By Arc. Moses Etokowoh
May the 29th, 2015, has come and gone. New governments have been ushered in across most of the land with the kind of pomp and pageantry ‘fit for the gods’. Particularly significant was the party switch at the center, the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) bowing out to the All Progressives Congress (APC). A coup de grace that has seen Muhammadu Buhari return to the helm of affairs, as a democratically elected President of our dear and beloved nation.
Commentary on this epoch making event would not be complete without the mention of that all-important phone call, by the then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to gallantly concede defeat and the soft measured responses from Mr. President that shows he fully understands the diplomacy of how to sooth wounds by showing humility in victory. Had these two Gladiators acted otherwise, the nation could still be embroiled in the aftermath of the attendant ill winds.
These acts of patriotism and true statesmanship on the part of these national icons announced unequivocally to the world at large that Nigeria has come of age and capable of transiting power without violence. Perhaps we have crossed that elusive threshold and have entered a new era where politics is no longer a matter of life and death.
They say what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Now, the PDP, in its last throes has drawn our attention to a behavioral pattern that is worthy of emulating by drawing our attention to the peace option. If by extension, the looser at the polls is constitutionally allowed certain roles in the emerging government, perhaps the bitterness that greets the conclusion of each election could be mitigated considerably. In other words we can make inclusive governance part and parcel of our political culture, especially for the runners up. If the opposition has a stake, perhaps we would be more accommodating since coming second at the polls could be a target in itself.
Mr. President, the goodwill and camaraderie at the national level, between your predecessor and your good self, needs to trickle down the line to make this national victory complete. The onus is on the APC, as a change oriented, ruling party to be magnanimous and lead other aggrieved parties at the polls to make that peace call, notwithstanding their constitutional rights to seek redress for perceived injustices. More so the APC can always take care of its own. Furthermore, parties that won everywhere would, as a matter of courtesy, reciprocate by soothing the nerves of their opponents and ensuring they are not left out in the scheme of things. Let us engineer a new, uniquely Nigerian political culture by introducing the Post Polls Amnesty!
The just concluded polls was widely reported as free and fair, amidst a host of teething problems. While we continue to hone our act on how to conduct hitch free polls, we must pay attention as well to how we react after the elections. The vilifications that immediately follow these polls such as personal attacks and violence widen the divide between aspirants and turn them into sworn enemies that set the stage for an even more cut-throat, do-or-die encounter at subsequent outings.
Furthermore, the balkanization of the citizenry on party, ethnic and religious grounds is an anathema to our collective existence and progress and for these reasons we remain constantly at war with ourselves, never trusting enough to forge the true unity and alliances necessary to enable us tackle our numerous intractable challenges.
Akwa Ibom State is a case in point, where we truly need to rethink our uncompromising and aggressive attitudes each time election results do not go our way. During the last dispensation, Akwa Ibom election related cases were still being heard at the national courts even to the penultimate week to the elections. The costs of such protracted cases are not necessarily measured in the size of the legal fees but also by the time wastages, the distractions as well as the non-participation of the entire aggrieved faction in the development process because breaking ranks to interact with the government of the day is usually construed as sabotage.
The post polls visit to the courts have become a recurring decimal in Akwa Ibom irrespective of how free and fair the polls may have been and if history is anything to go by, the matter will not be over until the fat lady sings. Just like crying wolf story of yesteryears, when the wolf finally shows up, the cries fell on deaf ears and no one responded to the call for help. The need to show restraint, especially in an intra-family contest like ours is most expedient, so we do not get to that point we cut our nose just to spite our face.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel was declared winner and duly sworn in as the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, after a landslide victory at the polls. This result was consistent with pre-polls forecasts and the voting patterns over several elections outings. The PDP may have had its shortcomings elsewhere, but in Akwa Ibom they have impacted positively in the advancement of the state development aspirations. Worthy of note were the efforts of His Excellences, Obong Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio, the two PDP governors to date. Attah with the championing of the famous on-shore-off-shore oil well dichotomy fight and in-depth planning inter alia and Akpabio with the blitzkrieg, dubbed the ‘Uncommon Transformation Agenda’ that saw the rapid development of numerous basic infrastructure and is hailed everywhere as a resounding success. With the result, the state remains in the PDP fold but the center has all the time and freedom to woo the Akwa Ibom. That, I believe is true politicking, there is no bitterness to it.
The APC, perhaps due to its control at the center has its tail up, and the tabloids are already reporting that they have secured a promise from the number one citizen to guarantee justice, which in APC parlance would most probably mean victory in a re-run. First, the mentality behind the assumption that Mr. President would guarantee APC victory is the same godfatherism President Buhari has vowed to abolish. If the result, for any reason, shifts in favour of the APC, it will be deemed as the machinations of the President, and could scuttle the primary objective to put the nation on the right footing even before it has a chance to begin.
President Muhammadu Buhari, is a disciplinarian par excellence, which is why all Nigerians have come to expect strict adherence to the rule of law. Reminds me of my growing up days, where my primary school teacher and a friend of the family, would mete out twice the number of lashes to me for coming late than he would others. The enormity and expediency of the task of fixing the nation cannot be overemphasized and to have a chance at success, Mr. President, must be seen to be above board. The APC in Akwa Ibom blundered by touting the name of Mr. President as accessory to the act. Thus it must take measures to rectify the error by letting the status quo remain.
Without wanting to introduce a fear factor into this equation, but it is well worth serious consideration. As at now, nobody knows what or how President Buhari will approach election matters. How thorough screening of candidates to other aspects of the process be? What we do know is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Security Services now have a zero tolerant posture and are spoiling to make their presence felt. Gone are the days where people who carry their skeletons openly with impunity scale through screenings for political offices with ease.
The true motive behind contesting the election results is also pertinent. Is it for the greater good of Akwa Ibom State and the majority of its people or to serve the interest of a select few? Worse still, is it in pursuit of a personal ambition for power? In Akwa Ibom today no one believes those that lost at the polls have any special package or are in pursuit of any special crusade to better our lot.
Politicians must, for reasons of survival and longevity in the trade, strike a balance between their personal ambitions and the need to serve the people. A ‘do-or –die’ posture can turn awry leave the worst of impressions and disaffection amongst the electorate. Governance in Akwa Ibom has started in earnest, His Excellency, Udom Emmanuel is making lots of correct choices and the State is poised for real progress. Hitting up the polity at this juncture, when the true underlying motives may be suspect, can be counterproductive and could lead to political suicide.
Furthermore, Akwa Ibom State is unique in its own right, with needs that are peculiar to itself. It is pertinent that we remain sensitive to our perceived needs and take measures to address them for our collective good. In politics, we must sue for the equality of the Senatorial Districts by supporting a strict rotation of power, whether written or otherwise. Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Districts respectively, provided the two past Governors. Therefore, for reasons of equity and fair play, it was expedient that Eket Senatorial District should do us the honour, as they have so done in producing His Excellency, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State. More so, the bulk of the States wealth is sourced from the District and to seek to upturn the result of the polls is akin to placing the ambition of a few individuals ahead of an entire Senatorial District. If we do not let go, what will be our campaign slogan to Eket Senatorial District; ‘I know you have not had your turn, but my personal ambition is more important?’ Now that an Eket son is on the seat of power, your guess is as good as mine on how that Senatorial District will vote.
Akwaibomites have a lot to be thankful for with regards to the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the Executive Governor of our state. Mr. Udom Emmanuel is a corporate finance strategist and a well-respected private sector operator who had worked his way to the very top of key financial institutions in the nation. The cognate experiences garnered at the high levels in Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank and PriceWaterHouseCooper can only translate into better management and leveraging of our state resources.
In the world of today, purchasing power is not only measured by the amount of cash in the kitty, but also knowing about money and how it is sourced, where it can best be placed, how to secure investors’ confidence and trust, understanding credit worthiness and maximizing our purchasing power etc. could very often be the difference between success and failure. Our Governor is an expert of repute in these matters and I am excited, like most Akwaibomites are, to have this consummate professional at the wheel.
Governor Udom Emmanuel has started on a pretty fine note by calling on all Akwaibomites, irrespective of their leanings, to come join him in planting, for as he declares ‘this is the planting season’. Effectively, he has invited us to come smoke the ‘Peace Pipe’ with him. I have heard from the grape vines of his plan to woo the Elders and Chieftains who stepped aside for a brief moment back into the party. King makers and stakeholders who have sacrificed so much and helped to build the state are bona fide and inalienable members of the fold, especially in these planting seasons when all hands need to be on deck.
By declaring these times the planting season, means that His Excellency recognizes that the work necessary to bring Project Akwa Ibom to fruition, and to live up to its true potential has only just begun. Success can only be contemplated if Akwaibomites of all walks of life come together and see themselves as equal stakeholders and part owners of the emergent and prosperous Akwa Ibom State. This utopia can only be reached if we harken to the call of His Excellency, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State and come together to smoke the PEACE PIPE.