The battle for Anambra Central Senatorial seat , from every indication, was one of the fiecest fights Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili ever engaged in her entire life.
From the very moment Akunyili resigned her position as the Minister of Information and Communications to the time she defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), up to her epoch-making declaration to run for Senate into Anambra Central District, the whole world stood still waiting for the outcome of her judgments. Those were decisive and challenging moments for Akunyili.
Many political reporters and analysts attempted unraveling the agenda behind Akunyili’s unwavering moves. But most of their findings actually failed to give plausible explanations.
Definitely, Akunyili could not have been searching for cheap popularity because as the Information and Communications Minister, she had all the popularity and fame any woman would want for herself. In fact, to borrow her words, “many senators want to be ministers.” How comes Akunyili resigned as a Minister for a senatorial bid? With hundreds of accolades both from within and outside the shores of Nigeria for excellence service to humanity, she was one of the most celebrated women in the entire Africa. What more was she looking for?
Could it be that she was just being greedy, and that her salary as a minister could not pay her bills? Could it be that Akunyili’s action was inspired by the revelation made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi that Federal Legislators in Nigeria were the most highly paid in the world? Would anyone be right to say that Akunyili actually intended out of greed to have her cut of the 25% of the nation’s budget being “shared” by the National Assembly as being speculated?
Expunging sentiments, those who associate Akunyili with greed totally underestimate her personality and integrity. Having closely monitored Akunyili’s unequaled achievements as the Director-General of NAFDAC, many deep-thinking Nigerians can authoritatively say that personal aggrandizement does not influence her actions. If she were to be as greedy as some of her detractors claim, she would have focused on selfish accumulation of wealth at the expense of millions of lives that would be rotting away in graves by now. But she fought the illicit drug war selflessly, fearlessly and won the respect of the world as a woman of unmatched integrity.
Beyond the fight against fake drugs, her memo to the Federal Executive Council, urging her colleagues to do the right thing by swearing in Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President in the absence of the then President, Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who was then on a medical trip abroad proved beyond every reasonable doubt that Akunyili could not compromise her integrity for any gain whatsoever. The drug war she fought was mainly against the Igbos who dealt in fake drugs at the expense of her safety. Thus, put the question about her integrity behind and focus on the reality.
The reality was that Akunyili wanted a platform to serve her people directly. She wanted to give them true taste of democratic gains. Her mission was “SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE.” She wanted to lead by example. Akunyili thought it was not right encouraging women to run for elective positions while she had never run in her entire life. She wanted to face the challenge, in spite knowing well that Anambra was a hot political zone, especially for women.
In addition, the truth was Akunyili had another mission. Not a hidden agenda; a very open one. She wanted to sanitize the National Assembly just as she sanitized NAFDAC. She intended to rebrand the battered image of the nation’s legislature just as she rebranded Nigeria’s sorry image before she took over as the Minister of Information and Communications. Although, the Rebranding Nigeria Project was far from perfect, it was a step in the right direction. That was Akunyili’s agenda.
Professor Akunyili at courtesy visit on the Traditional Ruler of Awka, Igwe Gibson Nwosu shortly after the official opening of her Campaign Office in Awka pledged to declare within a month her salary and all entitlements due to the office of a senator if elected. She said she was not vying for the position for personal interest or benefit but to make the people know that there was so much benefit in the senate. Not long, in a special live interview carried on Rhythm FM (95.7) Awka, Akunyili said categorically that she would make her earnings and allocations for her district public and then decide in town hall meetings what to do with such allocations. I eagerly looked forward to that before she lost the election to Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The final results of the election as announced by INEC indicated that Dr Ngige polled 69,765 votes to defeat his closest rival, Professor Akunyili who polled 69,292 votes.
Meanwhile, note that Akunyili lost the election not because she was not a good politician. She tried her best only that she found herself in a state where politics was seen as a do-or-or-die affair. She was in a race with men who knew the rules for the game- Dr Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) who gave her a tough fight, Senator Annie Okonkwo of the Accord Party who enjoyed the power of incumbency and “deep pocket” (to borrow the words of Femi Adesina), and Chudi Offodile, the man who sent Okonkwo packing from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the race.
Furthermore, turnout of events doused the spirit of Akunyili’s supporters. The election buying-off scandal coming from Returning Officer, Dr Alex Anene who absconded from his duty post on the grounds that he was being pressed to announce a doctored result in favour of APGA which was against his conscience and the eventual initial declaration of Dr Ngige as the winner of the election by the said Dr Anene which the INEC chair, Professor Attahiru Jega faulted where two developments that dealt a lethal blow to Akunyili’s chances of winning the re-run. Some detractors of Akunyili went as far as alleging that the Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) was working hand in hand with Mr. Peter Obi to impose Akunyili as the winner against the will of Anambra people.
As difficult as it is to prove the veracity of these allegations, it is imperative to note that both Akunyili and Ngige were good candidates for the job. Now that Ngige has won, his preoccupation now should be on how to represent the people of Anambra Central very well at the Senate. As for Akunyili, Nigerians know her as a woman of integrity who has tirelessly fought for women emancipation and political mainstreaming.
He that fights and runs away; lives to fight another day! Akunyili, there will always be another day.
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