Nwodo, regardless of  party affiliations.
His words: “ If he leads the PDP well, the Igbo race will take the credit. We no longer want disunity in Igboland. We shall support any party presidential candidate that has Igbo interests at heart. We are not seeking the offices of president or vice-president. We are more interested in bringing development to the South east region”.
The chief host of the reception, Governor Chime, stated that the emergence of Nwodo as the National Chairman of the PDP is the handiwork of God. He observed that Nwodo, who was frustrated out of the party two years ago, would not have believed that he would one day return to the party and be made it's chairman. Reiterating the notion of Abba, Governor Chime said the only political party that exists in Enugu state is the PDP.
And referring to the presence of the governors of the five states in the South east at the reception and the resolution to lend support to Nwodo, Governor Chime said there were indications that politics had become a brotherly affair in Igboland. “ In the South-east, we have eschewed politics with bitterness. If you are still a violent person, look for other states, not in the South east”, he cautioned.
Chime said the South east region would not be “ a fishing ground” for presidential candidates looking for running mates. The Igbo, he stated, were looking for a candidate who would protect their interests.
The man of the moment, Nwodo, said: “ We are not going to be president, we are not going to be vice-president. But we want the gains of democracy for our people. I will, indeed, be very happy if this message is taken across the country. Like I said in my inaugural speech, we are coming to bring change to Nigeria
“ Many of us when we step outside the shores of this country, people look down on us… We are on a mission of restoration of the values of the PDP, of the values that will guide our country. After 50 years, it is sad that we are making a beginning. But it is better to be late than never”, he said.
Nwodo promised that during his tenure, he would rid the PDP of man-made obstacles, such as godfatherism, godmotherism, political slavery, intimidation and marginalisation. He further told the cheering crowd that he would return political power to the people. “ It has been taken from you before. Now, we want to restore that power to you. Do you want the power?”, he asked, and the huge crowd chorused, “yes.”
Before the curtains fell on the event, Alhaji Gonak, who came from Abuja, said he would relay what transpired at the event to President Jonathan faithfully. Gonaki: “ Mr. President must hear that the emergence of Dr. Nwodo has totally united the South east. Mr. President must hear that as there are generals in the Army, there are also generals in Nigerian politics. This event has shown that the South east will vote for the best presidential candidate, regardless of wherever he comes from. From 1960's to 1990's, the military intervened in Nigerian politics. But in 2010, God himself intervened in Nigerian politics. The emergence of the president and the party chairman, I sincerely believe, are the handiwork of God”.
But shortly after the event, indications emerged to the effect that the position of the five South-east Governors, it seems, does not have the backing of the generality of Igbos.
Rising from a well-attended one day summit in Enugu penultimate weekend, the coalition of Human Rights and Pro-Democracy Activists in the South east geo-political zone strongly condemned the decision of the governors to back out of the 2011 Presidential/Vice Presidential race.
The group stated in strong terms at the Ofu Obi Conference Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu, venue of its charing that the governors were on their own and never spoke the minds of the Igbo on the sensitive and crucial issue.
Speaking at the occasion, convener of the Summit, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, said that the event was aimed at mobilising the opinion of South easterners who have totally disagreed with the stance of the governors, which he said does not reflect the minds of majority of people in the geo-political zone.
Agbakoba: “The governors of the South east, in my view, should have consulted widely before taking the decision on the 2011 presidency. The Summit is aimed at mobilising the opinion of the people in the Southeast on 2011 presidency, and I can say from the conclusion so far drawn from the Summit that the governors are on their own.
“They are not speaking for the people from the South east. They are not authorised to say that the Igbo will not vie for President or Vice President without consultation,” the former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said.
In a chat with The Source, Agbakoba stressed that the governors have forgotten the real problems of the region – kidnapping and under-development –to chase shadows.
Agbakoba: “Nobody is saying that they do not have the right to air their views, but to say that their opinion represents that of the Igbo is not acceptable, because the issue should have been widely discussed by Ndigbo, which was not the case.
“These governors have not done anything about the increased spate of kidnapping in the zone, even with over 150 police check points, and the high level of under-development, yet they came out, without wide consultations, to say that this is the Igbo stand on 2011 presidential election, at a time when other zones are discussing the issue of zoning”, he said.
He added: “There is no way anybody or town can say it will win the World Cup without participating in the tournament. So, all we are saying is that there should be wide consultation before anybody can say that this is the stand of the Igbo on the issue, even as they keep crying about marginalisation as recently witnessed in the appointment of Justices of the Appeal Court where out of the 12 Justices, only one is Igbo.”