Governor Otu And The Politics of 2027: A Dance For The Initiates

 

By Umezulike Desmond-cruz.

Unfortunately, the Politics of 2027 has already began in Cross River State. As early as this may appear, there are already signs of unholy whispers from henchmen within the corridors of peregrino House, suggesting that some members of the National Assembly are already on the watchlist for possible replacement.

In the Southern Senatorial District–which is apparently the epicenter of this macabre dance– there seem to be a proxy war between Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr. and Governor Prince Otu, with some men in the governor's camp declaring vacant, the Senate seat of the southern Senatorial District ahead of 2027. The #100million NDDC saga and the indefinite suspension of Nkot Mbok, are mere thrillers of the armageddon-like political fisticuffs brewing in the South. 

While in the Central Senatorial District, there is a cold war brewing amongst APC Stakeholders, that seems to threaten the continuity of Senator Eteng Jones beyond 2027. A new masquerade–Hon. Oden Ewa– is already prancing on the turf, with each dance step reportedly emboldened by the drumbeats of smooth talkers and clairvoyants within the peregrino House, assuring him of the Governor's blessings. Though, this masquerade is relatively a newbie and yet to be fully baptized into the political confraternity of the state, he is apparently keen on joining this dance meant only for the initiates. 

Unlike the days of Ben Ayade, the North is relatively free from Political innuendos, as there appears to be a political bromance between Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe and Governor Prince Otu. Except, there's a last minute change, the Northern Senatorial District will be the shopping center for both the APC and PDP in 2027.

Bearing in mind that, it is only a tree that hears of its imminent fall, yet fails to run; members of the National Assembly are already girdling their loins in anticipation of this dance. While the likes of Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr, will be relying heavily on his perceived closeness to the President and Senate President, to negotiate a soft landing for himself, Senator Eteng would obviously hinge his hopes on the political system. Known for his unalloyed loyalty to the system, Senator Eteng Jones, though self-effacing, has mastered the art of remaining loyal to the system. He is obviously a good student of Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power, and has learnt never to outshine the master.

While many believe that it will be the prerogative of the Governor to wittingly or unwittingly decide the fate of many in 2027, it is important to say that the dynamics has changed unlike the days of Liyel Imoke, when Politics was mainly in the hands of Stakeholders and not the grassroot. It is important to remind the Governor of a popular Igbo adage that can be loosely translated as, "a palm wine tapper must not always tell his fellow villagers everything he sees while on top of the palm tree". There is an eternal wisdom in this saying, because, while the palm wine tapper is privileged to see and know everything–from seeing women taking their bath in the village stream, to those delivering their babies on the road to the stream–he is reminded of the power of maintaining studied silence. In the Igbo folktale, Diochi (the Palm Wine tapper) is very powerful, but he is also the only person in the village who pays for the services of his kinsmen, by offering them free drinks on specific days, in anticipation of the evil day, when he is likely to fall from the palm tree. In his wisdom, the Diochi, understands that only his kinsmen can forgo work on their farmland, looking for him on such evil day; hence the need to pay his kinsmen in advance. 

Though, I speak in parables, it is important to reiterate that the true measure of a man, lies in his ability to sue for peace even when he wields so much power and has the ability to decide the fate of others. The Governor must not be distracted from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the State. By all means, these  purveyors of half-truths and mercantile politicians, whose stock-in-trade have always been to continually fan the embers of disunity with the sole purpose of benefitting from it, must be stopped from further polarizing our state. Like the Diochi (Palm wine tapper) the Governor must be seen uniting his kinsmen with the spoils of his free palm wine, in anticipation for the evil day. The #100million NDDC saga and the recent press release by the NDDC refuting the claim made by Otuekong Orok Duke– who is even one of their own and the Cross River State Representative– shows how crassly messy this impending opprobrium would be, should the cronies of both the Governor and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr, fail to rein in their fangs. 

While the 2027 dance may be only for the initiates, it is wisdom for the Governor not to go into the election of 2027 with all his flanks open and susceptible to opponent's missiles. Till date, there are still aggrieved members of the party who squandered their fortunes in the last Local Government Election, that are patiently waiting for an opportunity to take their own pound of flesh. It is also my opinion that the Governor warn all his appointees, especially Commissioners, to focus more on service delivery to the people. We must not allow our state slide into political upheaval this early. We must think Cross River State first and place the interest of our people above political correctness.