By ODINAKA CHUKWUKA
Old Aguata Union is a formidable bloc in Anambra State. It is vast, extensive and comprises of many towns with dense populations. It has produced a Vice-President of this country, two democratic Governors, Senators, countless number of Federal Ministers and Head of government Parastatals and Agencies. In fact, Old Aguata Union or OAU as it is popularly called is a power-house of influential people, opinion moulders and “decision deciders”
In the politics of Anambra State, OAU is a major decisive bloc. With over fifty towns, it enjoys an uncommon homogeneity which enables the towns to articulate a common position in virtually everything. Attempts had been made in the past to whittle down the political influence of this bloc by reducing its size with the creation of Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South council areas from the Old Aguata L.G.A. The attempt was hugely unsuccessful because the people rose above the balkanization and formed the Old Aguata Union, to which the three council areas owe unalloyed allegiance.
The result is that in the political calculations of Anambra State the OAU has remained the single largest bloc, made more powerful by its homogenous response to issues. In every election, OAU is a critical bloc. In the governorship election in the state next year, it will as usual remain a critical bloc. It is, therefore, not unexpected that politicians, especially the desperate ones would attempt to lure the Union to their sides, impugn its integrity or make it impotent, in order to whittle down its influence in next year’s election.
The attempt has started sooner than expected. One of such desperate attempts was unveiled at Ekwulobia Town Hall on Saturday, 24th September, 2016, where an attempt was poorly made to use the name of Old Aguata Union to confer a chieftaincy title on the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano. Investigation has revealed that the governor was indeed conferred with a Chieftaincy title by some people and not by the Old Aguata Union. Secondly, the purported endorsement of the governor for a second term by the OAU can only be described as a tale.
I believe that the governor who I have been privileged to meet personally is too sophisticated for this kind of pedestrian manipulation. Old Aguata Union cannot endorse the governor for November next year‘s election in September 2016. No, this is not the style of OAU.
The Union is usually tactical, strategic and calculating. It usually has a strategic agenda which it pursues with relentless vigour. In next year’s election, the Union will come up with its own agenda at the right time. Whoever is selling anybody at this time as the Union agenda is insulting the Union and mocking the governor’s political intelligence.
I have a two-faced advice on this issue, one to the OAU and the other to the governor. The members of the Old Aguata Union should search out the fifth columnists among them. Many influential members of the Union have denied the involvement of the Union in the purported Chieftaincy title conferment.
Then, who and who were involved in this action? Is it true that some unscrupulous individuals collected the whopping amount of N25 million on behalf of the Union? What project was the money for? Who signed for the money and on whose behalf? The Union is the last standing Union among the great and homogeneous Unions that ever existed on this side of the country. Its strong voice and influential impact on the politics of the state has made it a target of desperate and scheming individuals, who would want the Union to become a shadow of itself. It is up to the Union to decide whether it wants to retain its status as a key player in the state or descend into oblivion because it can check the excesses of fifth columnists in its ranks.
To the governor, I advise caution. Next year’s election is around the corner and it will become politically unhealthy if the hawks of Anambra politics detect desperation in the governor’s camp. They will come up with every manner of gimmick just to defraud the governor. This is what I suspect happened on September 24th, 2016. Old Aguata Union cannot confer chieftaincy title on the governor without its first-class traditional rulers.
The Union would not have conferred the title on no less a person as the governor of the state in the absence of its most influential sons and daughters. Finally, OAU transverses many towns with dense populations. When they confer titles on deserving people, they do not hire people and ferry them to Ekwulobia. They sound gongs and people troop out en masse from their homes.
The governor should be careful about the persons he associates with at this time. He should not allow himself to be distracted. There are more important things he should be doing at this time. He should be working very hard to fulfill his pre-election promises. They are what win elections.
Chukwuka writes from Abuja