By Godpower Egbono
The 2023 general elections have come and gone, but the intrigues and political innuendos from desperate politicians still dominate the centre stage. The latest is the wave of accusations, counter accusations and unwarranted campaigns of calumny against fellow politicians.
Perhaps, their reasons may not be unconnected with the expected rewards by way of appointments, from Mr President, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. With the expected ministerial appointments and dissolution of federal boards and parastatals, the expectations of politicians have been heightened, paving way to unwarranted tension among the political class.
But the question is, in embarking on their “lobbying spree” for relevance and recognition, should desperate politicians resort to unguarded attacks on other politicians?
Have they forgotten that appointments are rewards for hard work which are backed by results? There is never a reward system that considers quarrel and media attacks as indices for performance. No, there is none!
Every reward system views results as its bottom line and this is where all the desperate, self-seeking politicians will be disappointed with the outcome of the appointments being awaited. This is because the major factor in the political appointments being awaited is the results from our polling units.
The time of campaign and strategy is gone. Those who are still dreaming of presenting their strategies which they could not cover to results should better have a rethink. This is because the major determinant will be contributions of each player by way of the results at the polling unit.
And this is where the performance of APC Rivers State and the key driver of that performance, Chief Tony Okocha, deserves special commendation rather than an unnecessary condemnation from one Kadillo Kabari, as reported in the Sun Newspaper of 5th June, 2023.
To the SDP chieftain who feels Tony should be cautioned, let him realize that he was central in making Rivers State APC to be at the centre in the last political dispensation. All Okocha has been doing is to let the world understand the role himself, former Governor Wike and Rivers APC played in giving APC and Asiwaju the deserved result, and why they deserve to take charge of the party. His media campaign so far is devoid of sentiments or attacks on personalities.
So it is rather strange that the SDP chieftain would condemn Tony Okocha in the manner he did.
When Okocha claimed that “Wike delivered the state for President Bola Tinubu in the February poll”, he was only presenting a statement of fact, backed by figures from polling results of APC, which he was instrumental to the achievement of the numbers. It is well known that former Governor Wike gave direction to his own party and formed an alliance with Okocha’s APC, which produced those results.
So there is no sentiment in that claim, and I wonder why somebody who claims to be Tinubu’s supporter would be angry with Tony. Has he forgotten that if Tony Okocha had deserted the party like other leaders, Tinubu would not have won in Rivers State? So why hate him for nothing and laying all sorts of unfounded allegations on him?
He should also understand that whether Senator Abe was the first to declare support for Tinubu or not as he claimed, the truth is glaring that his declaration alone did not bring the desired result for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Was it not alleged that the senator moved to SDP and his votes and that of all his supporters went to SDP? So between the SDP leader and the APC leader, Tony Okocha, who should be cautioned by the party?
No wonder the chairman of BATs vanguard, Amb. Dare Owotomobi did not mince words when he reportedly voiced out that “Chief Tony Okocha is the last man standing for President Tinubu in Rivers State” and that “Senator Magnus Abe is my friend, we were with him in BATS Vanguard working for Tinubu, but he abandoned the project halfway and left for SDP.”
On the issue of demarketing other potential candidates, how can the SDP chieftain substantiate his claim? Could this be a defeatist disposition or display of inferiority? How can Chief Okocha who is audaciously “blowing his trumpet” by marshalling out the synopsis of his achievements and that of his team be concerned with other candidates? The SDP chieftain should rather say that Tony Okocha is a threat to them, rather than feeling that he is demarketing anyone.
Even though he has suddenly been seen as an antagonist with unwarranted hatred, he still prides himself with the results he has produced from his wise political moves. So in these challenging moments of serial attacks and accusations, Chief Okocha stands tall and so are his supporters. No wonder Martin Luther King said “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Just as chief Okocha is standing tall, fighting for the “soul” of APC in Rivers State, the Renewed Hope family in Rivers State is standing with their leader, come rain or shine. The group is not unaware of the abuses and derogatory remarks on them, but their joy is in the results they were able to produce under the leadership of Chief Tony Okocha and direction of former Governor Wike.
Dr. Egbono, zonal coordinator of COSGABAT, South-South, writes from Port Harcourt.
