Now that Nigerians appear to have tried
their best to put behind them the controversial Supreme Court judgment that
made Mr. Hope Uzodinma the Governor of Imo State, the great task before him now
is to hasten to convince Imo people that the apex court has not brutally forced
a very bitter and impuissant pill down their throats, but, that, he is, indeed,
that governor they have always hoped for, who will
change the face of Imo for good!
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| *Gov Uzodinma and President Buhari |
He does not have the luxury time. A delayed
performance might begin to sow in the minds of the people the toxic thought
that the pill they have swallowed lacks the power to solve the several
debilitating maladies weighing the state down. And if their worst fears are
eventually confirmed, it would then amount to another hope devastatingly
betrayed (if you will permit the pun). And the cost, politically, might be too
high for Mr. Uzodinma.
Well-meaning Nigerians are becoming
increasingly worried that the courts are brazenly usurping the power of the
electorate to choose their leaders. They are beginning to think that the
ever-swelling number of court-crowned leaders constitutes a dangerous threat to
our democracy and a frustrating and discouraging experience to the masses who
take the pains and defy the often very harsh sun and rain to vote. Why bother
to vote when, eventually, the decision on who occupies the office will be
decided by about five or seven judges – none of whom may even come from the
state or constituency in question? The danger is that the people are often
alienated from the leader since they are increasingly finding it difficult to
convince themselves that they are being governed or represented by somebody
they chose.
