Imperative Of A Southeast Senator In APC Caucus: Why Okigwe Zone Cannot Fail Southeast

The nullification of the Imo North Senatorial mandate of Senator Athan Nneji Achonu of the PDP by the Court of Appeal has re-awoken the political consciousness of the people of the zone. Recall that the Court of Appeal panel sitting in Owerri on the 11th December, 2015 affirmed the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal, which nullified the declaration of Senator Athan, on the petition of the Accord Party whose party logo was omitted in the ballot papers. Surprisingly, the decision of the Court has re-enacted the tripod battle that marked the Okigwe contest.

The major contenders for the seat are Rt. Hon Ben Uwajimogu of the APC, Senator Athan Nneji Achonu of the PDP. Presently, the momentum is with Rt. Hon Ben Uwajimogu who looks certain to enjoy the goodwill of Okigwe Zone to represent them at the Senate. Prior to the 2015 election, there was a heated debate as to where best the people of southeastern Nigeria should pool their votes.

Members of the newly formed All Progression Congress in Imo State pleaded on the electorates to deliver their votes to the party’s candidates as they were certain to form the next government. The PDP on their part, pleaded on southeast citizens to pool their votes to the party in solidarity with the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan whom they felt had a bright chance of winning a second term.

They contended that voting APC National Assembly members from the southeast would guarantee them to continue to be in the scheme of things at the center. When the National Assembly took place, one may argue that the argument of the PDP availed even though APC still polled strongly at the National Assembly Polls, which their candidates argued were massively rigged in favour of the PDP candidates.

But the outcome of the subsequent elections after the National Assembly election changed the entire permutation and put the southeast in a state of disadvantage. Throughout the southeast geographic zone, not one Senator was produced by the current ruling APC. Even the few seats won by the APC in the southeast, did not give them the ranking to vie for principal offices at the National Assembly.

In the senate for instance, the politics and horse trading for election of its principal officers saw the PDP’s Senator Ike Ekweremmadu emerging the Deputy Senate President in an APC majority Senate. That development has not gone down well with the presidency and the top echelon of the party till date. It in Nigeria today, the only position a southeasterner occupies is the position of the Deputy Senate President where Senator Ike Ekweremmadu of the PDP holds sway as the No 5 Citizen of the country.

With President Mohammadu Buhari and his APC administration’s negative disposition to Senator Ekweremmadu’s office as the nation’s Deputy Senate President, the Southeast is put in a state of disadvantage. The APC leadership till date has remained uncomfortable towards bringing Senator Ekweremmadu into the core critical decision making caucus meetings of the APC. This situation makes a total minus whatever euphoria that may have greeted the southeast clinching of the office of Deputy Senate President through Senator Ekweremmadu.

With the presidency and Senator Bukola Saraki narrowing their differences arising from the crisis that led to his emergence as Senate Presidency, there seem to be conspiracy to edge out Senator Ekweremmadu. This is manifested clearly by the secret consensus not to allow him assume his constitutional role as de facto Senate President when Senator Bukola Saraki is indisposed for any reason.

The APC Senators have refused or are reluctant to appear for the Senate business whenever Senator Ekweremmadu is scheduled to preside over the Senate. This situation is not healthy for the southeast which continues to be sidelined in the scheme of things. Till date, there is still wrangling at the top echelon of the APC, as the leadership continues to grumble over the office occupied by a member of the PDP.

This development increases chances that the APC majority Senate may one day resolve their differences. When that happens, the major compromise on the part of the Senator Saraki group would be to concede Senator Ike Ekweremmadu’s position. Should this be allowed to happen, the southeast would emerge the greatest loser because it is yet to produce an APC Senator with prospects to step in and fill the void. Once that happens, it would mean that no southeasterner would be ranked among the top ten political offices in the nation for the first time in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

These factors elucidated in this piece has made the Okigwe North Senatorial rerun vital to the aspiration and strategic positioning of the zone in the critical decision making caucus of the country. The nullification of the Okigwe North Senatorial seat formally held by the PDP, portends good tiding to Imo people and the southeastern region at large.

Honestly Speaking, the need to have a Southeast Senator in the APC National Caucus must be seen as top priority by any true Igbo Son who understands what party politics means, especially in a developing society like ours. The Okigwe Senatorial Bye election is a critical poll, which consideration should go beyond party politics and other primordial arguments.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Rt Hon Benjamin Uwayimoga is the APC candidate for the Okigwe Senatorial rerun. Today the argument the PDP made prior to the 2015 election that a vote for them would ensure Okigwe remained in the mainstream with the government at the center to deliver dividends of democracy now avails Rt Hon Ben Uwajimogu.

At this critical time in the polity of our nation, the nation and the southeast geopolitical zone beckons on the people of Okigwe zone to make a statement. Imo people and the southeast need Okigwe zone to salvage the imbalance the zone suffers currently at the center, by giving them an eye and voice in the APC higher caucus.

Rt Hon Ben Uwajimogu is eminently qualified to represent the zone in the Senate at this critical moment. His position as Speaker Imo State House of Assembly from 2011-2015 has given him an edge to make a head-state in Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Navigating the labyrinth of Imo politics to finish unblemished in his office as Speaker Imo House of Assembly for four solid years, has equipped Rt. Hon Uwajimogu to hit the ground running at the nations’ top legislative house.

As the people of Okigwe zone head to the polls come January, 2015, they must have it at the back of their minds that in their thumbs lie the hope and aspiration of Ndi Imo, Southeast and all Igbo in general to have an eye in the APC inner caucus of the senate and the nation at large.

A vote for APC and Rt Hon Ben Uwajimogu at this time is a patriotic call that will do the southeast good. This is not the time for narrow minded political interpretation. Ndi Okigwe zone cannot afford to fail the entire Igbo nation. We cannot afford to let this chance fritter away. Having Rt. Hon Ben Uwajimogu in the senate is a duty the people of Okigwe zone owes the entire southeast and Ndi Igbo. God Bless the good people of Okigwe zone as they respond to this noble call.

Ikenna Osuji writes from Isiala Mbano Local Government Area.