Obviously, the appointment of members of opposition political parties is not an oversight or an error. It is a deliberate effort that makes a bold statement to the effect of giving a hint of the incoming governor’s ambitious political roadmap.
AWKA — A careful consideration of the just-released Transition Team of Anambra State Governor-Elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo reveals, among other things, his scope of interest in state, regional and national politics. Soludo who rode on the back of the All Progressives Grand Alliance –APGA, a party considered by many as the political vehicle of the Southeast region, appears to have made a bold statement on where he stands with the future of APGA and Southeast, moving forward.
The Transition Team chaired by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili who although has never been part of Anambra State politics or governance before, even as she has a reputation of forthrightness; has members drawn from diverse political backgrounds. For instance, the Director-General of the People’s Democratic Party –PDP governorship campaign in the November 2021 governorship election, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, is a member of the team. Although Dr. Obiogbolu had resigned his membership of the PDP only days ago. Chief Osita Chidoka is a known quantity and one of the most influential figures in his age bracket in Anambra State. Chidoka is a member of the PDP and as of today, he is still a PDP member and a critical stakeholder of his party in Anambra and at the national level. There are other members of other political parties whose names are in the transition team which Prof. Soludo himself put together. So it is clear that the choice of members of opposition political parties in the transition team is a pointer to an agenda.
Obviously, the appointment of members of opposition political parties is not an oversight or an error. It is a deliberate effort that makes a bold statement to the effect of giving a hint of the incoming governor’s ambitious political roadmap. Although, understandably, Governor-Elect Prof. Soludo is of APGA but no longer of APGA alone because he is to govern Anambra state, not a political party. Viewed from this prism, it may altogether appear all innocent that certain names found their way into the transition team, but that is far from the truth. Politics by nature is divisive although this division cannot always be toxic, there is always a clear line of distinction which says ‘we don’t belong together. No matter how developed our politics eventually becomes, there will continue to be this clear distinction and it will always be there except we become a one-party state, or for the sake of regional political consensus in which members of the opposition have to align to build a strong regional political force.
The decision of who becomes a member of the Transition Team is one that was taken by the meticulous Prof. Soludo and for each member of that team; there is a purpose for which he or she was selected. In practical terms, what this says is that Prof. Soludo has the interest to rebuild APGA so that it will be a reflection of its true identity. What he has done is to send out an open invitation to politicians who have something to offer but are currently scattered in different political parties, that there is a chance for them in APGA. But if we consider the flip side, the message might be a little different. Perhaps, sending the message that Anambra is bigger than partisan politics or that he is creating a new political frontier that is party-blind.
Whatever this may be exactly, in the end, a political party will still be needed to drive home this agenda and in which instance it is either APGA or another party. But we do know that as presently constituted, APGA cannot push such an agenda without a major shift which will naturally involve an open invitation to formidable political characters in other parties for a joint political force.
From the list, it can be seen that some of the members are drawn from different Southeast states of Abia, Imo, among others. Why is it important to have people from other Southeast states in the Transition Team? Here again, it is clear what Prof. Soludo intends to do upon assumption of office. Apparently, Soludo wants to work towards making APGA a regional political party with which to negotiate at the centre. This has always been the vision behind APGA but for sixteen years, former governor Peter Obi and governor Willie Obiano could not articulate this vision clearly much less move towards its realization.
In the last election cycle, Imo state came very close to being picked by APGA but the bizarre political brigandage that characterized the entire process in which party people who were aspiring to public offices were brazenly ripped off, marred APGA’s chances. Without sounding overly excited or affirmative on the basis of a mere idea, the truth of the matter however is that Prof. Soludo will very unlikely entertain such opprobrium that marred APGA’s chances in Imo and all over in 2019.
Looking at how the transition team is constituted, it is perceptible that Soludo’s political agenda hinges on a stronger APGA in Anambra state. But even beyond Anambra state, the incoming governor appears determined to position APGA as a key regional player which has always been the idea behind the argument for an ‘Igbo party’ which APGA has come to fully represent.
