Issue Based Politics and Samdaddy's Hate for Hate Speech

By Lancelot Obiaku

The Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District and front line governorship aspirant in Imo State, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy) has been in the news lately, mostly for the right and positive reasons. Three days ago, the ranking Senator of the federal republic addressed a press conference at his residence wherein he expressed displeasure at the extent to which politics of bitterness and the unguided utterances that accompany it have threatened to destroy completely what binds us together as a people.

Addressing newsmen, the Ikeduru born Senate Committee Chairman on Ethics and Privileges said: "A few words spoken in anger can quickly destroy a long lasting relationship. For no matter how sorry you are thereafter, the memory of your barbed remarks may leave a lasting scar. Unfortunately, these presentations and descriptions of one’s character, handwork, goodwill in a pulse and deliberate political propaganda in order to gain advantage of the opponent, either by the principle of his/her agents and followers is not retractable until the death of the victim"

The handsome lawmaker went on: "I remember with nostalgia in 1979 when politics was played like football. The spirit of sportsmanship made the loser a friend who would crack a joke over the loss. He was a friendly loser and a brother and never a foe. However, today’s party politics has presented us with an opposite of events and politics of those glorious good days. As much as we did not have a perfect period then, our period has developed a hydra-headed and mixture of desperation, cash based and hate speeches with its attendant attrition and animosity leading to murder and murder of political opponents.
"It has brought family members to destroy family bond and unity. It has pitched church members against each other. It has brought an end long standing childhood friendship to an abrupt end. It has even divided the closely knitted Communities, Towns, Local Governments, Zones in a State into permanent suspicious neighbours and brothers within a State", he noted.

Frankly speaking, in the present political dispensation in Imo State and Nigeria by extension, it is rare to find an aspirant for any elective public office who is as interested in issue based campaigns and against blackmails and lethal attacks on supposed political enemies as Senator Anyanwu. He set a pace which only a few politicians in our clime will be courageous enough to follow when he pledged to the Imo populace and Nigeria at large that there will not be any form of hate speech from him throughout the electoral process of 2018/2019 and thereafter; and also, he warned his supporters not to do so, as anyone among his supporters found culpable of hate speech or blackmail against any of his opponents and fellow aspirants and their supporters, will be publicly disowned by his Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation.

The Senator's comment comes with certain cogent implications. If analysed objectively, his statesman-like statement is good enough to portray him as one who is not desperate for power. It could further indicate that his guber ambition could not have been motivated by quest for personal aggrandizements but the need to render genuine service to Imo State and her people. The peace loving Samdaddy neither wants his ambition to land his supporters in trouble sparked by inter-camp clashes, nor does he want any Imo man or woman to be hurt or harmed, physically or emotionally, as he seeks the support and votes of the Imo electorate to assume the reins of leadership at the government house. He has by this recent submission also laid it bare before Imo people that he does not belong to the selfish clique of use-and-dump politicians who have ruined many people, especially the youths.

Many can agree with me that the smartest politician is not the one who deploys unsavoury and obnoxious means to achieve political success, even if it means crushing anyone who stood in the way. Smarter politicians work very hard to increase their support base and enjoy more of the people's goodwill. A good leader also does not get obsessed with his own gains, but is concerned about what his followers will gain and what they will not lose, hence leadership tussle should not be a do or die affair.

Today, the exemplary Samdaddy, a former local government Chairman and House of Assembly lawmaker, has set a commendable pace in the governorship race in Imo. His words are courageous, progressive and assuring of a classy leader and well refined politician: "Imo is the issue and our campaign for Imo should be issue based. After election there is life. Life does not begin and end in a contest".
.
When it is time to choose, Imolites should choose wisely!