By Engr. Chris Amadi
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Senator Hope Uzodinma had gone to school to pick Prof. Placid Njoku as a running mate in the 2019 gubernatorial election, Imo State. As a principal partner in the election, political players and observers had expected Prof. Njoku to lead the party, or galvanise it, or contribute his own quota to its victory. And that he would start by recording a rounding victory in his immediate constituency, Ikeduru LGA. Does "charity" not begin at home?
But, to the erudite professor, that was not to be. Infact, the reverse was just to be. On the election day proper, Prof. Njoku was to be roundly defeated by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in his Ikeduru LGA beginning with his own polling booth. His unpopular outing and candidacy, like gangrene, festered and culminated to a convincing defeat of APC in all the breaths and lengths of Owerri Senatorial District.
The rude shock was that on the said election day, the academic professor was nowhere near the LGA Collation Center at Iho. He was afraid of Ambassador Uche Ogbuagu, the then PDP candidate for Ikeduru State Constituency.
But for the focused and pragmatic disposition of Senator Hope Uzodinma, APC survived the onslaught. And because it was a joint ticket, politically docile Prof. Njoku benefitted from the process, and is currently enjoying the moniker and appurtenances of a Deputy Governor.
Observers had thought that the university professor would immediately undertake a program on self-introspection, with a view to becoming up and doing. Sadly, the erudite professor has continued to disappoint all and sundry as a sitting Deputy Governor, including a tiny number who gave him the benefit of the doubts. The latter group, like others before them, has come to the sad reality that Prof. Njoku is adding no iota of value to the administration which he's the greatest beneficiary. As a Deputy Governor, it is incumbent on him to use his exalted office for the overall interest of APC, beginning in Ikeduru his own LGA. As the leader of the party in his area by default, Prof. Njoku is expected to be a rallying and unifying factor. And this is not asking too much. Alas, however, the opposite has been the case.
He has failed, just as he did during the elections, to add any kind of value to the administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma and APC in terms of membership drive. His actions and inactions have continued to polarise the party in the LGA. Put succinctly, Prof. Njoku has not lured, or convinced, or coerced, or pressured any known political player, let alone heavyweight from Ikeduru LGA to the ruling party despite being a Deputy Governor for almost two whooping years.
Worse still, through his nonchalance disposition and demeanor, Prof. Njoku has pitched himself against prime leaders of the party in Ikeduru LGA. Let it reverberate that since his inauguration as the Deputy Governor, Prof. Njoku has attracted no political appointment to the people of Ikeduru other than his immediate family members in his Umuri clan of Amaimo.
Ikeduru people desire to return Senator Hope Uzodinma as Governor in 2023/24. However, the emergence of Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Sam Daddy) as National Secretary of PDP, has become a great concern to APC leaders and members in the LGA. Because, it is palpable and a no-brainer, it deserves no space here enthusing that a Senator Samuel Anyanwu led PDP is far stronger, and must defeat a Prof. Njoku led APC both in Ikeduru LGA and elsewhere.
Exalted political positions like that of Deputy Governor of a state should be the exclusive reserve of practising and active politicians. A deputy governor should lead from the front seat. He should galvanise his party members, and powerful enough to woo members of the opposition to his party, in droves. He should be a team player who works assiduously with other prime leaders of his area. A Deputy Governor should be a magnetic substance, and not a repeller.
Unfortunately, Prof. Placid Njoku is neither of these. He has incontrovertibly proven that he is not learning, will not learn, and cannot learn party politics. Prof. Njoku is a professor who has refused learn political intrigues.
Drawing from the foregoing concerns, as we approach the election year, I call on our governor and leader of our party, Senator Hope Uzodinma to look inwards and address the growing concerns of the people of Ikeduru LGA and Owerri Senatorial District. The Governor is expected to rejig some principal offices in his administration, beginning with his deputy.
The Deputy Governor should be asked to resign from his office, and return to the classroom without further delay. He's a liability. If he fails to do so, the legislative instrument should be used to show him a way out of office. There is always a loophole which can provide the lead. We know this game and our governor knows much better than us.
Owerri Senatorial District is predominantly PDP and only a Deputy Governor who is people oriented with grassroot support could help the party. One with the support of his people; friendly and trendy, not self styled or anachronistic. A man-of-the people, not a Prof. Placid Njoku.
Although the docile deputy governor is from Ikeduru LGA, it does not mean that his successor must come from our LGA. However, there are qualified close allies of the governor from Ikeduru LGA who are very competent to succed Prof. Njoku. There are equally qualified men and women from Owerri zone who are in close contact with the majority of our people. For the overall interest of the party and for successful reelection bid of Senator Hope Uzodinma come 2024, the governor is at liberty to pick a tested and trusted ally who must be an astute politician as Prof. Njoku replacement. What we do not want again is another ineffectual, docile deputy governor; another Prof. Placid Njoku.
The time is nigh. Governor Uzodimma, over to you. Act now as we work towards your victory in the next election. The choice of a deputy governor could make or mar the chances of APC in Owerri Senatorial District under the new Electoral Act.
Engr. Chris Amadi, an APC stalwart writes from Amaimo, Ikeduru LGA, Imo State.