By Chikaodiri Ugwu
The Labour Party's problem in Enugu State is self inflicted. The proceedings of the court case in Abuja evidently indicated so. It was politically and professionally predicted that the primary would be annulled.
There couldn't have been any other verdict if the court ruled on the submissions made by the parties to the case. Not being a politician, taking sides, therefore, does not arise. It appeared the Party intentionally left the loopholes for the primary to be annulled.
The national chairman of Labour Party is a lawyer. He knows that exclusion will lead to annulment. Yet the party collected ₦25 million from a leading aspirant, Chief Evarest Ede Nnaji (popularly known as Odengene). They issued him nomination forms and receipts, but refused to invite him to participate in the primary. Such impunity cannot go unpunished in a civilised society!
In court, Chief Evarest Ede Nnaji (Odengene) produced receipts and Labour Party membership card to support his claims. Labour tendered no evidence to support their denial of excluding him. The Court asked for evidence of the notice of the date of primary. There was none. Labour just predicated their argument on the annoying arrogance that the party had the right to field the candidate of its choice.
That's impunity! The Electoral Act provides the guidelines of how parties can choose their candidates and Labour intentionally didn't follow that legal provision in Enugu State.
Under the Act, the placeholder shall voluntarily withdraw from the contest to be replaced. The placeholder is Casmir Agbo, Enugu State Chairman of the party who is also said to be a lawyer. Two lawyers, state and national chairmen, yet there was no evidence the placeholder withdrew from the race!
These appear to be intentional loopholes left for the primary to fail in court. It failed at the Federal High Court on Wednesday November 9, 2022, when the lower court ruled that a fresh governorship primary should be within two weeks of that judgement. Labour Party rather than conduct the said fresh primary in line with the provisions of the extant Electoral Act (2022) and in accordance with the Federal High Court, Abuja ruling, rushed to the Appeal Court to challenge the court verdict.
However, Chief Evarest Ede Nnaji (aka Odengene) also approached the Appeal Court with a cross appeal of four (4) pleas, chief of which is that, since the lower court of competent jurisdiction (Federal High Court, Abuja) had acknowledged in it's November 9, 2022 judgement that the man who allegedly parades himself (Hon Chijioke Edeoga) as the authentic product of the contentious primary (governorship candidate of Labour Party) was not a valid aspirant for the party's governorship race in Enugu state, he ought to have been declared by the court in that pronouncement as the only aspirant for the rescheduled primary. This means, in essence, that Mr Chijioke Edeoga can not participate in the said fresh party selection process for the governorship race. That ought to have been the correct judgment based on the facts tendered by Chief Eva Nnaji (Odengene)
Chijioke Edeoga, a claimant to the governorship candidacy of the party in Enugu state, appears to be the unfortunate victim of Labour Party's internal duplicity. He was cleverly excluded as a party in the case, so he cannot even appeal the judgment. Only Labour can appeal the judgment. And the party eventually did. But whether the Appeal Court which has slated the matter for further adjudication on December 19, 2022, will give any verdict contrary to the sound judgment by the lower court, is yet unknown. Only the Appeal Court can decide what will happen eventually.
The only way out now, pending the decision of the Appeal Court, is for all the parties (aspirants) to prepare for a fresh primary as earlier ruled by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
A fresh primary, if perchance, was affirmed by the Appellate Court, will further indicate the sincerity of the party on the choice of delegates who will vote. If the party continues in the way it is handling this matter, it is feared that Labour Party may not have a gubernatorial candidate in Enugu State in the 2023 election. The other parties will be campaigning while the Labour Party's aspirants dissipate energy and time in court. In the end, the victor might be too weary to campaign effectively in the little time left for the 2023 gubernatorial election.
The comedy is that uninformed Labour Party supporters are chasing shadows looking for scapegoats outside their party. And a ready punching bag exists in Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. It's much easier and more convenient to blame Ugwuanyi for Labour's feud than to look in the mirror and see the real villains.
Did Ugwuanyi ask Labour to exclude Nnaji from the primary? Did Ugwuanyi ask Casmir Agbo not to withdraw properly as a placeholder? Did he ask Labour not to invite Nnaji to the primary after collecting his money?
Enugu State used to be known for sticking to the Truth. The Wawa ideology is a philosophy of fidelity to the Truth at all cost. When did we lose the capacity for logical reasoning? The cacophony of thoughtless emotions drown the drizzle of Truth.
Overnight, Ugwuanyi has turned from the "White Lion" to the "Black Devil." He is still wearing his trademark white but Labour supporters have tarred it black. Ironically, Edeoga also mimics Ugwuanyi's fixation with the colour white, suggesting that both of them belong to the same ideological school. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, conversely, wears black all over yet Edeoga still sticks to Ugwuanyi's all white costume.
One would wonder, what's in a colour? Northerners wear predominantly white not for superstitious reasons but because of the high temperature of the region. White, like the mirror, deflects away light from itself. It's the negation of all other radiation of energy. Black, on the other hand, is the combination of all colours, which makes a more eclectic energy mix.
However, the whitemen came and enthroned the devil's colour paradigm where white is God, heaven and beautiful; while black is the Devil, hell and ugly. So unthinking Africans accepted and adopted the dichotomy. In mystical Cosmology, the moon is associated with the colour white and reflects the light of the sun, giving illumination at night. It controls the movement of waters within and outside us. That's why traditional African societies counted the days and seasons by the phases of the moon. The planet that is associated with predominantly black colour, though it looks cloudy blue, is Saturn, the most beautiful planet. Mystically, the most refined Souls live in Saturn, awaiting assignments from God. Does this not suggest that black is more the colour of spirituality than White? But the whitemen brainwashed most of us.
Do we now see how deeply knowledgeable Peter Obi is? Do we now begin to see why he appears propelled by invisible powers? Do we now see why he is not noisy and violent? How much of Peter has Labour Party imbided, locally and nationally? He says that Tinubu is "My Elder Brother", Atiku, "My Uncle" and Kwankwaso, "My Brother"! That's his response to their maligning him.
In Enugu State what do we see? If a trailer falls at Eha-Amufu, it is caused by Ugwuanyi. If Fulanis kidnap people, it is due to Ugwuanyi's bad administration. If the Sun rises late tomorrow, it's because of Ugwuanyi's corruption. And if the moon tarries, it is certainly because of Ugwuanyi's alleged cultism! Most of the people cooking up these inanities are graduates. Some have Ph.Ds. Yet they lack the capacity of independent thought. They lynch and mob those who beg to differ.
Unfortunately, they do Edeoga's ambition more harm than good. What manner of government can one form with this level of ignorance? A two-dimensional reality where one is either a friend or an enemy. Those who offer constructive analysis are lynched as "Obote men"!
As we all pray for Labour to put its house in order and get it right in Enugu State for the sake of Enugu people in general and Peter Obi in particular, the members will do much better if they can behave like Peter Obi in their thoughts, words and conduct.
...Chikaodiri Ugwu, an Enugu indigene writes from Abuja. NNL.
