Politics
Grievances Waited For Too Long To Be Addressed – Prof Anthony Ibe
Our dear country Nige
ria and the rest of Africa today face a multiplicity of political, economic, social, environmental, security and cultural challenges that have disrupted our developmental efforts at all levels of governance and social engineering and eroded our identity. Violent conflicts associated with the unremitting struggle for power and scarce resources often result in costly crises at the national and continental levels. As we are all too aware, the African continent is not poor on account of lack of resources; rather, we are victims of ‘resource cause’ and poor leadership that have combined to impoverish our people, who are compelled to helplessly watch this shameful power struggle amongst their insensitive elite classes from the sidelines for too long.
What end should politics serve in contemporary times? As two famous Colombian University scholars, Daron Acemoglo and lames Robinson note in their explosive book appropriately entitled: Why Nations Fail, describe politics as process by which society chooses the rules that will govem it. Politics, according to them, surrounds institutions for the simple reason that institutions may be good for the economic prosperity of a nation, some people or groups, such as the elites of the ruling party or common citizens. Conflicts usually plays out in favour of the powerful groups in any society. It, therefore, follows that the political institutions that are in operation in any society largely determine the quality of life to be enjoyed by the citizens.
In Nigeria, for instance, the correlation between this unrelenting power struggle amongst the elite class and national underdevelopment is so strong that in many instances, citizens willingly forego their franchise in a desperate attempt to avoid being engulfed in election related conflicts that inevitably result in loss of lives and widespread destruction of property by hired thugs and private armies that are commissioned and armed by these despate professional politicians. For instance, in the build-up to the 2011 and 2015 general elections, there were violent conflicts that posed concerns to Nigerian election managers, the helpless electorate, the international election observers and even analysts in the political science community.
Our situation is worsened by the sad fact that political parties are in a constant state of unhealthy rivalries and Implosion from within. The lack of internal democracy in these parties have left a huge dent in our brand of democratic practice. Our experience is that rather stay put to build a formidable opposition to the ruling party, members troop to the winning party to safeguard their pecuniary interests that are usually at variance with the best interest of the people. A former Senator recently declared and I quote him: Life outside the Senate is very suffocating”. He did not ask the rest of us who may never get near the premises of the Senate how life is treating us. That is the paradox of the Nigerian situation today.
Given the inexplicable desperation of the average Nigerian politician to cling to power with or without the expressed mandate of the electorate, it is only by the special grace of God and a dose of good luck that we have not been consumed by the dire security challenges posed by the insurgency in the North Eastern parts of the country, the unremitting daily violence in the
Middle Belt between farmers and well-armed herdsmen, the agitation of Blafran separatists in the South East and militancy in the Niger Delta.
Now, if we add the rising cases of kidnapping of innocent citizens, especially academics to the tally, the full burden of the various conflicts we face in Nigeria begins to become clear. Wherever you look, there are more than enough centripetal forces lurking in hidden and open places, seeking to dismember our nationhood. Some of these contrived or genuine grievances have waited for too long to be frontally addressed by our. leaders, who appear not to read the warning signals emanating from the various crises flash points.
This Conference is coming at a time when security challenges in our environment, particularly during elections are at their peak. The distasteful phrase: Inconclusive elections, is gradually finding a lasting place in our political lexicon. The increasing violent struggles for power is at the centre of several inconclusive elections in recent times, making it not only impossible for election umpires to discharge their statutory obligations, but also leaving many constituencies without representation at both the State and National Assemblies.
I am also happy to note that in the midst of the contrived chaos that brings us a negative image, countries such as Botswana, Malawi, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, and lately Nigeria, have conducted relatively free and fair elections that resulted in peaceful transfer of power from the ruling party to opposition parties on the continent. We hope that this trend would be replicated in the rest of Africa where leaders sit tight in power
until death do them part with the victims of their high-handedness and family dynasty.
Let me hasten to add that Nigerian political scientists stand in a good position to help the nation overcome these challenges through research and enlightenment programmes. As a nation, our journey to improved socio-political and economic advancement would depend so much on committed scholars like you who have a moral and professional obligation to proffer functional solutions to some of the problems I have outlined above.
Prof Ibe is of the University of Port Harcourt.
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.
