At last, this Friday being 5th of October 2018, All Progressive Grand Alliance will file out for its governorship primary election after some unavoidable postponements. In Imo state alone, more than twelve persons are aspiring to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming governorship election, this rates APGA as the party that parades the highest number of governorship aspirants in the state.
But the irony of the situation here is that there is only one opening for the post of governor yet over eighteen aspirants are scheming to grab it in the state.
For sure, going by their credentials all the aspirants are eminently qualified to fly the party flag in the forthcoming governorship election. A glance at their beautifully prepared curriculum vitae, one would be convinced on the ability and capacity of each of these aspirants to deliver the goods if given the opportunity. But the question in the lips of anyone with good intentions for our dear party and state is, what sound tract record has each of these aspirants?
Aside few who had occupied the same or similar public office(s) in the past with nothing to show for it, most of them are the regular politicians who come home at every four years to aspire for the position and travel back as soon as the mother luck refuses to be generous to them . They come with sugar coated tongues to promise heaven and earth while it is not yet Uhuru in their private lives and businesses. The poser is, can someone offer what they do not have? No, One will be addressed by how he is dressed.
The present situation in Imo state does not need the above categories of candidates and any party that fields such candidates will certainly live to regret the mistake as the results of the governorship election start coming out. It is stating the obvious that every facet of the state’s economy has collapsed and needs someone with a known history of success to rebuild and steer her to glory. And the above mentioned categories of candidates can not be useful in this situation because they are part of the problem the state is grappling with today.
Not forgotten also is the position of our great party, APGA in Imo state today. This is a party that won 2011 governorship election and should be occupying the position of the ruling party but it is not because it’s governorship ticket was given in a platter of gold to a mobile politician who abandoned the party for another one. These mobile politicians have positioned themselves again to take the party back to Egypt. If not how is the party sure that these mobile politicians if victorious will stay in the party to grow it without joining their next of kins in their original parties? ‘Once bitten’, they say, ‘twice shy’.
As the onerous task to reposition the party and kick-start the process of reviving our state Imo falls on the shoulders of these delegates, it is expedient to remind them discharge this duty with every sense of patriotism. To be precised three ad hoc delegates from each of the 305 wards of the state together with statutory ones will file out to nominate, among the numerous governorship aspirants who are mainly core politicians, one candidate to fly the flag of the party in the upcoming governorship election. These aspirants like the proverbial lizards are all lying no one knows one with stomach ache. So careful survey on each aspirant’s antecedents should be carried out to avoid yesteryear”s mistake.
Before now the air space had been inundated with so many reports of unholy practices going on between few aspirants and some party members suspected to have made the list of delegates for the Friday governorship primary election. While some reports are not as palatable as they have it that a particular aspirant took these suspected delegates to an undisclosed shrine and administered oath of allegiance and support before giving them huge sums of money others have it some party officials in the state are shopping delegates for that particular aspirant due to the huge money that was given to them. All the stories if true are inimical to the well-being of the party because if the act is succeeded that particular aspirant whether popular or not would have a smooth ride to picking the party ticket for 2019 guber election. This may shut out the most credible and popular candidate from flying the flag of the party that will eventually result to the party having a poor outing. And hardly any team wins a match with its second eleven.
Since the essence of this write-up is to plead with the delegates to consider the well-being of the party and that of the state as they file out to nominate the party’s flag bearer, it is not a falsehood to say that APGA has not assumed it’s befitting position in the state. The party which should have been the ruling party in the state since the return of democracy in 1999 is still finding its feet. The party has always won elections in the state but either it was rigged out or its governor would switch over to another party with its mandate leaving APGA an orphan. Guided by the above information, the delegates for Friday governorship primary election should work extra hard to eschew selfish interest to ensure similar cases do not befall the party in 2019. This they do by ignoring the common idea of going for the highest bidder but for one that has a well thought out program to reposition the party and rebuild the state.
Therefore as the delegates will be filing out to discharge the constitutionally backed duty they should see in the aspirant per excellence; Frank Nneji OON the needed capacity to turn around things for good. Nneji is one aspirant whose source of livelihood is not only variable but has over the years grown into a business empire. His transport company, ABC Transport is a household name that rings bell in every family. Aside being a manager with countless records of successes his establishments maintain for years the position as the second largest employer of labour after state government. He is a good psychologist whose peace of mind and respect for humanity and rule of law have always guided him in passing good judgment. A man with the unquenchable zeal to rewrite the history of bad leadership in Imo state through the political platform, APGA which he strongly believes in. A man who has lived and done his business here for over 35 years should be nominated to fly the flag of the party.
It is not far from the truth that this man Mr. Frank Nneji alias ABC Transport is known throughout the width and breadth of Imo state and beyond and if nominated will surely lead the party to victory. Many people even across the party lines have indicated their intentions to give him the desired support to win the governorship seat for the party. And with his well researched program aimed at boosting the production sector through sustainable energy supply for job creation for the teeming unemployed, the state will be rebuilt to have new lease of life.
So our dear delegates be aware that any mistake made in nominating a wrong candidate today will live with the party and by extension with the state for another eight years. Our youths will roam the streets without jobs, our workers and pensioners will not be paid, the economy will further nosedived, the condition of our roads will further worsens, and security of lives and property will be further unarrested. So have a date with the rebuilding of Imo today. What is worth doing is worth doing well.
REGINALD chukwuemeka o
