Ideology is that which characterizes the thinking of a group or even a nation. Thinking guides patterns and procedures of getting things done. Little wonder it is written in the book of life, the bible, that men ought to guard their thoughts with all diligence for out of the human mind are the issues of life. The same book records that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The heights men attain in life are a function of their thoughts. Both virtues and vices lie in human thoughts. The depth of our thinking determines the extent to which we can launch out. That perhaps accounts for why Alexander Pope in his poetic Essay on Criticism holds that no one can launch beyond their depth.
Thinking politics, political parties are guided by their ideologies. The ideology of a party determines the political behaviour and attitude of its members. These ideologies crystalize in the manifestos of the parties. In America (whose democracy we copy),for instance, the Democrats and Republicans have different ideologies. While the Republicans are given to conservatism founded on advocacy for traditional values, a low degree of government interference and support of private sector, the Democrats pander to liberalism. They are the progressives who seek to take a leap off the base of Republican conservatism. In Western world, party members are committed to their ideology. In fact, ideology guides their individual political orientation and these things are pragmatized.
In our clime, however, our politicians have not so much as heard about ideology much less have it guide their political thoughts and behaviour. What obtains here is that our politicians endlessly roam about the political space like a rolling stone that gathers no moss. Today, they are here; tomorrow there. They commit to nothing but self. They are propelled by stomach infrastructure, to borrow this phrase from Ayo Fayose. It takes strength of character to fail in an election and remain there. Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu had demonstrated this character in the past, for when the APC defeated the PDP in the 2015 election, many PDP members crossed over to the APC but Ike had stayed put. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has also been ideologically committed to the PDP when his brother governors from the South East were running to APC. That is a clear and commendable mark of ideological commitment.
But for selfish reasons, there is no reason why anyone should leave their party for another. The understanding is that whoever wins the party ticket is coming to implement the manifesto of the party which is guided by the party’s ideology. So, it must not be you. If anything, you should support your party to emerge victorious at the polls. The idea is that whatever ideological essence is tailored towards the people. But here, people gallivant all over the place like gorillas because they have nothing to offer the people. This accounts for the terrible tale of woes that has become the lots of our system.
Here in Enugu State, we can see the political ill wind that blows no one any good playing out. The gorillas are hopping from one bough to the other. Those who failed primary elections have begun to desert their parties and moved to another political party on selfish grounds.This situation is made worse by the accomplice of the political parties who accept such peripatetic homeless politician into their fold.
The fact in Enugu State is that the people have bought into the ideology of the PDP. Enugu is PDP and it will be difficult for any other party to penetrate and muscle power from the PDP.
The news making the round is that Chijioke Edeoga has eloped to Labour Party. Chijioke was completely beaten by Peter Mbah, the candidate of the party. He got paltry 9 votes against Mbah’s astronomical margin of 700 votes. Chijioke impressed the people of Enugu State when in a press statement he released congratulated Peter Mbah and urged all his supporters to support Peter Mbah.
Few weeks after that,Chijioke surreptitiously crept into Labour Party and picked the governorship ticket. Edeoga by this action has failed integrity test. He has been misled by his in-laws, the Nwodos, and the likes of Okey Ezea himself a serial failure who has contested the governorship many times and had many times failed woefully.
Edeoga and those pushing him into political oblivion have begun terrible campaigns of calumny against Governor Ugwuanyi and seek to polarize Enugu State divisively into two irredentist blocs and create war between Nsukka and Nkanu. It is clear that Okey Ezea and his cohorts have no interest of neither Nsukka nor Enugu State in their shenanigans. They are propelled by greed and selfishness.
The PDP in Enugu State has presented the people with a visionary candidate, the young, cerebral entrepreneur who is poised to transformative build upon the many achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi. Peter Mbah and his running mate, another sound lawyer of a young man, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, constitute the unrivaled team. Peter is unarguably the next governor of Enugu State. Edeoga is merely chasing the shadow of stomach infrastructure and shall fail, as he has absolutely nothing to offer in his anti-party ideological dereliction.
Eze Nwamadi writes from Independence Layout, Enugu.
