Don’t Cry For Me, Anambra – Bianca Ojukwu -By Ekene Nwankpa

When we ignore the suffering of our neighbours, we leave our communities divided and primed to be conquered by others. Bianca Ojukwu’s senatorial bid is a perfect example of this lesson, but if her post-election message to her supporters is anything to go by, she’s learnt very little from her experience so far.

Her message, titled The Road To Justice, is a response many discerning Igbos must be scratching their heads about. Who was her ghostwriter? Why didn’t he or she do their homework to ensure that we’re not reminded by her message of the many internal APGA electoral malpractices in the past, which she has tacitly supported?

Bianca Ojukwu

“I told them to weep for those aspirants whose primaries were cancelled, and a candidate was handpicked, forcibly imposed and issued a certificate of return after ‘doing the needful.”

Are we expected to believe that the reasons why Ifeanyi Ubah was vetted by APGA, deemed fit to run for the race, and then disqualified, had nothing to do with someone wanting to hand her the advantage in the preliminaries?

“I told them to weep for those aspirants who were forced to sell their land and properties and those forced to borrow huge sums of money in order to meet up with the demands and tributes required of them by designated APGA ‘election managers’ who collected from them and still sold them out.”

And while all these things were happening, what did Bianca do? How much money did she receive for the election, in addition to her monthly APGA allowance? Why didn’t she speak out earlier for the disadvantaged, or offer to help them – given her privileged position as a contestant?

“I told them to weep for our brothers and sisters in Imo, who looked upon APGA as the only hope of political salvation for their distressed State, and who did nothing wrong other than to trust the assurances of party leaders who promised free and fair primaries but delivered a ‘cash and carry abracadabra’, and even worse, went on to boast that ‘nothing will happen’.”

Why doesn’t she tell us what role she played in ushering in Rocha’s reign in Imo state? Why doesn’t she tell us exactly how much money she was paid for supporting Rochas – a man whose rule in Imo State, she laments about now?

Her supporters in Aguata, Ihiala, Orumba North, Orumba South, Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Local government Areas, certainly deserved to be thanked. But talk of “atrocities”, “Egyptians” and “spirits hearing the cry of the living”, or quotes from St Augustine, is beyond the pale and irresponsible, even for a candidate who never dreamed she could lose as early as in the preliminaries.

If you want to know where a man or woman’s heart lies, find that one person or thing they’re willing to bow their heads and accept defeat for, in order to save – that in effect is the judgement of King Solomon, and unfortunately Bianca’s response does little to convince her doubters that APGA ‘Nke anyi’, is the one thing she’s willing to humble herself to save.

Still, she’s right about APGA having lost its way. However, a fish rots from the head down, and Bianca Ojukwu has long enjoyed the company of all those who have monopolised APGA for their sole purpose. For her to cry foul play, now that she is facing the brunt of APGA’s unique brand of political jungle justice, is laughable, to say the least.

APGA lost its way, the very day Ezeigbo fell too ill to have any say on how the party should engage with the incumbent PDP, before the election which swept Goodluck Jonathan into power.

APGA lost its way by failing to ensure that there would be meaningful progress in Ndigbo’s quest to be reintegrated into the highest echelons of Nigerian politics and governance so that they can have a significant say in their future as a part of Nigeria.

APGA lost its way soon after Ezeigbo grew too frail to be able to guard himself against an increasing number of maligned politicians that surrounded him in his later years.

APGA lost its way when Bianca became Ezigbo’s head gatekeeper and began to grant these politicians access to her ailing husband for a fee. Her actions directly contributed to the Etiaba crises in the party. It also helped Rocha’s capture of Imo State – a man she laments about now; and a man whom, even though he has since moved to APC, still encapsulates much that is awry with current crop APGA leaders.

APGA lost its way, when, even well-meaning politicians who were uncomfortable with what had become a burgeoning entourage of sycophantic snakes Bianca had unleashed around Ezeigbo, threw in the towel, and joined those whom they couldn’t beat, in a stampede to get what they could from Ezeigbo, by way of association, before he died.

APGA lost its way when people, during Governor Obiano’s re-election, rightly pointed out the hypocrisy of plastering Ojukwu’s name on billboards only at election times. While politicians like her, either remained silent or dived in headfirst into his campaign – to help the very same people she now accuses of hijacking the party for their own selfish gains.

As I said at the very beginning of this piece: when we ignore the suffering of our neighbours, we leave our communities divided, and primed to be conquered by others. Bianca Ojukwu, as well as all those in APGA I alluded to in my first article on the elections: https://hubpages.com/politics/The-Truth-About-Bianca-Vs-The-Odumegwu-Ojukwu-Name should remember that “A house divided against itself,” be it a public one, or a private one, “cannot stand” – to quote Lincoln.

Writer: By Ekene Nwankp