By Prof. Oguejiofo T. Ujam

It was interesting reading various rejoinders to my opinion article captioned, “Enugu 2023: Between zoning politics and ethnic revisionism,” which was published on Sunday October 4, 2020 edition of Sun newspapers.

In all the personal opinions, including those expressed through the social media, phone calls and emails, I acknowledged specially the rejoinder written by one Godfrey Nnaji, captioned, Re: Enugu 2023: Between zoning politics and ethnic revisionism, which was published on Wednesday October 7, 2020 in the same Sun newspaper.

It would seem that, borrowing from the eternal words of William Shakespeare in the Tempest, the political hell is empty and all the devils are here. Suddenly, many political interest groups have found their voices and like rabid wolves, found enough gumption to bay at the moon. Political speak, it would seem, brings out the worse in most. For it would seem that many couldn’t engage in a discourse of intellectual nature without calling names or resorting to pitiful ad hominems.

Penultimate week, I was impelled to write on issues surrounding the Enugu State governorship calculations, especially as they concern the zoning politics and attempts to introduce fresh perspectives to qualify the power rotation arrangement among the three senatorial zones of the state.

It is certain that some of those political reactionaries who rushed to attack some portions of my article did not digest the essential fabrics of the conversation.

In a quick summary, the essay laid out the following facts as the undercurrents fuelling the attempt to revise or obstruct the zoning or power rotation arrangement in the state:

1. That, the need to eschew rancour and ensue orderliness in leadership selection process in Enugu State necessitated the zoning approach, which has been observed religiously in the past 21 years.
2. That some prominent political actors, who have been in elective office since 2003 and benefitted from serial breaches of the power rotation arrangement in their senatorial districts are working subtly behind the scene to scuttle the political power rotation scheme in the entire state by introducing the element of cultural zones as basis for zoning.
3. That the constitutional delineation of the state into senatorial zones remains sacrosanct as the basis of rotating the office of the gubernatorial seat in the state.
4. That since Nigeria is operating a democratic form of government, politics remain a game of numbers, which presupposes that majority should have its way, while the minority should be allowed to have its say.
5. That any attempt to introduce strange and nebulous improper fractions or integers, would not only take Enugu State back to the years of confusion, but also unleash the inter-communal strife that zoning sought to arrest.

Sadly, despite the clarity of the submissions and sincerity of the avowals, no sooner was the write-up published in the Sun newspaper issue of Sunday October 4, 2020, than partisan commentators and established interests picked up stones and cudgels literally, in search of the author’s head.

In the flurry of hasty rejoinders that trailed the opinion piece, the same section of the state, which the revisionists selected as a weak link to launch their nefarious micro zoning by cultural grouping gambit, was in the forefront of the attacks.

As some of those online activists poured their bile through their sponsored and half-hearted feedbacks, they demonstrated the fact of their poor comprehension of my original article and inability to assimilate the salient facts contained in the think piece.

However, their attacks have not removed the glaring reality that a group with vested interest seeks to lure Isi-Uzo people into an unnecessary political skirmish to create enabling opportunity for them to spring a surprise entry into the governorship contest.

I was compelled to inform some of those in my close circle that the pseudo-intellectuals from Isi-Uzo chose to wallow in political victimhood and sentimental apologia instead of looking inwards to fish out the blacklegs being used by those surreptitiously working to alter the zoning arrangement.

There is no need for further naming of names, but every sane citizen in Enugu State know who publicly stated that in 2023 he would change the course of his political involvement. As such, what was expected of the Isi-Uzo social media warriors was to ward-off the tendentious shenanigans of those who want to use them as cannon fodders in their narrow political ambition to govern Enugu State after 20 years in the legislative arm.

My take is that since Enugu State has enjoyed the benefits of rotating the gubernatorial position among the three senatorial districts in the state, there is no compelling reason to warrant a change or review of the system.

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More importantly, coming back to Enugu East, where the wheel of zoning began, there is no record of any contrary views or agitation for a review of the power sharing arrangement from the Senatorial District.

Of course, being a statewide office, the position of governor is even beyond the people of Enugu East alone to begin to contemplate micro zoning among the constituent clans, towns, villages, wards or even local government councils.

That thinking actually informed my statement that all those agitating for a review of the zoning arrangement should remember that contrary to what obtained in the past, there are two relatively strong major political platforms such that it would not be easy to force a particular choice down the throats of Enugu people.

What this means is that all men and women from Enugu East, who feel sufficiently inspired to aspire and are convinced that they have the character, competence and capacity to be governor of Enugu State, should begin to mobilise support within their political parties.

There is nothing in Enugu State that suggests that only those who had previously occupied elective offices are entitled for promotion to the office of governor.

It is true that incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was elected as governor in 2015 after his stint as member of the House of Representatives. However, those who think that their election to the Senate entitles them to be governor should remember that Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime came from their medical and legal professional practices to be governor.

The peace-loving and enlightened people of Enugu State have always elected their leaders based on conviction and not clever schemes or unbridled opportunism. The major challenge for political parties in the state, particularly All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to fish for capable aspirants that would be acceptable to Enugu people.

If however the two big parties think that micro zoning is their trump card, they should be reminded of what happened in Imo State in 2007, Ondo State in 2007, Nasarawa State in 2011. Nothing says the people cannot elect a candidate of other political parties.

In conclusion, the recent #EndSARS protest has shown that you can never say never, as far as social engineering is involved. Enugu East Senatorial District is the zone to produce the next governor. You don’t change a winning team. Zoning by senatorial zones has been winning and will continue to win. But, as the pawns are steadily being pushed out into positions in the political chase game, let us play carefully for a progressive checkmate.

*Prof. Ujam writes from Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Enugu State

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