Anambra: In the Eye of the Storm »

By Illah Michael Ojodomo

For what is meant to be the ritual assurances of a free, fair, credible, and transparent process, the Anambra State gubernatorial election slated for Saturday, bears all the tell-tales of an emergency.

This is so, given that for the first time in the over 3 decades of its political history, Anambra State, codenamed the “Light of the Nation” is at a crossroad, and predictably at the cusp of its darkest days to come.

The other day, Police Authorities had emptied their officer’s warehouse and literally relocated the Nigeria Police Force to Anambra State despite the “palliating” words of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which refuted claims in public fora that it had concluded arrangements to boycott the elections. This is so amidst the palpable fear that has enveloped the State as the hours to the polls continue to tick.

And in what has been described to be against the run of play, the mainstream media, as well as social media platforms were awash with news of the defection of a Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano, Tommy Okoli, to the Peoples Democratic Party, in support of the candidature of Valentine Ozigbo and his running mate, Azuka Enemo, of the PDP in the election.

These shenanigans are not surprising since they typically enliven the political process. But in stark contrast yesterday, was an extreme attempt to prick the bubbles of anxiety: two people had been reported dead, following premeditated attacks by gunmen in the industrial town of Nnewi who, as read in the news, would launch separate attacks on the Nnewi offices of the Directorate of State Services (DSS), and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Although the challenges affecting free and fair elections, heightened by concerns for the safety of lives and properties in pre and post elections have remained issues of national concern since Nigeria returned to its fledging democracy in 1999, the striking peculiarities surrounding the Anambra guber suggests the speed at which the country is staggering into a precipice.

For a country that has been around for a while and prides itself as the trailblazer of the African Democracy, it is disturbing that elections that should ordinarily foster the transience of leadership across boards are periodically greeted with frantic narratives. Like Anambra, it could have been any of the States in the South-East.

More so, there are traceable steps to fair-weather politicians who are still obsessed with indifference, self-aggrandizement, and the unrepentant hustle for pecuniary gains, rather than the salient issues of national development on the front burner of discourse.

On parallel views, there have been calls on the Federal Government to urgently demilitarise the South-East zone and stem the heightened tension, skirmishes, and endless blood-letting between the security agencies and the youths, which is followed by varied calls to release the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

On a later cancellation of the sit-at-home order, IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful says; “the IPOB leadership is only interested in our referendum and peaceful agitation for self-determination, and can not by under any guise be seen to be interfering with any electoral process.” Regardless, Anambrans are stuck in a cul-de-sac, with questions begging if they should naturally feel uneasy, or heave a sigh of relief by coming out in droves to exercise their rights.

Despite the late cancellation, human psychology predicts that the pre-existing subtle narratives could harm the election via voters’ apathy. Even, common sense says only a person apathetic to the awry air of a potential implosion would ignore the one-second rule of staying alive.

Interestingly, the candidates scheduled for the ballot papers have shown consideration in the wake of the grave concerns, yet, one is forced to assume it is merely a veiled motive of fear that they too may become casualties of war when the chickens come home to roost.

This is credited to a recent statement availed to newsmen noting that the candidates have jointly called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and all relevant stakeholders to discharge their mandates per the rule of law and in fairness to their varied mandates to the people.

Nonetheless, this essayist believes that with the stage set for play, on the shoulders of concerned stakeholders is a heavyweight task to pass the Anambra State litmus test– that beyond a mere election, it identifies the ordinary Anambra person as a critical stakeholder in the uninspiring pursuit for an inseparable Nigeria, or one that exonerates him, validating the urgency for a breakaway.

Illah Michael Ojodomo [Flowerboy] writes from Lokoja, Nigeria.