Ekweremadu@60: Garlands for Soldier of Democracy
One would want to join President MuhammaduBuhariandmillionsof Nigerianstocelebrateararestatesman, ace legislator and three-time deputypresidentoftheSenate,Ike Ekweremadu,asheturns60.Thelawyerandpoliticianisindeedtheunsung hero and scion of Nigerian democracy, who, unknown tomany,ledtheNationalAssemblytobreakthejinxof constitutional amendment in the current dispensation and through the unprecedented four successful amendmentsoftheunitary1999Constitution.Thushe hasmadethemostsalutaryimpactsonconstitutionaland electoralreformsinNigeriaasdeputysenatepresident andchairmanoftheNationalAssemblyCommitteeon theAlterationofthe1999Constitution.
Intermsofrepresentation,Ekweremaduremainsthe bestandmosteffectiverepresentativeofhispeople.No lawmakerinNigeria’shistoryhasattractedthenumber andqualityofinfrastructureandsocialamenities,which EkweremaduhasfacilitatedtoopenEnuguWestSenatorialDistricttothestateandotherdistrictsinEnugu,and evenotherpartsofthecountry,asrecordsshow.
Ekweremadu’sIkeohaFoundationhasarobustscholarship foundation, which has produced thousands of graduatestrainedinNigeriantertiaryinstitutionsand overseasinseveralfieldsofhumanendeavour.Mostof thebeneficiariesofhisscholarshipschemeareindigent studentsfrompoorandlessprivilegedhomes,whoare now medical doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionalswhootherwisewouldhaveendedupas artisansatbest.
Ekweremaduhasthereforeemergedamajorbreaker ofintergenerationalpovertytransferinEnugustateby plantinghighflyingprofessionalsandsuccessfulpeople wheretherewasnohopeandtodaytheyhavebecome beaconsofhopefortheirfamiliesandbeyond.
As President Buhari rightly noted in his tribute to Ekweremadu at 60, in a polity where there is high attrition of elected officials, the lawmaker’s nearly 20 years long longevity in the Senate, is an expression of theconfidencereposedinhimbyhispeople.Indeed,his lifehasbeenthatofpublicservice,ashebestridesthe executive and the legislature, having served as Chief
of Staff to the Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Senator, Deputy Senate President, andSpeaker,ECOWASParliament.
Onsuchlandmarkbirthday,however,onecannotfail towriteaboutEkweremadu’sprincipledpoliticsand defenceoftheindependenceofthelegislature.He isoneofthefewNigerianpoliticians,whohavenever defectedfromtheirpartysince1998.Hehasbeen withthepartycomerain,comeshine.Thelawmaker’s re-emergenceasSenate’snumbertwomanin2015 throughadeftpoliticalmanoeuvreofthePDPand hisrefusaltodumpthepartyatitscriticaltimelike manyotherpartyleadersfollowingtheonslaughtof theAllProgressivesCongress-ledadministration, nodoubtcontributedgreatlytothesurvivalofthe
PDPpost-2015.
Buthehasalsohadtopayapriceforthis,notonce, andnottwice.Itisawell-knownfactthatEkweremadu is one of the most investigated, persecuted, and harassedpoliticiansincethecomingtopowerofthe APCadministration.Herewasamanarraignedalong withhisprincipal,Dr.BukolaSaraki,ontrumpedup chargesofforgeryofSenateStandingRulewithout any shred of evidence or even a mention, let alone an indictment by the police report. The FG later withdrew the matter on its their own. Here was a man, who survived two assassination attempts, had his official guest house was ransacked by a detachment of the Nigerian Police, and wo faced all manners of harassment for PDP’s sake. Yet, he stood his ground and became a rallying point for the mainopposition,contributingideas,headingstrategic committees like the PDP 2015 Post-Election Review Committee,etc.
Today,Ekweremaduhasdeclaredforthegovernorship ofEnuguState.Nodoubt,hispeoplelovehimandhave beckonedonhimtoreturnandgiveattentiontodevelopmentofthestate,aclarioncallhehasactuallyharkened toandthoughtthroughasevidentinhisgreatmanifesto, whichhechristenedAPathwaytoaNewEnuguState. Thebrilliantmanifestoisaclassicblueprintininclusive governance and transformational leadership that will transform Enugu state into a master image and ensure prosperity for all. For instance, here is a Nigerian governorship aspirant, who has proposed sixspecialcities-SportsCity,Autocity,ICTcity,Film/ Mediacity,Agriculturecities(Oneineachsenatorial zone),andHealthcity.YoucanactuallysaythatDubai is coming to Nigeria, Enugu to be specific.
But then, there is a clear gang up in Enugu State to stopthecerebrallawmaker.Thedesperationhaseven becomesodangerousthatEkweremadu’ssupporters are targets of political thuggery or at the instance of agents of state.
ThereportscomingoutofEnuguStateaheadofthe PDPprimaryelectionsand2023generalelectionis thereforepainfultomeasaloverofdemocracy,who has risen in defence of the PDP and our democracy on countless occasions. One is the widely reported unleashing of political thugs on Ekweremadu’s supporters.
Whatismore,therehasbeenwidelyreportedimpunity by the PDP and the state in the just concluded ward congress to elect three-man ad-hoc delegates. Not a singleresultsheetcouldbefoundanywhereinthe260 wardsofEnuguStateduringthewardcongresses.Media reportssaythatthepanelfromcommissionedbywadata plazawerehandedafraudulentlistofdelegatescomplied daysbeforetheexercise,whiletheoutcomesofthereal exerciseconductedonthefieldatthedesignatedvenues werejettisoned.
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