APC,
ARARAUME AND THE RUMPUS ON DEFECTION
The last time I holistically checked,
the heat was really on in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo
State, the Eastern Heartland that even the high-ranking members were ostensibly
perturbed, thus preoccupied with fear of the unknown.
‘Fear of the unknown’, which remains a menace
that has over the decades bedevilled the human race, is a cankerworm that can
attack anyone regardless of his or her status, age or background. It has
existed unabated among mankind that it could play guest to anybody’s nervous
system at anytime. In Physics, the uncertainty principle can to an extent
analyze how the aforementioned societal canker operates on a daily basis.
Lest
I digress; the emergence of this piece was informed by the lingering rumour
that one of the staunch members of the APC, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume is
considering defecting from the party to elsewhere. According to the rumpus
associated with the rumour, the said intent of the political juggernaut might
not be unconnected with the premonition that the political family is likely not
to be accommodating or hospitable in the nearest future.
This
implies that Sen. Araraume is perhaps marred by fear of the unknown or what
have you; that he has abruptly become pessimistic over his chances in the
party; that he no longer believes in the family; that he has lost interest in
the modus operandi of the party; or that he has thought it wise to relocate to
where he would feel more at home.
It’s
noteworthy that Sen. Araraume is one of the prime gubernatorial aspirants in
the state. The erstwhile lawmaker, who had in the past represented the
Imo-North Senatorial District in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, has
remained in the frontline of the state’s guber race since 2007 till date.
He
was actually the governorship card bearer of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) during the 2007 general elections. But along the line, luck ran against
his person, hence the party apex leadership decided to adopt another candidate
in the person of Chief Ikedi Ohakim who belonged to a different political
platform known as the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA). In view of this,
their members were conscientized to vote for the PPA rather than the PDP. In a
nut shell, the man called Araraume was during the period in review robbed of
his entitlement by his political kinsmen.
Subsequently, he was never deterred by his
past experiences. Hence, in 2011, owing to his seeming resolute and resilient
nature, he persistently aspired for the same position. Luck equally ran against
him in the PDP, thus he couldn’t grab the guber ticket from the party. In 2015,
the vigour in him remained unchangeable; yet, as usual his fate didn’t smile on
his person.
And, presently, he is still passionately
holding on to the wise words of the past American President, Abraham Lincoln
who said, “My great
concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with
your failure.” In other words, Sen. Araraume who graciously defected from the
PDP to the ruling APC two years ago, is at the moment still strongly determined
to emerge as the number one citizen of the revered Imo.
Now, the rumour is on high speed that he is
thinking of leaving the APC. It’s worthy of note that the party could currently
boast of four major gubernatorial aspirants to include the state’s Deputy
Governor – Prince Eze Madumere, the former Secretary to the State’s Government
– Sir Jude Ejiogu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor – Chief Uche Nwosu, and
the man in question – Sen. Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume.
Though it could be an unsubstantial
rumour that Sen. Araraume alongside his likes is making effort to defect from
the APC, it is with great concern I wish to advise him to jettison such move if
he is truly thinking towards such direction. I’m not unaware that he wants to
become the governor ‘by all means’, thus wouldn’t like to sense any other form
of barrier on his way, but he must take into cognizance that any move to defect
from the APC will drastically reduce his popularity.
Aside losing the fame he has earned
for years, he is also liable to lose some – if not most – of his allies and
protégés. I’m not a fan of Araraume, and not thinking to become one, but I
detest with passion any move that is accompanied with cowardice. In other
words, I’m enjoining all the aspirants in the APC to struggle vehemently to the
end so that their respective supporters will remain proud of them at the end of
the show. Politics is about competition, thus theirs won’t be an exception.
My interest is to ensure that a
balance and formidable rivalry is sustained among all the aspirants in the APC
as well as other political parties relevant to the state’s political terrain,
and that of Nigeria in general. No one should see a political platform as a
farmyard belonging to a certain individual, or only one person. No one owns an
association, be it social, political or what have you. An incorporated company
or firm – but not an association – can be owned by someone. The latter can only
be founded by an individual but can never belong to him or her.
The
moment the founder, or one of the founding members, of an association starts
acting or parading him/herself as the owner, then the organization in question
is likely on its way to extinction. This is the reason every member of any
existing association, irrespective of position or rank, is said to possess
equal rights and privileges in accordance with the constitution.
So, either unfounded or genuine, I wouldn’t
like such an ongoing rumour constituting a rumpus to metamorphose into reality
for the interest of us all, and Imo at large.
It was also Abraham Lincoln that said, “The probability that we may fail
in struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be
just.” Think about it!
Comrade Fred Doc Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri
___________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056Twitter: @mediambassador
