Ihedioha VS Senator Anyanwu: Is Imo PDP Not Doomed?

While provocation is the act of inciting or annoying someone into doing something positively or negatively, temperament is a state of the mind (good or bad) in thinking, behaving or reacting. It connotes disposition, an outlook on the world but also a sense of individuality that radiates self assurance.

Social experience has it that people with good temperament are those who bring people towards them…Why? Because they invite smart people and feel warmed by their presence. On the other hand, those with provocative tendencies are often crafty, dangerous and destructive both in nature and in action. They suffer from inferiority complex, most times, they are too greedy, covetous and deceitful.

This disposition lures a curious mind to probe whether the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has been hijacked by those with dangerous and destructive tendencies who find it difficult to engage people in factual and logical argument?

No doubt, due to his exceptional character of unity and cooperation, Senator Samuel Anyanwu in turn encourages a spirit of contribution that leads to collaboration. This is why there is something about him that attracts multitudes of people with conscience to him as a leader with good temperament.

So often, leaders with good temperament talk first about what they have achieved for the society rather than what they have done for themselves. This is the philosophy of Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Samdady).

Information has it that Ihedioha is in the habit of boasting and talking incessantly about his personal achievements in party politics rather than how he has empowered the youths, women and the less privileged around him.

The emphasis on temperament should not denigrate the role of intellect. What PDP needs now are people with good temperament rather than allowing those that enjoyed the connective efforts of PDP Stakeholders in the past, but ended up dispossessing the future of the youths to election thuggery and ballot box snatching to dictate what happens, how it happens and way forward for the party.

From an insider, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State are at cross road over the manner Ihedioha and his “boys” are handling the affairs of the party without respect to Stakeholders.

His static and stagnant style of leading the party in the state is the reason major Stakeholders are paying lip service to the affairs of the party. A concerned member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) angrily wondered why founding members and leaders of the party were pushed aside for no just cause. Some argued that PDP has become an “Mbaise” affair instead of an Imo affair…very ridiculous!

The fact remains that if those whose faces and influence attract membership to the party are selfishly shut out, we need no conviction to conclude that PDP may be faced out before the next election. An Igbo proverb has it that, “any person who kills a native doctor that prepares charms for him, those planing to kill him had yet finished”.

What members of PDP should be after now is how to reposition the party and not how to hijack it. Their primary objective should be how to bring everyone together, harmonize things and not how to pocket party structure or delegates. In doing this, they should look for a leader that has peace, unity, oneness and cooperation as his watchword, and strongly resist that political “Nebuchadnezzar” that has continued unabatedly to hold the party to ransom since 2015.

A clearer look at the party suggests that PDP does not have a stronghold in Imo state again as experienced before following the emergence of the new administration. For such prediction to be foiled, then, there is need to allow a level playing ground to be the order of the day, otherwise, the future and chances of the party will be very tin.

An African proverb maintains that “a tree cannot make a forest”, if this proverb is anything to go by, then Emeka Ihedioha alone cannot influence the victory of PDP in subsequent elections if leaders like Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (Aha Eji Aga Mba of Igbo Land), Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu (Samdady), Barr Chris Okewulonu, Hon Jones Onyeriri, Hon Jerry Alagbaoso, and Barr Victor Muruako amongst other prominent influencers in the party are sidelined for selfish reasons.

It is very important for members of PDP to rise up and speak against wickedness, greed, malice, avarice, ego and follow a leader who has the smarts to evaluate alternatives, a leader who is confident in his own intellect to make the right call after the smart people have shared their ideas and their counsel.

In summary, there is need for them to look towards Senator Samuel Anyanwu and those Ihedioha has struggled to blackmail from the party, perhaps to remain as the face of PDP in Imo with a view to making money from Abuja.

The question is; why is Emeka Ihedioha consistently annoying those ready and capable of strengthening Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo state?. In contrast, the perceiver tends to be more spontaneous and flexible with managing time considering the fact that 2023 elections are just at the corner, but a selfish man destined for humiliation does not think that death is close bye.

A leader is not good if he does not develop his temperament; physical, mental and emotional capabilities are up at the top of the chart, but the testimonies are everywhere that Ihedioha is provocatively temperamental to the highest order.

If so, how then will he bring back, relaunch, revive and revamp PDP in Imo state without the efforts of those with good temperament not forgetting that temperament is as vital as a good leader himself.

The question is, won’t Ihedioha hot temperament scare sympathizers and members of the party away?

A bad leader with provocative tendencies is so vindictive especially, when he sees young pragmatic and proactive leaders emerging. No wonder, Ihedioha was said to have trickily instigated the futile and purported suspension of Senator Samuel Anyanwu!

Take it or leave it, history has positioned Senator Samuel Anyanwu on the same line with Tsun Zu, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher etc.

This is because they have good temperament and find it cool learning everyday from those under them without reservations. But in the case of Ihedioha, those close to him are of the contrary opinion that he always wear a “stone” face hence, does not learn from anyone under him except the elites. Some angry PDP members described him as classless and pompous in nature with tight fisted hands.

The question remains that if he is what his party members said he is, how then will he control diverse opinions in the party without injuring realities?

It is a truism that attitude and temperament are the only ingredients for a healthier leadership, but since Ihedioha does not possess them, the crash of PDP under him before the next election will be imminent and monumental if he does not rescind his warned off behaviours.

By so doing, we shall be expecting Imo of our collective dreams.

Ikenna ONUOHA, a Journalist and Public Relations Consultant.

Writes From Owerri, The Capital Of Imo State.