What a hot seat, Anambra State, Nigeria governorship seat, which every Dick, Tom and Harry in the state wants at all cost possible? But first, the incumbent governor of the state has to be unseated, but will Governor Pete Obi agree? A hopelessly, politically 'foolish' people, novitiates and ridiculously so unseasoned in the art of real politiking, the Igbos of Anambra State of South East Nigeria? Imagine 48 candidates applying for one governorship position? 48 candidates running for one governorship position and you wonder who is advising these pretenders to the office of the governor of Anambra State? Who are advising these people? Who are their David Axelrods? Who constitute their electoral exploratory committees? Who are their political consultants? Who conducted their polls and assured them they stand a chance of securing their party's governorship ticket for Anambra state? Icheoku fears that some Alhaji up north, has sold kites to these guys that he has the ears of President Umaru Yar'Adua and could make them governor of Anambra state; hence the bilking these guys their hard-earned money? Icheoku says, why can't these guys be more realistic of their chances at being "selected" the PDP governorship candidate and be more pragmatic in their mad quest to become the state's next mega-looter of the state's treasury? What happened to alliances and politicial blocs, wherein people with the least chances of becoming the candidate come together to support another more formidable candidate; and each in return agree on trade-offs and the concomittant horse-trades of appointments and contracts awarding? But not in Anambra State, Nigeria, where everyone thinks he is smarter than the guy next door and hence the melee of candidates. Now 48 of them from just one political party, the PDP are lining up, salivating greedily, to covet the job currently held by Governor Pete Obi? Five people running for one office is a fair number, even ten; but forty-eight, that is both laughable and ludicrous! A total raving madness, that Icheoku suggests, they should all have their heads medically-examined for some schizophrenic disorders? Who says the Igbos of Nigeria have come of age or learnt anything on real politics or how to effectively politik? Regrettably, they have not and this is the principal reason why they are ususally short-changed in Nigeria. They have not learnt their lesson on how to be astute politicians? At 5 million Naira payment for the forms and another 250,000 Naira cost of declaration of intent, each of these "traders and contractors" of Ananmbra state would have so far enriched the coffers of PDP by 252million Naira? Money that could have been used ,ore wisely to better the lots of so many jobless Anambra State people; and who blames the youths when they go on kidnapping rampages, abducting these 'hooligans' for ransom? 
A group of more politically savvy people, who know what they are doing, would have held pre-caucus meetings to determine among themsleves, best possible persons with the most chances, and streamline the candidancy around them? A reasonable plausible number would have been a preferred option, rather than all of these 48 wildebeests, being herded into throwing away their 5 million Naira in their mad-quest for governorship ticket? But no, every Tom, Dick and Harry in Anambra State sees himself/herself as the most qualified and suited for Governor Peter Obi's job; and hence 48 of these irrational human-beings are falling over the head of each other, in a mad fury, wishfully thinking to claim the coveted trophy in Anambra State? Icheoku condemns the excessively number of these candidates, as well as their naivette, for recklessly doling out 5 million Naira each to enrich the PDP; with no chances in hell to secure the governorship ticket? What happens to the time-tested calculated risk approach to issues, one may ask? According to the reports, forty-eight candidates collected forms of expression of interest for nomination for the 2010 governorship election in Anambra State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); while thirty-two of them eventually made it to the next stage - the party's primaries slated for next month? Whether 48 or 32, Icheoku says, that is still too large a number of people coming from one state and for one governorship position. This is a litle insight on the number of people that will queue up in the event the Igbos are allowed to produce the president of Nigeria in 2016, maybe 1000 presidential candidates will join the race then for Aso Rock? As we recall, during the last chairmanship fight for the PDP, 28 Igbo people actively ran for the office. They could not settle on a consesus candidate, leading to the imposition of big nose Vincent Ogbulafor on the Igbo as their chairmanship candidate. So, Icheoku asks, when will the Igbo people become politically matured enough to learn certain fundamental lessons of productive politics? Some of these wanna-be governor include Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Uchenna Emordi, Chuma Nwofor, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora, Senator Emma Anosike, Dr Harry Oranezi, Chuma Nzeribe, Tony Nwoye, Udemezue Chukwura, Damian Okolo, Chief Kodili Okelekwe, Dr Alex Obigbolu, Professor Austin Ilochi Okafor, Ekwenze Solomon, Mbamalu Emma, Barrister Mike Nkwocha, Ugochukwu Sonny Jerry, Mrs Eucharia Azodo, Mrs Caroline Nwosu, Lady Chinyere Ogualili, Kenneth Odidika, Deacon Bernard Okeke, Mrs Chika Ibeneme, Princess Catherine Egwu, Engr E.O Efobi, Dr Emeka Eze, Dr Amachukwu Ezeike, Mrs Victoria Nwakwo, Mrs Ifeoma Love Ebe, Engr. Bethran Dim and Mrs Nkoli Imo, Chief Okey Muo-Aroh, Chief Basil Iwuoba, Chief Michael Okechukwu, Dim Ifeanyichukwu, Emoh Uchenna Pius, Nwandu Emeka Gibson, Valentine Ozigbo, Uba Ukechinyere, Obiagoli Obasi and Victor Osita? Who the brightest bulb in the chandelier is, is anybody's guess but who the henchmen of Nigeria politics has annointed is within the crevices of their warped minds which only next month's primaries will reveal. So until then, Anambra state people can only wait and pray in anticipation of who eventually gets the nod of approval and ritualistic-oath, before one deity or shrine, to fly the flag of the party at the election of February 2010. 
But a party of direction would have, as suggested by Uche Emordi, "do everything possible to trim the number of candidates seeking the party’s ticket in the February 2010 gubernatorial election in the state." What a madness of ambition by these 48 Anambrarians? According to one observer, "Anambra State has indeed become one of the theatres for some of the most absurd political engagements in the annals the country." As rightly summarized by one observer, the 48 wanna-be governorship candidates of Anambra State are made up of two groups of people - "the contenders and the pretenders," and Icheoku couldn't agree any more! With the latest disqualification of about 17 of the 48 applicants so far, how the PDP eventually settles on one candidate during their forthcoming primaries, is anybody's guess? But Icheoku says, what a people, the Anambra state people of Nigeria; a land where everybody is full of 'smarts' but with no real political intelligence? And it is not as if these human-beings are queuing up to do anything beneficial for the people of Anambra state; no, they are just getting ready to loot the treasury some more! With these 31 candidates now left to contest the primaries fixed for October, only God knows, how many of them will be kidnapped, maimed and/or even killed before that time; just to clear him off the way? Who also knows how many more millions of Naira will be washed down the drain in the process of votes buying, thug hiring, voodoo, bribery, settlements, hit-men hiring and all manners of political brigandage just to emerge the candidate? And after that, there is Governor Peter Obi to clear off the government house before the party begins its carnival of looting? But whatever happens, Icheoku is keeping a watchful eyes on the outcome of the Peoples (Un)Democratic Party's primaries in Anambra state, a state with too many people with "too much knowledge!"
Posts
Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
.jpg)
