ANAMBRA 2021: Gov. Obiano Vs Arthur Eze

Prince Arthur Eze is a stupendously rich man said to be the richest man in Igboland. He is a mercurial political contractor cum oil magnate whose munificence goes beyond the frontiers of Nigeria. Eze is presently involved in an open conflict with the incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano. Obiano, it would be recalled, won re-election three years ago for a second tenure which comes to an end next year.

In the said governorship poll of November 18, 2017, Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) trounced the opposition, the two major opponents, Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Obaze Oseloka of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to clinch the victory. He won in almost all the local governments that make up Anambra state!

Before the politics of godfatherism or ingratitude or whatever put an irreconcilable wedge in their political relationship Governor Obiano and his predecessor, Peter Obi, had been best of friends. Like what the fallen National Chairman of the ruling APC party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is currently doing in Edo State Obi had supported a political opponent of Obiano who got beaten electorally. As the next guber poll approaches the issue of who succeeds Obiano seems to be the source of the feud with the business mogul from Ukpo in Dunikofia Local Government Area of the state.

Anambra, my beloved State, is a rich sophisticated geographical space east of the Niger populated by culturally-strong, hardworking ambitious folks out to change the poverty/underdevelopment narrative in Biafraland in general and Anambra state in particular. No one in their right senses could doubt the resolve of Ndi-Anambra to make life better for their siblings and families in the hinterland.

The state has produced national heroes like the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late fomer President Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the late former Senate President Dr Chuba Okadigbo. Anambra remains a homeland of the brave, the formidable and the proud; a land where laziness is not tolerated!

With the 2021 guber poll in the state looming in the horizon Prince Eze is said to favour the zoning of the governorship ticket to Anambra South, something Governor Obiano is obviously against. The Governor is from Aguleri community in the Anambra East Local Government Area. Eze, the benevolent billionaire, is reportedly in a feud with Obiano over the issue of zoning formula.

Recently Eze reportedly took about a dozen traditional rulers in the state to Abuja to meet the President, Muhammadu Buhari, on a homage/thank you visit, an audacious action considered by the state government as an affront. Gov. Obiano’s administration reacted angrily to the visit without the blessing of the state authorities. He consequently suspended the traditional monarchs for a year!

Read also: ISMAILA ISA FUNTUA: We began as adversaries

Following this development one of the erring traditional rulers, Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo of Alor community in Idemili South Local Government Area had apologised profusely for making the trip recognising his fault and begging for forgiveness. The local kings were alleged to have received financial inducements and gifts to participate in the trip, something the Alor king denied.

The face-off between the Governor and the oil magnate took a new turn at the weekend when Prince Eze spoke from his Ukpo country home. The big man sounded dismissive of the Governor calling him a “small fry”! He had these to say arrogantly: “I’m not afraid of anybody. I have installed three African presidents. One of them gave me oil blocks in his country. I have assisted in enthroning many governors in Nigeria…. I have given a governorship candidate N10bn to assist him prosecute his election. I didn’t know the candidate from Adam…”.

A man who claims to install Presidents and dole out billions to poor candidates to prosecute elections is a dangerous godfather who should be taken seriously. Perhaps the Prince wants to have a big say on who succeeds Obiano come next year using his huge fortunes as intimidating instruments. The Governor may not recognise his importance (or nuisance if you like) but with his immense wealth and connections he remains a critical stakeholder in the present and future gubernatorial dispensation in the state.

Prince Arthur Eze is a natural special breed given his rare physical attribute (very much like the Jamaican reggae great, Winston Foster (alias King Yelloman), the Tunisian President, Kais Saied and the Malian international musician, Salif Keita). He appears to be the only godfather still left standing in Anambra politics after the notorious Uba brothers.

Unlike Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the invincible godfather of Lagos politics, Prince Eze is getting a rude and crude challenge from the executive man from Aguleri for whatever it is worth. While Governor Obiano had accused the traditional rulers of being lured to Abuja by the billionaire on a chest-thumping mission to demonstrate his ambition to turn Anambra State into his private fiefdom Eze may have had other plans.

However, beyond Governor Obiano and Prince Eze’s egomaniacal superiority clash what matters most to Ndi-Anambra is producing a man capable of delivering democracy dividends to the people post-Obiano and changing the infrastructural architecture of the state for better. A lot still needs to be done to reposition Anambra state. So the Obiano/Eze feud could be seen, therefore, as a distraction we least needed going forward towards 2021.

Our position is that Ndi-Anambra should be given an opportunity to choose a good candidate to govern them beyond the second tenure of Obiano. We do not need an overbearing godfather or a Tinubu or Oshiomhole in the state to ‘elect’ the Governor on our behalf through high-wire rigging or politicking. Governor Obiano and Prince Arthur Eze must ‘step aside’ for the people to decide their fate.

Author: Ozodinukwe Okenwa…

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