Challenges are part of statesmanship. Nelson Mandela spent time in gaol; Nnamdi Azikiwe was to be jailed and Jerry Rawlings escaped death by a whisker. Like they say, nothing good comes easy.
Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is not having sleepless nights in any way. He understands his colleague politicians. All the noise about his Vice Presidential nomination will die a slow death and everyone will come back to same table for dinner.
Okowa’s journey to the Senate in 2011 was not hitch-free. To get the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Delta North, he faced stiff opposition from Dr. Mariam Comfort Nneamaka Ali.
The woman, a doctor like Okowa, was married to a very powerful teacher-turned soldier-politician. Col. Ahmadu Ali, the pioneer Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was once minister of Education and senator in the Second Republic.
Ali was so close to Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo that the former could walk into his house at any time to pop corn instead of champagne. Ali and Brig. Benjamin ‘Black Scorpion’ Adekunle who handed over command of the Third Marine Commandos to Obasanjo during the Civil War, were school mates.
Ali was at the University of Ibadan before Okowa but was rechristened ‘ Ali Mun (Must) Go’ by students during the latter’s undergraduate days. Above all, Ali had been chairman of the PDP.
Mariam Ali nearly became PDP senator in 2007 after dethroning two- timer, Chief Patrick Osakwe in the party primaries. Defeated but unshaken, Osakwe played a fast one.
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The Alis apparently forgot that apart from studying Political Science at the University of Benin under Dr. Abdullahi Osman, Osakwe was a pools magnate who bought Rubber Board Football Club and changed it to Flash Flamingos.
Osakwe took his PDP umbrella to Accord Party, an unknown force and floored the PDP candidate. Okowa did not have to decamp when he scored a political goal against Ali.
With all the King’s horses and all the Queen’s men, Okowa grabbed the ticket from his rival. One of those who stood behind Mariam Ali was Peter Nwaoboshi, who became a senator later. With time, Nwaoboshi and Ali became public enemies.
Okowa defeated Munir Chinedu Nwoko, the dude we all know as Ned, in the senatorial election. Ned, Member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, had joined the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).
Ned Nwoko is not only a dogged fighter, he is a UK trained lawyer. DPP sounded like the reverse of the PDP, or Director of Public Prosecution. Okowa fought the battle and won. His opponent later took to pole climbing and became the first Black African to hit the South Pole, Antarctica.
This brings us back to Dr. Alexander Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, the first Nigerian Vice President. Note that Okowa is hailed in Delta as ‘Ekwueme Gburugburu’. His middle name is also Ifeanyichukwu and their initials, A.I.
Like Okowa, Ekwueme did not fight to be picked as Vice Presidential candidate in 1979. Without his knowledge, a meeting was held at 10 Club Road, Ikoyi- Lagos.
In attendance were Dr. Maitama Sule, Chairman, Public Complaints Commission, Selcan Miner, former Secretary to Benue Plateau State Government, Hawson Wright, from Lagos, Njiole Okereke, from Imo and Chief Joe Ifedobi, ‘Okosisi’, from Anambra.
Dr. Kingsley Ozuomba Mbadiwe, the great Man of Timber and Calibre, was favoured to be named Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s running mate. Dr. Dike Nworah was also in contention.
Shagari went for Ekwueme, not minding that venue of the event was K.O. Mbadiwe’s Jibowu Street Yaba property. That is the way life goes. Politics is not as rigid as Mathematics.
When you see Okowa thinking ahead, be calm. He has crossed bridges over troubled waters. And he has also built political bridges instead of walls. Like the bedbug told her children, relax, this hot air will soon go cold.
.Obasi, a communicator on politics and public affairs, writes from Lagos
