The stage is set for an epic battle over the political lever of Anambra State, with two brothers: incumbent Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, who was elected on ticket of the All Progressives grand alliance (APGA) and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi drawing the battle following a strongly worded statement on the aspiration of candidate for the 2023 presidential poll, reports KUNLE ODEREMI.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambara State has torched the tinker’s box with his treatise on his frosty relationship with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi. His article has literally set the house of a usually volatile state on fire. All social media platforms are abuzz with reactions spewing claims and counter claims on the subject matter of the epistle. While a preponderance of those that have spoken on the issues raised in the piece lauded the Professor of Economics for mustering the courage to tell the candidate truth concerning his brand of politics and ambition, others accused Soludo of resorting to pull-him-down syndrome. The current display of an admixture of applause and seething anger might just be the second stanza of the battle of wits between the duo as the governor has said his more than 4000 words piece was just the first part of such correspondence.
Properly distilled and sieved, certain issues seem to stand out in the statement of Soludo with the title: “History beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1).” The ‘sins’ of the camp of Obi as LP candidate, according to Soludo, can be encapsulated as lack of consensus on Obi’s presidential ambition; certain financial records of Obi as Anambra governor for eight years, rabid posturing by his following and supporters and need for him to call them to order, especially over their unguarded utterances at perceived opposition to his ambition. He finds it nauseating that every genuine advice to those he described is perceived as persecutory and should be vehemently responded with vulgarity and threats. The ex-CBN governor strongly believes that there is need to create a synergy among the Igbo towards building a consensus that could fully integrate the Igbo into the mainstream and guarantee its prime place in the scheme of things. But, he does not see Obi and the process on ground as capable of actualizing the ultimate goal of the Igbo to be on the driver’s seat after the 2023 presidential poll. “Of course, Peter Obi will get some votes, and may probably win in Anambra State— as “home boy”. But, Anambra is not Nigeria. If he likes, I can even campaign for him but that won’t change much. From internal state by state polling available to me, he was on course to get 25 percent in 5 states as at August this year. The latest polling shows that it is down to four states, and declining. Not even in Lagos State (supposed headquarters of urban youths) where the Labour Party could not find candidates to contest for House of Representatives or the Senate. The polls also show that he is taking votes away mostly from PDP,” Soludo warned.
“The South-East has the lowest number of votes of any region, but it is also the only region where the presidential race might be a 4-way race (it is a two-way race in the other 5 regions) thereby ensuring that our votes won’t count in the making of the next president of Nigeria. Afterwards, we would start complaining that we don’t get what we deserve or cry of marginalisation.”
The solution to the predicament facing the Igbo nation now, Soludo said, is a retrospective view of the fate of the South-East. He called for deep reflection and pragmatic steps that could put the Igbo in good stead. He cautioned: “The emotions might run to heavens but politics-power is about cold calculations, organization and building alliances for power. In a democracy, it is a game of numbers. So far, I don’t see any of these – and 2023 might again be a wasted opportunity for Ndigbo! What is our Plan B when Peter Obi loses in February 2023? Some people prefer that we should play the Ostrich while Peter Obi toys with the collective destiny of over 60 million Igbos. Yes, you pray that he wins, but what if he fails as he is certain to? The Bible says that my people perish for lack of knowledge. As the saying goes, only those who plan can control the future. Ndigbo, wake up and smell the coffee. What would Zik of Africa or M.I. Okpara do in this circumstance? Our founding fathers understood that, in politics, you don’t get what you deserve but what you bargain/negotiate, and you negotiate with your organization and votes. Not social media militancy or bullying (where over 90 percent of actual voters are not on social media)! Our fathers built alliances with other major political parties in other regions (not with socio-cultural groups that don’t command any votes), and Ndigbo were in the reckoning in the first and second republics.’ Soludo said while Obi should have fun and enjoy the fleeting frenzy of the moment, the LP candidate should also moderate the desperation as exhibited by his social media mob, because according to the governor, “There is a limit to propaganda. A mob action often reflects the character of its leader. No one has a monopoly of social media violence, and no one should play God. Life won’t end by February/March 2023.” He said Obi should be prepared to return to APGA that made him everything he is politically and begin the hard work, if he truly wants to be president of Nigeria. “It won’t happen by desperately jumping from one party to another or by unleashing a social media mob on everyone who slightly disagrees with you.” The governor said he decided to pen his views personally because he does not mind being a one-man minority. “As history beckons, my conscience and sense of duty to my people dictate that I should never be silent. I will happily accept the judgment of history for standing by the truth.”
Soludo, who said he would prefer to resign from public office instead of joining the ranks of politicians notorious for lying and deceit, remarked that he had been subjected to tirades on social media following his frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the “investments” Mr Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra State revenues. According to him, several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on “investment” that he is opposed to Obi’s ambition and therefore committed a “crime” for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment even to his family.
The Obi phenomenon
The exit of Obi from the APGA, that brought him to political limelight, was dramatic as virtually all the key players in the PDP besieged his hometown, Onitsha to guarantee the defection. The delegation was led by power brokers and kingmakers from both the South-South and the South-east chapters of the party. The team was led by a former deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekwerumadu who is currently cut in legal quagmire in Britain. Other members of the delegation had comprised the then Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio; Abia State Governor, Mr. Theodore Orji; then PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh and PDP women leader, Mrs. Kema Chikwe.
Obi is in party politics for almost two decades, during which he braced the odds becoming an elected governor twice. But, he is presently confronted with surmounting rising stiff challenge in his desire to boast of a real veritable home base in his bid to becoming the next president of the country. This is despite what some pundits perceive as the success of his candidacy changing some dynamics and narratives relating to the politics of the country through his ‘hurricane’ Obe-dient Movement, that is championing a paradigm shift in leadership and governance model. His awesome following in the social media space has revolutionised political campaign and perspective, as well as redirecting and mobilizing a percentage of the bourgeoning restive younger population on their political rights as citizens. So, what he lacks in structure in terms of network across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, he makes up in the largely dormant youth population behind the Obe-dient Movement. In fact, his associates rubbish the arguments that he has no structure with claims that the so-called structures being touted by the ‘established’ politicians bother on favouritism and impunity, abuse of process, especially by godfathers and kingmakers. The thought of the Obidients is that the beneficiaries of such subverted process are preoccupied with helping themselves with public tilt once they railroad themselves and stooges into power. Again, because President Muhammadu Buhari would not be on the ballot, the Obedients believe the that PDP and the APC are in dilemma and mired in crisis that could persist even after the election would have been won and lost in 2023. Coupled with this, is their conviction that having tested what the PDP and APC could offer at the centre in 24 years of democracy, the Obidients argue that Nigerians have become wiser and more determined to herald a new dawn and leadership in the next political dispensation.
They also tout ‘enviable’ record of achievements Obi when he was governor in Anambra. At the end of his two terms, he reportedly left over N75 billion in assets and cash to the administration of Governor Willie Obiano that succeeded him. However, this has been a subject of controversy with claims and counter-claims from both camps. The quality of the projects executed by his administration has also generated issues, with allegations that his projects reportedly fail integrity tests, unlike those of his predecessor, Dr Chris Ngige.
Obi vs Obiano
The cold war between Obi and his successor began to manifest less two years after Obiano assumed office. Central to the faceoff was the claim by Obi that he bequeathed robust assets to the Obiano government without talking about the scale of liabilities. The then Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solomon Chukwulobelu, had alleged, that part of the so-called liquid savings left behind by the Obi administration included a myriad of investments, which were only valued and not physical cash as was being claimed. He further explained that by the time Obiano assumed office on March 18, the cash balance in the state’s treasury was N9 billion, a far cry from the widely advertised N75 billion alleged to have been left behind by the previous administration. Chukwulobelu alleged that by the time Obi ended his tenure, the state had a N102.2 billion debt burden. However, Obi in defence, had described Obiano’s claim as a distractive falsehood, demanding the setting up of an independent committee to investigate the matter. Obi, in a statement by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, noted that for two years, the government “said nothing until they plan to massively borrow money from banks. I am aware that Obi left as follows: N27 billion in local currency investment; N26.5 billion in foreign currency investment; N28.1 billion in certified state/ MDS balances.
LP, Anambra professionals, others speak
The statement of Soludo came as surprise to LP, ethnic nationality groups and some individuals. His party accused the governor of envy contrary to his claim that there was no basis for him to envy Obi. “We want to believe that Soludo is being sponsored in order to attack our base in the South-East, because, in the first instance, we have no any correlation with Soludo. So, why has he decided to attack our principal?
“It seems to us that it’s a grand plan to try to see that if they can weaken us from our base. But the truth is that they are making us even popular. The people are the ones even responding to the attacks. But we want to advise that it’s very good that Soludo should look at the future and not the present, because he is just starting as a governor. He has not done anything yet. Not even a block has he put on ground and yet, he is putting the people of Anambra State in dilemma and in danger. He should be conscious enough to know the dangers he is putting himself and the people of Anambra into,” LP said.
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Similarly, a pro-Yoruba organization faulted the position of the ex-CBN governor on the ambition of Obi. According to the president of Yoruba Ronu leadership Forum, Akin Malaolu, “If everyone reading our views would recollect, Yoruba Ronu leadership Forum was the architect of Igbo Presidency before others followed and we all made it popular for reasons of fairness and equity. The claim made by Governor Soludo bothering on insults by some Igbos against other tribes has not been established to be true. If our youths in their enthusiasm made some remarks, as leaders, we should not make that to be seen as injurious to our diversity. Blame game is not our leadership style but ensuring that conversations are decent and learning from one another is sustained and sustainable.
“Those who are happy about what Soludo wrote may not have the knowledge about how political trappings snowballed into open conflicts. We should all put on our thinking ‘CAPS’ and take a critical look at our stunted growth nationwide. Are we looking better after 22 years of democracy and in a democracy. Governor Charles Soludo should be told in clear terms that language is the conduit that stabilized a society and whatever is put into it must be what must connotes the truth always so that our knowledge of one another is not jaded. Yoruba Ronu leadership will not join any divisive tactics as a Leadership forum. All we are interested in is good governance, equity, fairness and in our elections, our weapons should be decent.”
A group, the Coalition of South-East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora, (CSEPNND), alleged that Soludo’s statement was a reflection of envy for the unanimity among Nigerians on the candidacy of Obi. In a statement signed, Tuesday, by National President, Professor Madumere Chika, and national secretary, Mazi Anayo Uchemba, the body accused Soludo of championing a pull-him-down campaign against an illustrious son of the South-East, at a time a consensus on Obi. It said the Peter Obi candidacy was a national project which time had come to be matetrialise and warned Igbo politicians opposing the bid against mass action by the people. “We rise to condemn in the strongest terms the position of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo as it concerns the presidential ambition of the representative of the New Nigeria Project, a shrewd investor, Mr. Peter Obi. While recognising the fact that Soludo may be envious of the surging acceptability and rising political profile of the LP presidential candidate, we advise the Anambra State governor to apply restraint in his conducts and utterances, in order not to draw the ire of millions of youths, men and women of goodwill across the six geo-political zones of the country. Our consolation is founded on the reality that Soludo is obviously a lone voice, which lacks the capacity to influence popular opinion, which currently favours Obi”, the statement read in part.
But, one Dayo Williams also wrote: “One quick takeaway from Governor Soludo’s latest piece: He is a realist and not some hopeful partisan hoping hopelessly against hope who believes the 2023 presidential election is a two-horse race. He stated it and quite frankly, too, that his party -APGA- stands no chance in the election. That’s some political honesty.” Ozonna Soludo had a different disposition on the matter. He said: ““If Charles Soludo is envious of Peter Obi and wants to become the president instead of the latter, then the easiest route for him is to support Atiku Abubakar who’s from the North.”
Waiting for OBJ, others
Obi is believed to have the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his bid at becoming the first Igbo man to be elected president of the country. The former leader has not hidden his preference for the Igbo producing the president in 2023 in the basis of fairness, equity justice, stability and unity of the country. A close political associates of the former president that the position of Soludo as solution to the current realities in the country might not be in tandem with the disposition of Obasanjo. The associate said Obasanjo might intervene in the faceoff between Soludo and Obi in the quest to keep his ambition in the front burner.
In what appeared preemptive, Soludo, in his statement, had talked about some useful lessons he acquired from Obasanjo about leadership. One of them is the need for a leader to always take a position on crucial issues. So, his current stand on Obi should not misconstrued by anybody. “Everyone knows that I don’t follow the winds nor one to succumb to bullies, nor shy away from a good fight especially when weighty matters of principles and future of the people are involved. One lesson I learnt from my former boss and mentor, President Olusegun Obasanjo, is never to be on the fence. I learnt that one must always take a stand: for better or for worse. I do so with every sense of humility, and leave history to judge.
“Most people have commended me for “tactfully avoiding being drawn into the Peter Obi issue” until now. Since I am now being forced into the Arena on this matter, I have a duty and a right of reply, if only for the records, and to also give the social media mob something substantive to rant upon and rain their abuses for weeks,” he declared. He described as reprehensible, by the “exhibition of desperation, intolerance and attempt to bully everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent. This is Hitler in the making.”
and then