“The Anonymous are the people who sways towards the decision of the ‘above the laws’ acclaimed political icon, to select, endorse and anoint his own son, a stooge, a pawn to be manipulated at will to extend his political relevance and fiefdom in the state
Prior to 2015 Nigeria democratic election, an argument had ensued among group of young folks at an online forum over who will be the next governor of Abia State. The electoral battle was between one economist named Dr. Alex Otti with a vast experience in the corporate business world and a civil servant named Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in charge of a government agency responsible for refuse collection and clean up of the environment.
Because both candidates according to the argument did not match in any categorized leadership or political comparison, the debate was heated up in conflict of opinion and when taken further to the broader audience, a larger number of the opinion poll thumbed down Okezie Ikpeazu for the post of a governor. He simply did not fit in any capacity was the summary and that was the crux of the argument.
However, from the grapevine, sources had it that, this man is going to be the next governor of Abia state. Tempers flared and extended across entire Abia State with the opinion poll expanding against the man, questioning his credibility and capacity in managing the decaying infrastructure and failing economy in Abia state.
Okezie has no money, no business nor trade neither was he into any consulting services, a mere civil servant under the employment of the state and living his life modestly in a rented apartment within his meagre income, therefore we asked the leader of the mini impromptu conference, from which grapevine did he gets the information, he smiled and responded. “From Mr. Anonymous!” Everyone laughed heartily and joked over the matter until election day.
In every democracy, election is the determining factor of the ultimate decision-making process, so, majority of the people that hold the opinion on the capacity of Okezie Ikpeazu to hold such high office of governance were confident to justify their claim on the ballot.
Election day came and concluded, Okezie Ikpeazu was declared the winner to the shock of even himself as he declared in a private meeting; “I was on my own, somebody called me and said you will be the next governor, do you expect me to say No or turn against the person?”
It is over six years since that election and appointment of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as Abia State Governor, the people of Abia state are yet to recover from the consequences of one Mr. Anonymous who must decide who to be made the governor of any state and who to be appointed into any political office of relevance – in most cases, at his interest, to prove his power over all and to satisfy his greed.
“it become worrisome when such a practice is adopted as a cultural political system of seeking endorsement, to be selected and ‘anointed’ as next governor of any state irrespective of what the people think or feels about such individual
Nigeria’s warped democracy of successors
Many Mr. Anonymous had employed the same tactics ridiculing all the painstaking efforts of the hardworking people that have embraced all limitations to go and queue up under the scorching sun, in the rain to cast their votes on election day only for their votes to be trashed overnight for the appointed stooge and pawn of the man whose rule must be obeyed at all time, a certain individual whose power is above the law and the state, the man whose decision must prevail in all matters affecting the ordinary citizenry including who rules them.
Before the victory of Emeka Ihedioha at the polls, as Imo State governor, grapevine sources had declared, the next governor of Imo State is Hope Uzodimma.
Some of us placed a bet on that statement. We toured Imo State during the campaign and he do not appear to stand a fat chance with his background records – opinion was heavily divided between the Mbaise clans and the Orlu political region. Election Day came, the people of Imo State queued up under the scorching sun to vote, at the end of the Day Emeka Ihedioha emerged winner in a clean run. then I called Mr. Grapevine, how are you certain of this claim and he advised; ‘Do not waste your money or time on any bet, Hope Uzodimma has been ‘picked and anointed’ way ahead of your election and he is the next governor of Imo State.” I cried out, what about Emeka Ihedioha, he has already won and declared governor., how do you people reason like this and he calmly replied; “do not bother yourself, Hope Uzodimma is the next governor and you may choose to disprove that with your blood but you will be disappointed”
Everything dawned on some of us with knowledge of the argument as tables began to be upturned, the court, the supreme and appeal court, even the religious and the conflicting judgements, with Mr. Hope Uzodimma walking to Douglas House as governor despite his unsatisfactory performance and rejection by the Imo state indigenes. “Hope Uzodima was appointed to fulfil a mission and that he has come to do.” What mission I asked my friend, he replied, “ask Mr. Anonymous”
In Lagos state, the electoral battle was between Akinwunmi Ambode, an incumbent governor and a certain Sanwo Olu., the Lagos kingmaker had declared; “Ambode is a good administrator but not a good politician.” Lagosians thought they loved Ambode the more for his commitment to governance and infrastructure development of Lagos state but they were wrong. The Kingmaker ultimate decision rules over all.
Every Lagosian not satisfied with the outcome of the election were ‘cursing’ Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu for being too overbearing on how Lagos should be governed and the man replied;
“I am just a messenger and I only deliver what the people asked me to deliver.” When he was asked, “which people” He smiled and walked away.
That response however, heightened the disdain for the man for allegedly turning the tables when Lagosians thought they had gotten the right man as governor.
Lagosians suddenly forgot that Mr. Akinwumi Ambode was endorsed, selected and appointed over Jimi Agbaje in the 2015 gubernatorial election while the citizenry under the hot scorching sun of Lagos, under the rain, queued up in a futile effort to cast votes that would be trashed overnight for the chosen successor to the throne of government in Lagos.
“Before Hope Uzodimma became the governor of Imo State, he was already selected, appointed and anointed by those whom it is alleged, it is in their power to make the laws, disregard their own law, set up electoral commission and disregard them
Defining Nigeria’s Brand Of Democracy As A Sham
The list goes on, state by state, local government by local government with the doctrine of “Selection and Appointment” defining Nigeria’s brand of democracy as a sham., all elective offices are under the same yoke of “successor mentality.”
This is not the democracy described as a government of the people, by the people. This is simply Nigeria’s brand of democracy; it is a mockery and assault on conscientious citizens who believe in the power of judicious decision by vote on who occupies sensitive positions of leadership of any region or community. Any deviation from that idea becomes an aberration and the consequences outweighs the petty advantages which are in most cases attached to personal interest, overblown greed and abuse of the privileges of political power and patronage.
Perhaps such democracy is evenly shared across few Africa nations and not peculiar to Nigeria alone, it become worrisome when such a practice is adopted as a cultural political system of seeking endorsement, to be selected and ‘anointed’ as next governor of any state irrespective of what the people think or feels about such individual whom are in most cases stooges and pawns of the sponsor, the ‘above the law’ political icon who must always have the final say until another strongman overrun his circle.
Unfortunately, they are hardly overrun and the diseases eats deep and is rooted leaving such states, community or region in a very confused leadership cycle of stooges and pawns while the citizenry, the electorates suffers endless ridicule of their political right to vote for competent individuals to represent them in government.
Dismantling the Nigeria political system of endorsement and successor mentality
Before Mr. Sanwo Olu became the governor of Lagos State, he was already endorsed, appointed and anointed by the ‘Above the law Political decision makers’ led be Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Before Hope Uzodimma became the governor of Imo State, he was already selected, appointed and anointed by those whom it is alleged, it is in their power to make the laws, disregard their own law, set up electoral commission and disregard them, set up judicial system of manipulation and subjugation as long as the outcome is at their interest.
Before Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu became the governor of Abia State, he was already endorsed, appointed and anointed by the “Above the law, Mr. Anonymous” led by both T.A. Orji and OUK, it was an extension and even working towards replacing Okezie Ikpeazu with the son of T.A.Orji.
What kind of democracy is this and who are these individuals I refer to as the ‘Anonymous’
Bola Tinubu has on many occasions denied imposing Mr. Sanwo Olu on Lagos state as its current governor, T.A. Orji denied imposing Okezie Ikpeazu on Abia state, even the Supreme Court declared Hope Uzodimma appointment as the overall decision of the Imo people.
In all these denials, who then is the ‘Mr. Anonymous’ that is upturning the table against the people political rights and electoral decision.
The Anonymous are the people who sways towards the decision of the ‘above the laws’ acclaimed political icon, to select, endorse and anoint his own son, a stooge, a pawn to be manipulated at will to extend his political relevance and fiefdom in the state or region where he has gathered so much money and clout for the sole purpose of holding the people in a perpetual cycle of captivity and depravity, so much that everyone seeks his favour even for the slightest right of sending your child to a government school or getting admitted to a federal university.
Everything depend on the man at the top and until the citizenry, the populace learn to completely disconnect from such lawless, greedy and insensitive individuals, the abusive Nigeria democratic system of patronage and lawlessness will continue to produce the likes of Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state and others like him who cannot take any decision of their own without consulting their sponsors while the people groans under heartbreaking underdevelopment and continual neglect.
