By Ogu Bundu Nwadike
There has been much asay about the Saturday, March 9, 2019 election. What is not certain is whether there will be much ado about the election. While it is easy to talk and dish out words, translating the same to deeds is a different tall order. People should be bothered more about what they will do on the election day than what they said before the election.
Let nobody make any mistake about it, Imo PDP leaders, members and supporters performed excellently well in the Saturday, February 23, elections. With over three quarters (80%+) of the total votes cast being pocketed by PDP, we should give kudos and bravo to the people of Imo PDP.
Spitting cold words of blame upon excellent winners is not the best thing to do. Ekele onye akidi, ya agwota ozo! So, all thanks and praises must go to God and the people of Imo PDP for the wonderful excellent results in last election. It is believed that there will be an improved repeat of that feat in Saturday, March 9 elections. So, shall it be in Jesus name. Amen!
In this piece, we wish to advance more pragmatic approaches to winning the next election. In the last election, there was violence in Orlu Zone. But Owerri Zone, and to a large extent, Okigwe Zone were relatively peaceful. It’s therefore not correct to create the impression that the entire Imo State was at the mercy of the violent rampage of the shameless, expiring governor, Rochas Okorocha and his hooligans and thugs.
To that extent, it may be said that there will be sporadic vistas of violence in some polling units. That must never be ruled out. There will be snatching of snatchables at some polling units. There will be some gunshots to scare people at some polling units. There will be intimidation at some polling units and at collation centres. Sure, there will be all of those. But the very confirmed truth is that those negative actions will be only in fewer polling units. The calculation is that over 90% of the polling units will be violence-free.
To win again on Saturday, March 9, Imo PDP leaders, members and supporters must concentrate focus on the areas where the propensity for violence is less, while making real good concerted efforts to contend with and contain with the enemies in the areas where the hands of the expiring governor and his gang of hoodlums and thugs may reach.
It’s believed that if a concerted and concentrated focus is placed on Owerri Zone, a greater part of Okigwe Zone and about half of Orlu Zone where Rochas Okorocha’s violent mercenary dare not get to, then Imo PDP will, with greater confidence, repeat their victory in the last election.
It’s instructive that the elders of Imo State have given a nod to self-preservation by reminding us that they know we’re not cowards but brave people. They have encouraged us to go out boldly and courageously to cast our votes and fight anybody that fights us. We have to respond to that proverb by being prepared to kick down the gate if the need arises. After all, our fathers sent us! Ndi PDP is for peace, but we’re never afraid of pieces!
The “Orlu Women Protest” Wednesday, February 27, 2019, over the violence of Gov. Rochas Okorocha in the last election has been heard and seen by the world. It reinvented and replicated the historic “Aba Women Riot” of 1929!
Numerous beautiful Orlu women clad in black exhibited the rare boldness and courage that the elders of Imo State must have had in mind. And for their protests coming some hours after the sanction by the elders, the women must have sourced desired boldness and courage from the fountain of encouragement of the elders.
And right at the door-mouth of the bloody soldiers that allow themselves to be used by the failed, expiring governor, Rochas Okorocha, to shoot and kill innocent armless youths, the women raised their placards and voices and screamed “Never Again!” at Rochas and his soldiers! That’s the nature of pragmatic approaches that will further ensure the ordained victory of Imo PDP in next week’s election.
There is the confirmation that He who is with Imo PDP is greater and mightier than those with defeated Rochas Okorocha, who as a sitting second-term governor could not win his state for his party. Ónyé Imo PDP nó nà óbì yá kájàrákájá. Those with the Almighty God are always in the majority! Imo PDP is in the hands of the Almighty God!
And since the foregoing is a truism, let Imo PDP leaders, members and supporters, men, women and youths prepare to repeat even in better ways in next election whatever they did in the last election to defeat Rochas Okorocha.
Action Points: Prepare well on Friday, March 8. Wake up early by 5 am on Saturday, March 9. Pray! Get to your polling unit by 7:00 am. Be very alert to observe strange movements and discussions. Ensure INEC officials with voting materials arrive latest by 8:00 am, when elections should commence officially. Join the queue. Get accredited. Cast your vote. Go out and wait till voting ends by 2:00 pm and counting of votes started and completed. Then you may leave for your home. You have played your part very well.
Wherever the need arises for a report to be made about what is going in your polling unit, call your Ward Chairman or any member of the party executive in your ward. Get their numbers handy.
We are convinced that before Rochas Okorocha foments enough violence in few polling units, the election must have been over, won by Imo PDP and lost by Rochas and his gang of co-conspirators, hooligans and thugs in APC, AA, APGA and others. So shall it be in the Almighty name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nwadike is a journalist, public affairs analyst and PDP member in Imo State
