Anambra’s Church of Antioch

EDIFYING ELUCIDATION BY OKEY IKECHUKWU

The state is a complete riot of political gymnastics at the moment. But that is not new. Anambra State, as the Nigerian State generally, has acquired a political reputation that is peculiarly its own since the return of democracy in 1999. Political party lines exist in name only. Loyalty is most often contrived. Merchants of the reprehensible variety of political godfatherism are still afoot, even as bad weather threatens them from all sides. Many victims of the latest round of political primaries in Anambra State, for instance, were somehow complicit in one or two previous party primaries that were nothing but organized swindles. While the more pragmatic and hardnosed among them have brushed off their bruises, had a handshake and taken whatever deals they were able to work out, others are not prepared to let it all go so lightly.

The latter are too miffed to accept that they could be so pointedly outplayed, or defeated, as the case may be. Some, not all, in the latter group, if the truth must be told, are actually diehard political witch doctors who have been part of the confusion in Anambra politics for almost twenty years now. Yes, court injunctions are whizzing about. But court injunctions have always been whizzing about in Anambra politics, for as long as anyone can remember. So, watch out! Your cap, or even your head, may be knocked off while they are at it. Since everyone’s point of view is correct, at least as far as he/she is concerned in all matters concerning the primaries, there is little room for a middle ground among the aggrieved. Tomfoolery, some might say. “The politicking of the state reminds one of the crisis among the early Christians of the Church of Antioch, mentioned in the Bible” the religiously inclined may declare.

To contextualise all of this, I shall begin by reproducing a fairly long quotation from a pro-PDP WhatsApp platform. The quotation came up not long after the state branch of the party announced the emergence of Valentine Ozigbo as the winner of the primaries. Even at that, Ugochukwu Ubah who held his primaries, powered by a court document, was also announced winner by his own people. Not to be outdone, Obiora Okonkwo, the runner up in the primaries deemed to have been the one authorised by the party alleged irregularities in the process. Implacable, and convinced that a Big Boy like him cannot be so blatantly outplayed, Okonkwo granted a calm and mature television interview, wherein he assured his followers that the fight was only just beginning. The story is not much different in the APC, where Andy Ubah emerged as winner in a primaries election that many members of the party are claiming did not take place at all. Soludo emerged in the APGA primaries, and not without some shenanigans from some quarters within the party. But the problems of APGA pale in weight and significance to the volcanic underbelly of the other parties. I invite you to replace “PDP” with any other political party in the following paragraphs I shall quote form the earlier-mentioned WhatsApp entry.

“The aftermath of the PDP (party) primaries has created two major perceptions and attitudes. The one is the perception of a successful event and an attitude of “let’s move on, because the rancour is now behind us.” The other is the perception of a controversial event with questionable outcomes and an attitude of “no way, we won’t let it stand.” The second, of the two perceptions, is not as visible and as popular as the first. But it is there. It is a matter that must be well managed, in order to have everyone fully on board as one united house. It is a known fact that the frustration of a single family member, even if he is misguided, may make him align with forces that can bring down the entire Umunna (extended family). I make the last statement bearing in mind Obiora Okonkwo’s (as also any aspirants from other parties) post-primaries TV interview, as well as the experience of Peter Obi in the 2019 general election in mind.

Much bitterness followed the emergence of Obi as VP to Atiku. Some of our aggrieved brothers and sisters then said: “Let us see how he will be VP”. One group diligently worked behind the scenes to guarantee Buhari the required minimum 25% spread, provided they could retain their seats as governors. Others put all their energies into working out a parallel agreement with the Atiku camp, to ensure that Obi will not be the channel for anything that would come to the South East. As one of them gleefully told me, “We cannot be put under Peter Obi in a political environment we dominated before he turned up from nowhere.” So, even with that assurance from Atiku camp in their pocket, they still did not fight for that candidacy. Short term cash settlements, promises of positions of relevance, plus immanent “bad bele” (afo ojoo) saw to the demise of that project. Even now, the people have no regrets, but are still making Obi the primary subject of interest. The same people will still gladly support anything that would undermine Peter Obi politically.

Truth be told, not many really campaigned for the Atiku/Obi ticket as a serious PDP project in very rigorous terms at the national level. The party made the mistake of acting as if all was well, by putting an aggrieved Saraki in charge of the presidential campaign. The same Saraki was also fighting for his political life in Kwara and, therefore, had no time for the national campaigns. That’s why, weeks after the constitution and announcement of the campaign team, nothing of real substance happened. The campaign, when it finally started, was wishy-washy. In addition to the foregoing, Makarfi, Lamido, Ekweremadu and several others were also still very angry at how they felt they were treated. They felt bad that “outsiders” like Atiku, Tambuwal and Saraki walked in, became the coveted brides and did as they pleased in a party to which they had been loyal for so long. So, on the mistaken assumption that an empty gesture could appease some of these men, Lamido, Ekweremadu, Makarfi and one other person were announced as “Technical Advisers” to Atiku. Lo and behold, these men saw that as a further insult. Blockade!

The result? The big men in the PDP went back to their houses and resolved to see how Atiku would become president after their noses had been rubbed in the sand. Not many brought money for the campaign. Not many campaigned for, or tried to monitor, the success of the campaign – if any. And not many did anything to prevent anti PDP activities in their areas. The massive, and truly impressive, APC rigging in the north occurred in the strongholds of many PDP stalwarts. Why?”

The WhatsApp entry concluded thus: “Let us not forget that all is not yet completely well, after the Anambra primaries. The possibility of bitter “enemy action from within” still looms larger than life right now. The 22 over 22 experience in Anambra 2019 elections should still be fresh in our minds. Where were PDP members while APGA swept the state? If it was all about money, weren’t there enough people in the PDP who could also roll out the tanks? Is it not still possible to engineer some court judgment between now and November that could use technicalities to give Anambra “the Zamfara treatment?” This is important to bear in mind for three reasons. (1) Andy Ubah, the political night stalker, is still in his okwu alusi (shrine). (2) Ifeanyi Ubah is overlooked for now, but is determined to win. (3) The embittered members of the PDP, no matter how few they may seem to be, may simply throw some spanner in the works and say “since I cannot hope to come out again in the next four years, I better bring the roof down on these ungrateful people as I retire.” PDP must think well and choose its next steps very carefully.” End of quote.

Now, going back to the Church of Antioch, it was truly like a congregation affiliated to Bedlam. Nearly everyone had his own prophesies and visions. The Doctrine of Grace suffered diverse interpretations. Greek and Jewish converts, as well as those who came from Jerusalem to sort things out, nearly became the greatest enemies of the new faith. Their conduct and diverse views filled many otherwise interested and intelligent observers with misgivings. Thus, “Church of Antioch” became a metaphor for confusion, doctrinal inexactitude, apostacy, heresy and arbitrary self-inflation.

Yes, it is in the nature of things that there should normally be disagreement and diverse points of view in human affairs. Yes, politics and democracy always go hand-in-hand with competing interests, some of them altruistic while others are not. Yes, there is nothing particularly unusual in what is now happening in Anambra State. But, having said that, let us remember the words of David Hume in his “Treatise on Human Nature”, where he admonished philosophy and philosophers thus: “NOTHING is more usual and more natural for those who pretend to discover anything … than to insinuate the praises of their own systems, by decrying all those which have been advanced before them. …. ‘Tis easy for one of judgment and learning, to perceive the weak foundation even of those systems, which have obtained the greatest credit, and have carried their pretensions highest to accurate and profound reasoning. Principles taken upon trust, consequences lamely deduced from them, want of coherence in the parts, and of evidence in the whole, these are everywhere to be met … and seem to have drawn disgrace upon philosophy itself…even the rabble without doors may, judge from the noise and clamor, which they hear, that all goes not well within.”

As if addressing Anambra politicians, all Nigerian political parties and the courts, Hume said, further: “There is nothing which is not the subject of debate, and in which men of learning are not of contrary opinions. The most trivial question escapes not controversy, and in the most momentous we are not able to give any certain decision. Disputes are multiplied, as if everything was uncertain; and these disputes are managed with the greatest warmth, as if everything was certain.” As an aside, let me add that the PDP is working hard to ensure that it is given a good thrashing by APGA in Anambra State. Willie has done it before – and will gladly do it again.