Few weeks before Enugu state’s council polls take place, there is no usual feverish atmosphere to show that some important political cycle is happening. Everywhere is just dull: the fragments of opposition parties are quiet. And the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) isn’t doing much.
It’s simply as usual: APC has every reason to take things easy. Once you’re given a ticket for either chairmanship or councillorship, you’ve won. It’s a tradition in Enugu State.
The state electoral commission ENSIEC – always – has published as winners list from the sitting governor’s office. For the ruling party, the LG elections were neither the contests with the opposition parties nor their campaigns geared towards convince the voters. Do whatever you can to have the governor ‘anoint’ you and you’re good to go!
As ENSIEC’s scheduled elections come on September, APC’s weaknesses would most evidently manifest. Of course, the candidates of the ruling party – who are already selected – would fill the 260 wards and the 17 council areas in the state.
However, APC leadership at the center would know. And so would the party’s leadership at state level as well as the populace. It’s going to seriously publicise the fact that the southeast voter still doesn’t want APC here. In case an outsider observer cares to look, he might agree with US President Donald Trump that some African countries need to be colonised again.
There is never a time when a free and fair election holds in Enugu – since 1999. The ‘defunct’ People’s Democratic Party (PDP) controlled the stage for consecutive 26 years, and still had relied solely on rigging to win any type of election throughout this period. As PDP has metamorphosed into APC, there is even a greater need to rig results to be able to continue staying in power. So everyone is expecting a blazing manipulation in the LG polls in September and in the general elections next year.
This trend is not only embarrassing, but it’s also surprising. For certain group of people to have controlled the reins of power for nearly three decades – in a democracy – and still doesn’t earn the trust of their kinsmen really invokes the disturbing image of dictatorships in the bygone eras.
Governor Peter Mbah ran on the promise of tremendous hope and radical change during 2023 election. He might be doing his best so far. But when his best obviously can’t return him in 2027 under a free and fair polls, then there is the need to rethink.
Frankly, there are several signposts of progress to the governor’s credit. But a lot of voters – especially in our inner communities are not aware of the projects. Nor are they feeling the impacts of his work.
It’s not enough to plaster the entire metropolis with signs of his deeds. Governor Peter Mbah and, of course the APC leadership in the state, are painfully neglecting to monitor how politics are played at the grassroots. Most of those who are mobilising for APC at the community level simple are the reasons the electorate have retained deep resentment towards their leaders.
- “You, Gov. Peter Mbah will go again”, Nenwe endorse Engr. Edeh
- Nkanu clan mocks Uche Nnaji, endorses Gov. Peter Mbah in Enugu Mega rally
POLITICAL PATRONAGE is the ultimate menace. But in a situation where a ward ‘stakeholder’ takes the government’s incentives meant for a entire community for his family and his cronies alone, should we also consider that a patronage? Yet, this pattern has been there for years.
On March 18, 2023 I witnessed the helplessness of PDP leadership in Oduma ward 2. They couldn’t stand the LP guys, and I saw a lot of their own kinsmen throwing sand at them in the polling units at Obodo Okpoko, Obodo Akpam and Obodo Ogbunta. These are our brothers who always select their wives, kids and friends to receive ‘gifts’ from the government. They lied to party hierarchies that the grassroots are locked for the kill. Yet, when they needed to do the work with their wives and children on the election day they failed even in their respective polling units.
Unless the people are shown genuine sense of belonging, then a free and fair polls would be disastrous for APC in Enugu. The forthcoming LG council elections will yet again prove this to be true.