OBITUARY
For Peter Obi, the soft-spoken former governor, it is Obituary in Anambra State politics. Willie Obiano’s victory is Obi’s political death knell. He installed Obiano, but now Obiano is presiding over his funeral. Obi, a decent man though, is now a statesman without a state. He is in a state of what Buddhists call Bardo, or Catholics call limbo.
Will he look like the characters in the Booker-winning novel, Lincoln in The Bardo by George Saunders, where Abraham Lincoln meets with his son in the Afterlife? Obi’s candidate could not even flatter him with a second position. Obiano buried him in a landslide. Adieu, the girl-voiced warrior.
Sam Omatseye
27-11-2017
The above is the Feeler written of Mr. Peter Obi by Nigeria’s most cerebral columnist, the voiceferous Sam Omatseye of The Nation Newspaper on Monday, 27-11-2017.
TEN DAYS after the landmark and heavenslide victory of Governor Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano, at the just-concluded Anambra State Governorship Elections, some pained rabble-rousers, have once again regained momentum from Medical and Psychological Trauma caused them by their Foretold Electoral Defeat.
One of such persons is our own Valentine Obienyem, media aide to former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi.
Over the last ten days after that historic guber poll, where for the first time Governor Willie Obiano broke an unbreakable jinx in Anambra State, walloping other major candidates 21-0 across the 21 Local Government Areas of our Dear State, the wailings have been endless.
Never in the history of Anambra State had any candidate won the entire 21 Local Government Areas of our Dear Anambra State, but Chief Obiano Maduaburochukwu Obiano achieved that feat, as a result of the efforts of well-meaning Ndi Anambra.
While Obiano polled a whopping 234,071 Votes, to be re-elected as the Executive Governor of Anambra State (2018-2022), Peter Obi’s god-son, Oseloka Obaze came a distant Third with a meagre 70,293 Votes, even as Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress, APC, beat him to come second with 98,752 Votes.
This well-deserved Victory of Governor Obiano, was however, not without the humongous and concerted efforts of Ndi Anambra, as well as eminent individuals like the Founder of Afa Igbo Efuna, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah (Ebube Chukwu Uzo na Nnewi).
The elections have come and gone. Nwoye, Obaze, et al have congratulated Governor Willie Obiano for his well-deserved victory. But one man that has failed to do the needful is Mr. Peter Obi, the self-styled god-father of Anambra Politics.
The man Peter Obi played God, by declaring during a PDP Stakeholders Meeting in Awka, two months ago, that he would ensure that Governor Obiano is never re-elected by Ndi Anambra ‘with the last drop of his blood.’ Peter Obi forgot that Maduaburochukwu (Man is not God).
The election has been won and lost. Peter Obi has moved on, roving about as his custom is, delivering lectures at events like Onye Nkuzi (a Veteran Class Teacher). Ndi Anambra love him for that and urge him to continue in that light.
But where comest thou Valentine Obienyem, whom many had thought had de-activated his Social Media Accounts, following that Commando-styled Defeat of his Principal’s boy who goes with the sobriquet “OHO- It’s Broken, I Will Fix It.” But ‘Why Fix It When It’s Not Broken?” We all asked.
Valentine Obienyem and his principal are yet to release a statement congratulating Governor Willie Obiano for beating their candidate silly, but he has come again, 10 days after, regaling Ndi Anambra and friends of Ndi Anambra with Odoriferous Stories of how the innocent Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah contributed to ‘killing Obi’s political career,’ and how ‘Governor Willie Obiano will fail to deliver good governance to Ndi Anambra who reposed their confidence in him by re-electing him for a Second Term.’ Absolute Balderdash!
Ordinarily, in my personal capacity, I wouldn’t have engaged in this piece, to school Obienyem that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is not the problem of his boss, Peter Obi. But because of some indiscernible minds within the Anambra Social Media Space, I want to go down the memory lane, so that Ndi Anambra and friends of Ndi Anambra will see that Peter Obi caused his own downfall at the last Gubernatorial election.
IFEANYI UBAH’S DECISION IS IN ORDER!
Before the election, aggrieved persons under the payroll of Mr. Obienyem’s Principal, Peter Obi, went about town, mudslinging the person and character of Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the Founder of Afa Igbo Efuna and Chairman, Capital Oil & Gas, for his very strategic decision to rally his weight behind his brother, Governor Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano, incumbent Governor of Anambra State and Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
All efforts urging them to stop attacking the person of Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, as the choice he had made to collapse his very gigantic political structure, thus rallying his supporters to successfully RE-ELECT Chief Willie Obiano, fell on deaf ears.
Origin Of The Matter
Of course, it is in the public domain that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, contested the shambolic August 28, 2017, PDP Governorship Primaries, that was fraught with irregularities, as the delegate list used for that poll was doctored and not the original delegate list authenticated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It’s a common knowledge that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, had also sworn an affidavit of the original delegate list before the Federal High Court, Awka, and the Federal High Court, Abuja, even before that shambolic primaries that produced the current PDP candidate.
It’s a common knowledge that despite these measures, the primaries was conducted by our own Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, with a doctored delegate list.
It’s also a common knowledge that PDP Stakeholders in Anambra State had before that shambolic primaries condemned the processes leading into the primaries, at an expansive Stakeholders Meeting held on Saturday, August 26, 2017, at the Miliatel Hotels & Suites, Awka, the Anambra state capital.
At that meeting convened by Governor Umahi, majority of PDP Stakeholders, who spoke at the meeting had expressed unhappiness at the way Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, messed up the entire conduct of the Ward Congresses, which produced three Delegates from the Party’s recognised 326 Wards in the State.
I am not sure if Valentine Obienyem was at that meeting, or perhaps he was present but turned deaf ears as usual.
It is a common knowledge that six out of the seven aspirants billed for the Special Congresses for the Nomination of the Governorship candidate, which later held on Monday, August 28, 2017, at the Professor Dora Akinyuli Women Development Centre, Awka, all kicked against that Unholy processes conducted by Governor Wike.
National Assembly Lawmakers of the PDP in Anambra State also pooh-poohed the Unholy processes conducted by the Governor Wike-led panel. Other party chieftains and stalwarts who spoke at that meeting convened by Governor Umahi, all described the processes which produced the Delegates for the Governorship Primary Election as a Jamboree.
Infact, these irregularities and the passivity of the national working caretaker committee of the PDP, was what irked Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, forcing her to earlier boycott the primaries before other aspirants.
Five aspirants, at that meeting, Sen. Stella Oduah, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, Prince Okechukwu Emeka and Mr. Akolisa Ofodike took turns to express their dissatisfaction at the way Gov. Nyesome Wike went about the conduct of the Ward Congresses.
In one voice, the aspirants except Mr. Oseloka Obaze, who was already aware that the fraudulent processes were favouring him, complained bitterly that barely two days to the Primaries, the Delegate list authenticated by INEC has been doctored, noting that there were about two or more Delegate lists already flying in town.
PDP House of Representatives members, present at the meeting, who decried the processes conducted by Wike were Hon. Eucharia Azodo, member representing Aguata Federal Constituency; Hon. Emeka Anohu, member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency and Hon. Obinna Chidoka, member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency.
They took turns, lamenting that they were never carried along during the Ward Congresses.
Reacting at that meeting, Gov. Dave Umahi, before the whole World, confessed that the issues arising from the Ward Congresses conducted by his colleague Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, were beyond his powers, asking the aspirants displeased to take their reservations to the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Working Committee of the Party.
That meeting ended in a very rancourous manner without the issues surrounding the release of the authentic Delegates list settled. This was quite unfortunate as even two days to the Governorship Primary Election, the Party had failed to release its authentic Delegates list.
These were the issues leading into the Primaries which made four aspirants, namely-Sen. Stella Oduah, Prince Okechukwu Emeka, Mr. Akolisa Ofodike and Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, not to show up at the Professor Dora Akinyuli Women Development Centre, Awka, venue for the Special Congresses, having seen the Handwriting of Irregularities on the wall.
Without mincing words, the whole processes leading to the emergence of Mr. Oseloka Obaze, as the PDP Governorship Candidate in Anambra State, was fraught with IRREGULARITIES.
Concerned Citizens like Yours Truly, warned the National Leadership of the PDP to take it to the banks that the PDP Anambra was going into the November 18, 2017, Gubernatorial elections, a DIVIDED HOUSE and thus an Impending Electoral Defeat awaits the Party.
Yours Truly saw the Handwriting of the PDP Electoral Defeat on the walls, when party stakeholders in the State, with Verified Capacities to deliver their Polling Units, Wards and Local Government Areas were all deserting the PDP, leaving ex-Governor Peter Obi and his adopted lackey, Mr. Oseloka Obaze in the wilderness of an impending electoral defeat.
Tied to this, the deaf ears the National Leadership of the PDP paid to the contentious legal issues raised before the Primary Elections Appeal Panel against the candidature of Mr. Oseloka Obaze, We warned already spelt doom for the Party ahead of November 18.
Yours Truly had warned via several articles that Mr. Oseloka Obaze was foisted on the PDP in Anambra State. Mr. Oseloka Obaze had barely spent 4 months in the PDP before he picked up the Party’s Governorship Nomination form. This goes contrary to the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (As Amended in 2012).
Section 50 (4) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (As Amended in 2012) states that: “There shall be a minimum of two year membership span for a member to be eligible to stand election into any public office, unless the appropriate Executive Committee gives a waiver or rules to the contrary.”
Section 50 (5) (b) states that in considering the Waiver: “for members aspiring for Party positions or nomination for State House of Assembly election, National Assembly, posts of Governors or Deputy Governors, President or Vice President, the deciding authority shall be the National Executive Committee, through the National Working Committee, PROVIDED that the process of clearance of the waiver starts from the Ward level.”
Mr. Oseloka Obaze outrightly fell short of these provisions of the PDP Constitution because he had not spent Two years in the Party, before picking the Party’s Governorship Nomination Form in Anambra State.
Also, Mr. Oseloka Obaze didn’t exhaust the processes for giving of Waivers before picking the PDP Nomination form, and thus, not qualified to contest the Party’s Governorship Primary Election which held on Monday, August 28, 2017.
All these irregularities were brought before the attention of the National Working Committee of the PDP led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, before and after that shambolic primaries, but to no avail.
It was therefore against this backdrop that Anambra PDP Stakeholders, including our own Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, abandoned Ex-Governor Peter Obi and his lackey, Mr. Oseloka Obaze in the wilderness of an impending electoral defeat come November 18, 2017.
The Verified Capacity Of Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah
Neither Valentine Obienyem nor his pay masters, is unaware of the fact that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is one man who possesses the Financial War Chest, Verified Capacity and Deep-rooted Grassroots Political Structure to procure any election in Anambra State.
Of course, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is one man blessed by God Almighty and carries the Grace of God with him, that whatever he ventures into is given a midas touch.
He is one man who does not do what he strongly believes in NICODEMUSLY.
Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is a man who believes in the supreme sanctity of Transparency, a Level Playing Field, Fairness, Equity and Justice.
He fought so hard to entrench all these in the PDP, but the hawks and political shenanigans who have sworn that the PDP must continue play a second fiddle in Anambra State, wouldn’t allow him.
However, rather than wailing without recourse to Justice, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, having exhausted all justifiable measures, had no option but to rally his weight behind his brother, Chief Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano, thus, leaving Mr. Peter Obi and his lackey, Mr. Oseloka Obaze to enjoy the glaring repercussions of their seeds of impunity.
It was on November 8, 2017, barely 10 days to the elections that I warned in a well-publicised piece entitled, “Anambra Guber: Ifeanyi Ubah’s Decision Is In Order,” that “the Harvest of impunity of Peter Obi and his co-travellers will come home to roost on November 18, 2017.”
I warned that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah had raised an early morning alarm, alerting the National Leadership of the PDP, and the World, of the Great Dangers that lie ahead, if the PDP goes into the November 18, 2017 Governorship Election, with Mr. Oseloka Obaze.
I warned that Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, had exhausted all measures and consulted widely, before he took the bold step to rally behind his brother, Governor Willie Obiano.
Against this backdrop of Impunity by Peter Obi and his co-travellers, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, left the PDP, thereby launching the Superlative #AfaIgboEfuna, the Mother of all Political Rallies in Anambra State, on Monday, November 13, 2017.
By and large, this Spectacular Movement contributed immensely to Obiano’s Victory at the Polls and the rest is History.
The election has been won and lost, but take it to the banks, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, true to his words, would definitely ASSIST to hold Governor Willie Obiano accountable to Ndi Anambra, and not to any political god-father, within or outside Anambra State.
Dear Valentine Obienyem, like a falling man who wants to grab anything in sight, I urge you to introspect into the facts above which led to your Principal’s political death knell.
Like Uncle Sam asserted, I join you all to regret the fact that OHO could not even flatter Peter Obi with a second position. Obiano buried OHO and Peter Obi in a landslide.
Like Uncle Sam, I say Adieu, the girl-voiced warrior.
In all, I say, Weep No More Valentine Obienyem, Your Master’s Impunity Led To His Political Death Knell.
Indeed, it is not yet UHURU!
By Ikenna Asomba
Ikenna Asomba is a Social Commentator
