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Anambra 2021 and gale of defections: Where are political ideology, methods & principles?

Analysts blame defections on poor attitude of kingmakers; caution kingmakers against imposition of candidates in 2023

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Last Saturday, the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo presented his well articulated manifesto to the electorates. In a more civilized society, the manifesto should form the high point of discussion in Ananbra for some days, but on the contrary, the high point is defections by politicians who move from one political party to another with the national ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) the most beneficiary of the trend.

I’m recent weeks and days, notable politicians such as serving National Assembly members, ex National Assembly members, serving State House of Assembly members, party stalwarts and ward leaders of other political parties have detected to APC. Among them includes Senator Joy Emordi and Senator Stella Odua who may have opened the floodgate of defections. Others are ex member of the House of Reps Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi and Hon Nonso Smart Okafor who led other 6 members of the State House of Assembly to APC. As at the time of filling this report, indications are riped that Hon Ifeanyi Momah representing Ihiala Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives and other members of the Federal House are heading to APC.

Analysts say, the defections is speaking negatively on politicians in so many ways which includes the fact that politicians cannot manage themselves well enough to be able to build and manage a political party and second, that politicians are terribly selfish people that cannot be trusted. A current affairs analysts, Dr Ejike Nwangwu is of the opinions that the defections is showing lack of a streamlined pro people ideology, lack of operational methods on political services and lack of principles among the political parties in particular and politicians in general.

Dr Nwangwu argued that the defections is showing that politicians are gamblers that still have a long way to go in terms of preparedness and competence needed to provide the kind of good leadership expected from them. Hear him “Election is a four years project and the way the political parties conducted their primary elections show that they were not prepared enough to ensure a transparent and credible process under a large space of four years.

The analyst said that political parties suppose to have a transparent and credible process of nominating a candidate that is devoid of questionable attitude and unacceptable outcome of election result among aspirants noting that it is wrong to make aspirants spent money buying nomination form and also spend money running campaign when the king makers of the party have already chosen who they want ahead of time. He accused the king makers of betrayal and the ones behind the gale of defections in Anambra State because of the way the aspirants were maltreated during primary.

He added “If you know that you have someone you prefer to become the candidate of the party, why should you encourage others to spend money to buy nomination form and spent their time and money running campaign lobbying delegates? it is unfair. And that is why politicians are running heltherskelter in search of greener pastures elsewhere. Election is an opportunity for people to test their popularity, so if you know I won’t have the chance to test my popularity, why encourage me to be in the race”

The truth is that is what is happening in Ananbra is not speaking well of the political process and the leaders of the political parties are to carry the blame. The situation in Anambra is not showing a good sign towards 2023 and if what happened in Anambra is to repeat itself in 2023 then Nigerians are doomed. Leaders body political leaders should endeavor to do the right thing at the right time by allowing a level playing ground for people to test their popularity or discourage people from joining political race when they might made their choice ahead of party primaries.

Coroborating Nwangwu another public affairs analyst and chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) Anambra State branch Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme blamed the gale of defections in Anambra among politicians on two grounds which imposition of candidates on the side of leaders of political parties and selfishness generally. Blaming defections on imposition of candidates Ezekwueme noted that a child is bound to cry and react in his own way when beaten. “You cannot beat a child and ask him not to cry. The political parties beat the aspirants and they are crying and reacting in their own way. How could you collect as much as #30million from an aspirant and screen him out or impose another person on the party without allowing the aspirant that paid #30million to test his popularity, it is not naturally acceptable”

On general problem of selfishness the CLO chairman said that, those who didn’t seek to be candidate of political parties for the Anambra governroship election but are rushing to APC from APGA and PDP are doing so on the basis of selfishness as according to him, they have no interest outside their personal interest to remain in corridor of power. The human rights activist noted that what is happening in Anambra proves the assertion of ate Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi absolutely right that politics without principle is one of the 7 blunder of the world.

By Theo Rays

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