By Jude Obuseh
Not too long ago, His Excellency, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa’s name rang with a deafening crescendo across Ika land, Delta State and Nigeria at large. Okowa was celebrated, not only as the political Chief Executive Officer of Delta State, but as a classic symbol of political dexterity and development. His name was synonymous with massive construction of roads, establishment of landmark health facilities, such as the Asaba Specialist Hospital, three state universities, empowerment of youths, and a bold shot at national politics as Atiku Abubakar’s Vice Presidential candidate during the 2023 General Polls. Without any modicum of doubt, Okowa was a leading player in the construction of Delta’s most recent political narrative.
However, the currents of the present political dispensation seem to have swallowed up the thunderous encomiums of “Ekueme na you we go follow”; an unsettling calm that bellies the glorious days of yore. Curiously, some of his allies, interest groups and actors who once rallied around him seem to have shifted their focus elsewhere. Does this pot
end a significant shift in political alignment? Is it simply pragmatism, or something much more visceral?
With all sincerity, politics is subject to the eclectic forces of change; it is pragmatic. Individual and group interests change or evolve over time, for as the pre-Socratic Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus, once said, “everything is becoming, nothing ever is”. However, the sudden and intense nature of the shift in paradigm raises pertinent questions: What was the root of the earlier alignment or loyalty? Was it a mere marriage of convenience or a union premised on altruistic loyalty? What does the new shift connote: a revolt against Okowa’s extensive influence, or a natural unraveling of the dynamics and vagaries of real politics?
However, it would be outrightly stupid and hasty to ignore Okowa’s relevance in the political sphere; premature to cast him into the abyss of political has-beens. You don’t do that to a man possessing solid political superstructure with visceral roots in the grassroots. One of history’s most instructive lessons is that power can relapse momentarily, only to resurface with increased intensity.
The drama currently playing out in Ika politics is more than an orchestrated act. What we are witnessing is a more expansive reflection of the realities of politics, which is trying to define what it means to be loyal, how to build a legacy and be a leader with willing followers in Nigeria”s evolving democratic order.
My Question To Ikas: Is the shift in loyalty by some of Dr Okowa’s former henchmen and lieutenants a normal political dynamic or the height of treachery by those he brought to political prominence?
Let’s have a civilized discussion!