Checking Name Dropping In Partisan Politics

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, last Sunday had reason  to admonish all aspirants into the State House of Assembly to go about their lawful business of wooing supporters without undue name calling and intimidation.

Speaking through his Senior Media Adviser and Director, Media and Publicity of his re-election campaign organisation, Mr David Iyofor, the state chief executive made it clear that he was not backing any single candidate into any elective office.

The statement warned politicians to avoid using the governor’s name to intimidate opponents in order to enjoy undue advantage over others, as such would no longer be condoned.

As governor, the state chief executive, the statement said, is a leader and father to all aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and would not take decisions that can cause disharmony such as backing one candidate against another.

“All Aspirants for different positions in the state are therefore, advised to leave the governor out of their campaigns and focus on slogging it out at the primaries which will ultimately decide their fate,” the statement said.

The Tide considers that clarification very timely and important because of the increasing level of name-dropping in political processes of the kind, particularly during intra-party primaries, where, unscrupulous politicians make all manner of claims to the effect that certain aspirants had the backing of the governor and should alone be voted while, painting an enemy picture of others.

In fact, the failure of some credible aspirants from recording electoral victory in past elections, could be blamed on what Gov. Amaechi has found reason to warn against as most delegates to intra-party primaries were often cajoled into demonstrating loyalty by voting according to the perceived thinking of the party hierarchy, conveyed to them by such politicians.

The Tide commends Gov Amaechi for demonstrating the required impartiality as leader of the PDP in the state and considers it most instructive to urge politicians to heed the governor’s warning.

This is because in a political process as the one we are in, what should count the most, in considering who to vote are the pedigrees of the various aspirants, and viable plans of action, each has articulated in addressing, in a lasting manner, the fluctuating fortunes of their various peoples.

Simply put, the voter must vote according to his conscience and conviction and not be cajoled into backing glorified mediocres because some politicians willed it so, using Governor Amaechi’s name as the needed rubber-stamp for such fraudulent actions.

The outcome of such primaries in the general elections apart from enthroning mediocrity over merit is often rancorous as credible but politically shortchanged aspirants seek other platforms to further their ambition, while the victorious candidates spend ages demonstrating loyalty to their ‘makers’ instead of the peoples, they were chosen to serve.

It is to avoid this, and ensure that the electorate voted credible candidates according to their conscience, that the governor made his stand known even before the first round of primaries.

Even so, it is necessary to also advise that the governor should not merely warn against such name-calling but also monitor non-compliance and punish same to serve as deterrent to others.

That way those who thrive on lies, name-calling and false claims of the governor’s support would think more of service to humanity than hero worship as means of attaining their desired political heights.