Despite assurances that the rift between Imo PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Samuel Anyanwu is over, a member of the party in the State, Mr.Lancelot Obiaku believes otherwise.
In an article titled “ Imo PDP: Why Ihedioha And Sam Daddy Are Far From Reconciliation, Mr. Obaiku said despite Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu’s public declaration that the rift is over, “the two heavyweights and their political camps and structures are still at daggers drawn”
He wrote “From my thorough investigations to unravel why reconciliatory moves by the two parties keep stalling, my deduction is that as much as Ihedioha has appeared intent to make peace with his Owerri zone brother, the former lawmaker is guilty of putting up a deceptive posture that lacks the ingredients of man who genuinely and sincerely craves for peace, devoid of any ulterior motive.
“Reports are rife that the former House of Reps Deputy Speaker still goes about boasting of how he has clipped Samdaddy’s wings, while also maligning his character. Uninterestingly too, Ihedioha’s supporters have maintained a bitter approach to issues about Samdaddy, just as the Mbutu born politician. When you listen to them speak and read their arguments with Samdaddy’s supporters on social media, they are evident of persons who are not ready to heal the political wounds of Samdaddy and his supporters, and give genuine reconciliation a chance.
Mr. Obiaku Wrote:
Truth be said, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has yet to hit top gear in preparations for the electoral battle ahead, vis-a-vis the 2019 governorship race. The party has been slow to reconciling waring factions and other skirmishes oozing out from its fold. Incontrovertibly, after the conclusion of the party’s governorship primary election, October 1, 2018, Imo PDP has struggled to make giant steps with the winner of the primary election, Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who pending the outcome of the suit filed by his closest opponent, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy), challenging the outcome of the election, remains the candidate going into the election.
It is not new to the ears of people close to Imo politics that prior to the primary election, it was widely thought within and outside the party and state that Sen. Anyanwu would have been the near perfect man to hold the ticket and make the party’s passage into the government house easier. Recent events have even proven them right as Imo PDP tends to be struggling and grappling with not having Samdaddy as its governorship candidate three months after the election at the Kanu Nwankwo Sports Center, Owerri.
At the inauguration of Imo PDP campaign council on Thursday, the problems of the party in the state were further laid bare. There seemed to be lack of confidence among members. The repeated mention of the Samdaddy and Ihedioha conundrum created an air of little or no harmony still, despite media reports suggesting that both men has agreed to work together. I am not a prophet of doom and I don’t intend to be one. I am one of those who believe that PDP taking over the governance of Imo State would bring the state better fortunes. However, if the signs of the time are anything to go by, PDP may have to wait until 2023 to win Imo governorship election for the first time since 2003.
Despite what I may call “induced media reports” three days ago that Samdaddy and Ihedioha have settled their differences, the reality is that the duo are far from reconciliation. Not even the statement made by the revered Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, supposedly a political father to Samdaddy, that the Senator agreed to withdraw his case at the Federal High Court, following a truce meeting between him, Samdaddy and Ihedioha reflects reality. The two heavyweights and their political camps and structures are still at daggers drawn.
From my thorough investigations to unravel why reconciliatory moves by the two parties keep stalling, my deduction is that as much as Ihedioha has appeared intent to make peace with his Owerri zone brother, the former lawmaker is guilty of putting up a deceptive posture that lacks the ingredients of man who genuinely and sincerely craves for peace, devoid of any ulterior motive.
Reports are rife that the former House of Reps Deputy Speaker still goes about boasting of how he has clipped Samdaddy’s wings, while also maligning his character. Uninterestingly too, Ihedioha’s supporters have maintained a bitter approach to issues about Samdaddy, just as the Mbutu born politician. When you listen to them speak and read their arguments with Samdaddy’s supporters on social media, they are evident of persons who are not ready to heal the political wounds of Samdaddy and his supporters, and give genuine reconciliation a chance.
Ihedioha, his camp, supporters and everyone around him have also continued to make utterances underrating, undermining and belittling Samdaddy’s political strength. Yet, they are desirous of having the Senator drop his grievances to work with Emeka Ihedioha. How they want to achieve this reconciliation and genuinely too, remains far from my cognition.
Without appearing to disprove Chief Iwuanyanwu’s averment that he had few days back met and brokered peace between Ihedioha and Samdaddy, the true position of things as of today is that either one of the two parties or both is exhibiting treacherous tendencies over whatever agreement reached in the said meeting. That brings to mind Samdaddy’s claim that he was not consulted before being named in the Imo PDP campaign council. This is a man challenging Ihedioha’s victory and the role played by the party at the primary election. If indeed the both men had an earlier agreement as Iwuanyanwu said for Samdaddy to withdraw his case against Ihedioha and the party, but when drawing the list of members of the party’s campaign council, the Senator was not consulted for his input, then Ihedioha and co are not sincere about reconciling with him. At the court, Samdaddy has an interest he is fighting for. Where Ihedioha feels threatened by it and would be happy to see Samdaddy withdraw the case, then he must be ready to make sacrifices that will not only appeal to Samdaddy’s conscience, but also to his numerous supporters and followers. If not, Ihedioha should allow his challenger to continue with the case and be ready to take whatever the outcome will be. It may be argued that Samdaddy was not consulted for the reason that he’s the highest ranking political office holder in Imo PDP and automatically gets a place in the campaign council. But it is morally and politically right to consult him for his input if not for any reason as a peace initiative, hence he is the same man being pleaded with to terminate the pursuance of an interest at the court. Therefore, Samdaddy should have been consulted in my opinion.
Samdaddy and Ihedioha cannot make peace where the latter still feels threatened by the former, and therefore not open to carrying Samdaddy along in the scheme of things and/or giving him full sense of belonging. Today, Samdaddy has yet to withdraw his case. If he would ever do, it doesn’t seem as though the decision will be premised on whatever agreement reached in meeting with Iwuanyanwu. Anyone taking the statement made by Iwuanyanwu seriously is not doing the best. Samdaddy is a full fledged man and if he has not spoken, any statement on his behalf from any other angle should not stand.
The feud continues and remains an obstacle in the progress of Imo PDP over the quest for Douglas House.
It is high time Ihedioha and the party decided what they want from Samdaddy. Either for the Senator to continue with his court case or withdraw it. If an out of court settlement must happen, a genuine reconciliation should be the precursor. And this has to be done quickly considering that the governorship election is only weeks away. The two gladiators, Ihedioha especially, must be ready to genuinely give peace a chance, as this peace does not come with high handedness, autocracy, pride, ego and insincerity. A word is enough for the wise!
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