It is alarmingly discomforting that Cross Rivers State, unarguably one of the most endowed states in Nigeria in terms of human capital and its twin benefit of modern civilization, is gradually slouching towards sentimental politics, if not politics of bitterness. Politics of integrity, tolerance and civility for which the state was highly rated was recently threatened by fellows who suddenly invaded the terrain with the sole intention to loot and perpetuate themselves in office as though the state was no longer capable of regeneration. Indeed, the gain-politicians from within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, filled with intractable ambition and desperation to hijack the political machinery from their benefactors hit a dry well when they found out that the then governor Senator Liyel Imoke who was leader of the party in the state was not a pushover as they had thought.
*Former Gov Liyel Imoke
This development generated a dry rot of apathy, infighting and distrust culminating in last minute defections to other parties. But the arguments, the back-hall scheming, and the last minute flip-flops that somehow produced real accomplishments also set in motion an almost tragic series of events that threatened the peace and stability of the state. Since, as they say, to the funeral of an elephant, all manner of knives are invited, the foibles and frailty came to a defining moment when the unpopular ones saw themselves roundly defeated and their sense of frustrated ambition got understood in their bones. Rather than appreciating the reality of their predicament and re-strategize for yet another round, they are dropping Imoke's name here and there as being responsible for their failure.
Yet, beyond the empire building, the raining of insults and abuses on Imoke, the backstabbing, the restrained idealism, the cynical posturing, the raw ambition, and, above all, the endless political spinning in the state, the public deserves an overview of the real issues fueled less by any score-settling agenda than by an honest investigation into what really happened. For dispassionate observers of the political scene in Cross River State since the current democratic political dispensation began in 1999, the PDP, after the struggle of the primaries with Kanu Agabi (SAN), went on to win the general elections even though the odds were against Donald Duke, its candidate. It could be recalled that the All Peoples Party, APP, had more members at the local governments than the PDP and had members at the State House of Assembly. It also had members at the National Assembly. Imoke was the Director General of Donald Duke Campaign Organisation and a founding member of the PDP who brought the party to the state. Sixteen years down the road he and his team were able to deliver the state to PDP to the glory of God.
Cross River State is a solid PDP state and, at the risk of sounding immodest, it is because of their peculiar style and approach to governance that they were able to sustain the momentum. The party under the watch of Imoke in the state was not dictatorial and they tried to always present popular candidates and their elections were not violent; if any, they were limited. In fact, Cross River was a model of democracy because of the extensive consultations that Imoke and his team had to embark upon as a matter of strategy. First, at all the levels, they ensured that all the party members were consulted in all the local governments and made sure that they were part of the process. In most cases, it was a bottom-up approach. The party members were the ones that brought up who they wanted to run for offices, particularly the chairmen of Councils, Councilors, House of Assembly members, and so forth. So, that was their strategy over the years; and with the leadership that Imoke provided for 16 unbroken years, they achieved relative success.
In the 2015 general elections, for the first time, the state saw significant interference from the party's national hierarchy in Abuja, coming from the party men, something that was never there previously. There was a situation where people wanted to return to office by all means and under any circumstance without going through the same processes that brought them into office. For the sitting governor and his men in the state, it was not unusual that someone who had been in an office for many years would want to run for the office repeatedly, even at the expense of the views of the majority of the people. They saw that playing out even in a manner where primaries were being rigged at the local level, and where there was a court process and the court gave judgement in favour of the party, which was not even appealed. Although there was normal internal wrangling and candidates emerged, the party remained strong in spite of the opposition.
*Imoke and Duke at a book signing event
The seeming opposition came from members within the party who were pursuing elective offices. Imoke wasn't seeking for any office, which made him dispassionate in his decision making. It would have been another kettle of fish if he had wanted a new office as some of his counterparts did in other states, either to the Senate or anywhere. Because he wasn't seeking for any office, he had to respond to what the people wanted, and that is why the PDP won the election. Cross River has never been a state that uses violence or force. Imoke's politics has never been that; he has always been preaching against cultism or violence in politics and he is very public about it. So it can be understood why peace is always the outcome in the state despite all the politicking.
For instance, the PDP scored 100 per cent at the last elections, 25/25 members of the State House of Assembly, 11/11 members of the National Assembly, and, indeed, the Governor and his Deputy- all PDP. The 18 Local Government Areas are PDP. In fact, Cross River remains one of the states in the country that conducted local government elections as at when due since 2003 or so. The state has ensured that democracy is enshrined and the beneficiaries of that democracy are several. But some of them today who have been beneficiaries of that democracy are the ones making the loudest noise about the same process that benefitted them into political offices. Now, why would Imoke that was not running for any position and who had made a public statement that he was retiring from active partisan politics, scuttle anything in his state rather than giving the people what they wanted? About four months after Imoke left office, the people themselves are the ones now saying that they got the people they actually wanted in office and there is peace. If all the allegations against Imoke by disgruntled elements who couldn't have their way were true, Cross River State would have been very turbulent by now.
*Imoke and former President Jonathan
In spite of the negligible few who have been given money to agitate and make noise, there is peace all over the state. Those who are aggrieved have gone to the tribunal and everybody expects that at the end, justice would be done. Some have said that the state has lost a voice in the Senate without asking themselves how wouldn't they lose a voice when they have lost as a party at the centre. This is simple logic. The former Senate President can be the biggest voice the PDP has in the Senate but now he is in the opposition. The state has not lost anything. Cross River has good and intelligent leaders who are now in the Senate- very distinguished persons who have proven themselves both locally and beyond representing the state at various levels. The state has a dynamic governor, one of the most progressives in the country today, who also embarks upon extensive consultations with stakeholders in almost all his major decisions. All of this clearly shows that some of the people who have lost out are now the ones that are more vocal.
Now, they are planning to move to other parties. Some of them are looking for other appointments and ministerial positions. Are they pursuing their own agenda or are they pursuing the agenda of the people? Is that really for the benefit of Cross Riverians? Some of them have been at the National Assembly at various levels for twelve years. In our politics, for someone to be at the National Assembly for twelve straight years means the person has to be extremely connected to the grassroots. The people must respond to that person and say yes, we want that person to continue to go back, knowing our zoning arrangements which are very common throughout the federation and the sensitivities of our various groups and local governments. Yet, unfortunately, some of these candidates are not easily sellable. The party had difficulties delivering some of them prior to the 2015 elections. Giving second term or third term was a big problem for the party, but they insisted that they needed leadership and cannot continually and repeatedly change everybody that goes to the National Assembly.
A peep into the records of the state would show that the ruling party there has returned more people to the National Assembly than any other state. In that manner, anybody who wants to do an in-depth analysis could see that Cross River State is close to being a model. Rather than the noise we hear from a few aggrieved beneficiaries of the system, knowing the circumstances through which they emerged, and the support Imoke and his family provided for them, they are supposed to be a little grateful and thankful to God. They have forgotten so soon the amount of energy Imoke and others put into their effort and campaigns, even when their constituents turned against them, what Imoke did to calm their constituents and appealed to them to allow them go back to the National Assembly.
The politics, naturally, has been one where literarily, the PDP in the state has almost become an establishment; and with the party's performance in government, not just in politics. If they were not able to deliver programmes and projects in their communities, for the poor and rural dwellers, the people would not have supported the party for sixteen years. But the party achieved all that at various levels across the state. It is now very clear that as long as the leadership continues to listen to the people, meet their needs, those who benefitted from the system and now decided to leave the party so that they could contest for offices for their own selfish motives, went to the electorate and they were rejected. Why then are they casting aspersions on Imoke as the harbinger of their failure to win election? Imoke cast just one vote, and he did not go round to shout at people to vote for who they didn't want. The electorate responded according to what they wanted. Why lay the blame of your failure to win election on the former governor?
Let these people be honest and sincere; let them go back and assess their tract records of performance and see if they were able to meet the needs of the grassroots. For example, Essien Ayi went through the same process and was re-elected for a fourth term. Considering the peculiarities and zoning formula of the state which Imoke made public, the fourth term might not be the best. But he still did not prevent them from putting themselves to test at the primaries. Essien Ayi went through the same test and succeeded. But those who lost had to find somebody to blame. Maybe, that is where the Imoke issue comes in. After all, John Owan Eno was in the House of Representatives for three terms, and still contested and won. The people didn't reject him during the election; he contested against others. That is how President Buhari emerged. The same elections were all over the country, and the same system. Is it the Cross River election that was flawed? Even former President Goodluck Jonathan lost election and conceded victory.
Our politicians should begin to understand that politics is a game of the people and in the hands of the people. When they want you, you win and go back to them after election. Nobody put a gun to their heads to vote for a particular person; nobody went with soldiers and asked them to stand in line for a particular person. They went freely and voted. They voted you out of office, and yet you go about abusing the party you so much benefitted from. These Imoke attackers are the greatest beneficiaries of the party. Imoke didn't do more than eight years. But some of them did up to twelve years at the National Assembly and are still complaining. When the people say let's give room for fresh blood, it becomes an issue. Even in our national football team, are the stars who featured for Nigeria in 2004 still the ones playing for the country today? They are saying that in some states, candidates who challenged their governors went ahead and won from other parties. If they are that popular, why didn't they repeat the same feat in Cross River? He who comes to equity must do so with clean hands.
When it favoured you the system was good and when it does not favour you the system becomes bad. What has changed? Is it Imoke that has changed? In the case of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, he was even the one that changed. He was chairman of the committee that reviewed the Party's constitution and weakens the governors, and removed all political appointees from being delegates to congresses and conventions. They did this because the argument then was that the governors were powerful. It was only elected party officials, elected National Assembly members, elected State Assembly members that formed the Congresses and Conventions. Is he going to now criticise the amendment of the constitution the committee of which he chaired? These are some of the things that we must sincerely address instead of the hate politics they are promoting. There is no need to divide Cross River State. No individual can do that. The State must continue to grow. There is opposition at the centre, but Cross River is PDP. It is hoped, very strongly, that as the State evolves, it would be identified as a state that provides good leaders because of the process that is in place.
Amor, an Abuja-based journalist and public policy analyst, contributed this piece to SCRUPLES via danamor98@gmail.com
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