Sunday Musings Money, Guilt, Power and Fear - and Elder Dan Imo
By: Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
Sunday June 15, 2003
Fellow Nigerians and Other Readers:
I am still stunned by the way and manner of Elder Dan Chinyere Imo’s capitulation
at a press conference yesterday before Senator Adolphus Wabara of Abia South
Senatorial District. At my age, it is not as if the possibility of
him giving up his mandate had not crossed my mind, but after a recent fourth
letter loudly claiming his mandate, I thought that Dan Imo had crossed that
rubicon.
What could have accounted for this late show of apparent spinelessness?
Reason # 1: Subornation
The easy reason is the pedestrian Ogbete-market rumor: being Nigerian,
and particularly being Igbo, Elder Dan Imo must have been suborned - that
he was faking all of this time, upping the stakes each time he laid claim
to his mandate, and when the price was just right, he folded.
That it is pedestrian does not make the reason wrong - but it would be too
obvious.
I see three other possibilities.
Reason # 2: Admission of Guilt
The second reason might be that in fact he knew all of this time that that
local government election “collation officer” Solomon Ogunju Nwabor from
Obingwa REALLY brought in fake results which put him (Dan Imo) over the top
vis-à-vis Adolphus Wabara. Maybe Solomon was now willing to
sing - again for a price - and told Elder Dan so? Certainly former
Deputy Governor Abaribe who is said to now prefer to let peace to reign
- and apparently the Obingwa chieftain responsible for the numbers “majic”
- was no longer committal, making darkness and realization that the
game was up to envelope our dear Elder Dan.
Quite possible of faked results - but quite improbable.
Why do I say improbable?
Let us look at the other election results of THE SAME DAY: the House
of Representatives.
Table 1: Comparing HOR and Senate Results for Abia South Senatorial
Zone
House of Reps Constituencies
Party
Obingwa/ Ugwunagbo/
Osisioma
Aba North/
Aba South
Ukwa East/
Ukwa West
Total House of Rep - Abia South
Total Senate Acc. to Imo
Total Senate Acc. to Wabara
AD
3417
38112
6237
47766
8607
8607
ANPP
37885
12187
6986
57058
47250
47267
NDP
14270
735
*
15005
1764
1876
PDP
7936
11935
11950
31821
39614
52853
UNPP
6825
1800
*
8625
*
*
APGA
*
14179
*
14179
16365
16389
Rejected Ballots
0
0
0
0
0
*
Total
70333
78948
25173
174454
113,600
126,982
Reason # 3: The Power of the Senate President
Consider this logic being presented to Elder Dan Imo: “Bia, if you
are in the Senate, you will be the ONLY ANPP SENATOR from the ENTIRE SOUTH,
with all the others being ndi-Ausa - abi na Onye-ausa sef ? Biko, what
will that “fetch” for our dear Abia State? But with Ogbuefi Wabara
there, he will not ONLY be a Senator in a Majority party, but he will be
the Senate PRESIDENT! Now if you are NOT SELFISH, who will our dear
ABIA STATE gain more from: a lowly senator like you or a Senate President
like Adolphus?”
The answer is clear, and the logic is compelling.
Another aspect of federal power may be forthcoming for Elder Dan soon who,
we were loudly told, used to be a member of the PDP: promise of a ministerial
position (the Abia slot), or a juicy chairmanship of some federal corporation.
Stay tuned.
Reason # 4: The “Ige-Factor” Fear/Intimidation
This would most likely be expressed to him through his wife, who would tell
him at midnight - after some very good night food, material or otherwise:
“Bia, Dan, see all our eleven children (or whatever number that they really
have). I can re-marry, but who will take care of all of them if something
goes “Bump!” in the night against you? Suppose right now, some people
come into this our bedroom and kill you like that Onye Yoroba Bola Ige?
Nor be Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Afani-fare, and friend to Baba
een be? Oginni happen? Nothing! Nor be Osomire
(abi wetin be in name sef?) be Senator for Ige town so? Abegi, you go just
die like fowl, while I will be a widow feeding eleven children. Tufiakwa!
Biko, go out there and give up this silly mandate - or whatchamacallit.”
And the logic would again be compelling.
Epilogue
So my compatriots, money, guilt, power and fear must have featured - in various
weighting dosage - in this show.
O diegwu!
One thing I know: it is a sad day for Nigeria, and a sadder day for
Ndigbo within the Nigerian polity. The few Igbo friends that I have
may not like the latter assertion, but there it is.
Stay tuned.
Bolaji Aluko
Another clinic in Nigerian politics
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