APGA poor showing on the recent Nigerian elections may be due lack of strategic planning and absence of Dim Ikemba Ojukwu
American President John F. Kennedy once said, “Failure is an orphan, but victory has a thousand fathers,” and with the recent concluded elections in Nigeria, this may be applicable to the Governor of Anambra State of whom the center of his political life may be falling apart. His party All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) did not perform to an expectation in his natural turf of Anambra State. Not only did the party not win any of the three senatorial zones in his state, APGA whom Peter Obi is the most visible and highest elected officer in the land could only win 13 out of the 32 seats in the state assembly.
People especially those who were keen observers of political trends in the state and in Nigeria were highly disappointed with lukewarm performance of Peter Obi’s APGA. Most of these people were putting the blame and misfortune of the party squarely on the feet of the governor. They alleged that he did not care for the welfare of the party and lately the wellbeing of Anambrarians, for he is waiting according to them, for the appropriate time to jump boat into another party preferably the ruling PDP.
But the right question must be asked before the right answer is rendered. Why did people of Anambra State deserted their beloved APGA and voted for another parties, not just voting for PDP but for ACN?
The speculation is that Governor Peter Obi and his party has disappointed the people with their stoic development blueprint and its erratic implementation. Anambra State deserves a serious attention not on pages of newspapers but on making affirmative differences in lives of the people of the state.
The entire Anambra real estate is poorly managed; people living in urban cities of Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka are being overrun with debris and darkness. At nights the Anambra State becomes one big village thriving in darkness and devoid of functioning street lights.
Instead of talking to the people and finding out how to improve their lots and wellbeing, the government is busy wasting time and money on mass media and public relation. When the people feels neglected and nobody listen to them, they will have the last laugh on the ballot paper on the Election Day. Simply put, the people of Anambra State have rejected the government of Peter Obi and deserted his party at the polling stations because they felt neglected.
One thing we can learn from this development is the gallant and the big heart of Anambra voters. The voters are not ideologues but are pragmatic people who are willing to make a change when they deem necessary. The voters to their credit are not emotional on the grounds that they must vote for APGA because it is their ‘own’. The voters are so much matured politically that they voted for the individuals that will make a difference respective of the political parties.
As people commenced to have a negative perception of Governor Obi, they remembered another politician and a former governor that gave a decisive leadership, making them walk a little taller by building ample roads for them in dark period of political turbulence in the state. The man is Dr. Chris Ngige, he ran for senate on the platform of ACN, in spite of the negative campaign heaped on him, the voters came out and supported him and he won.
The point here is not to say that Peter Obi and APGA are finished politically in the state that cannot be a fair assessment. Hey! there was a time when Governor Peter Obi and his APGA was the darling of Anambra voters, and they can still turn around and makeup. But if there is a next time around the people must be taken more seriously and their loyalty and trust not taken for granted.
Governor Peter Obi must return to work of being an effective governor and shun the hunger to engage in national politics. One step after another, first get the job done and the accumulated achievement will speak for itself nationally.
Emeka Chiakwelu is the principal Policy Strategist at Afripol. Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa. http://afripol.org/ strategist@afripol.org
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