BY IKE UME ATUANA

DR. CHRIS Ngige is one politician who needs no introduction in a congregation of his peers. He was wangled into power by elements thought to be political profiteers and got bundled out same way by the courts. The clumsy manner of his forced removal from office earlier on by those who enthroned him attracted wide condemnation. That false step greatly extenuated the invidious manner of his emergence as the Governor of Anambra State.

But for the courts, Ngige might still be holding office as Governor and chalking up some good popularity. His failed abduction which would demean a man not as favoured by the gods, only made him popular.

Ngige enjoyed a hero’s status no doubt, and seemed set to continue that way until his star was dimmed suddenly by the unrelenting exertion of Mr. Peter Obi. But the spirits appeared to have ordered Ngige’s foot steps aright because the Mbadinuju government which he was to replace had long misfired. Mbadinuju was fast tailing off the stage as a non-performer and needed to be replaced by any  person other than himself.

His administration failed in the most elemental aspect of governance by abdicating basic responsibilities to which his government was beholden. He could neither guarantee the education of the citizens of the State nor pay salary to her workers. The anomalous situation prevailed for months on end with basic amenities already in decay and crass opportunism soaring high. Impunities spawned as a result, provoked large scale disillusionment in the people, welling up anger and subsequent rejection of his government. Confused as ever, Mbadinuju dejectedly sought recourse to God, and exhorted the people to pray accordingly for divine intervention.

That was the situation when Ngige emerged on the scene on the laps of benevolence. Rejecting the dictates of economic control from those who made him Governor at a price and charging the environment as a consequence, he plunged his government head-on into road constructions like never before. In no time he was pitchforked into an icon as his popularity snowballed. It got to a stage where Mr. Peter Obi, the man whose victory was usurped was not only seen as ‘too’ insistent on his right but was even counseled by some known men of God to let go of his mandate with such insinuation that it could be an act of God. A clear case of victory-sanctifying-usurpation, you may say. Needless to say that Ngige at that point was almost deified by the people who knew no better development until then.

But all have since changed with the gradual ticking away of time and events. That nostalgic feeling has faded with the systematic turn around in the development of the State. The Ngige phenomenon is no longer the elixir. In fact, it is fast thinning out of the people’s consciousness. Election issues, especially in this clime seemed more a spur of the moment thing rather than on account of past deeds. Once a man vacates office his influence wanes faster than is thought possible. And Ngige’s case is no exception, more so when Obi is not only dissimilar to Mbadinuju but has diligently wrought development in the State in leaps and bounds.

It is five years since Ngige left office. And within this period Obi has systematically diminished him through his multi-sectoral approach to development. Obi’s pattern of development apart from its spread is also all encompassing. No section of the State suffers at the instance of the other. Beyond that, Obi has brought government closer to the people by involving traditional rulers and leaders of town unions on the issue of security and palliative measures on community roads.  Projects are not sited only in areas where APGA, the party that delivered the Governor performed well in the last governorship election in the State. Even when that option would appear attractive to no less a politician, Obi has resisted such discrimination, including all and excluding none.

It is on this note that the odds seemed stacked against Ngige to win the Anambra Central Senatorial race. His decision to join the race may be called rash for the simple reason that another defeat by APGA, via a woman, would signal his political requiem.

I have this feeling that he was ill-advised, expecting that if he must make another appearance on the political terrain it would be on national level. That is to say he should opt to vie as Ribadu’s running mate on the ACN ticket.  Unfortunately, he was said not to be enamoured of such venture, apparently sensing unlikely good outing for the party in the on-coming presidential race.

Mr. Ume- Atuana, a public affairs analyst, writes from Awka, Anambra State.