Introduction
There are times when it becomes difficult to select candidates for a political office in an election. This can be when we know too little of the candidates [contestants] asking to be elected [or aspiring for a ticket as the case may be]. The reason could be that the candidates are “strangers” or “visitors” to the electorates. There are many political office seekers who only show face during the eve of an election year and flag up campaign programs. They may not be living among the electorates, I mean their supposed constituency, and hence the electorates do not know them well enough in terms of capacity, capability, delivery, competence, and character.
Many contestants/aspirants live in Europe, America, and Asia, and not among their people. When they live within the country, they could be Abuja-based year-in, year-out. This summarily means living far from being in touch with the aspiration and PULSE of the people they want to rule [not even lead] or be their legislator. Please, these are critical and vital. Still introducing…
Another reason could be when a political dispensation or republic is coming up after a long time of disruption, for instance, as it was in 1999. Today is 2023. It was 24 years ago. The case is different now, and this case of 1999 can’t easily play. We are 24 years old in the current dispensation…growing older in age, experience, informed, and wiser. We are getting to know our people experientially…our people can travel to a city or the next village and when offered food will eat and reserve the remainder for people at home. We are in the same vein knowing those who will eat all and throw away what remains if ever. This is wisdom in knowing people. One of the greatest wisdom is the wisdom of knowing people, not just things. We know these brothers and sisters, our aspiring leaders through interactions, experimentation, and meeting them.
We are getting informed, rather we had got informed about them because they have been serving as leaders among us in various capacities before now in town unions, in helping us, in speaking for us, in communities, in Local Government Areas, in State and Federal governments. We also have access to these leaders in various town meetings, rallies, campaigns, mainstream media, and social media. All these and more make us wiser in choosing who will represent us in the senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly.
The Man, Hon Barr Uche Onyeagucha
But the case at hand in Owerri Zone is simple…so simple case for Owerri zone to select. No ambiguity, no fuzziness, not even thinking.
It is that one man stands out too far from others, in fact, has no first runner-up. [Please this is no politics but leadership insight.] That man has distinguished himself so prominently among Imolites and Nigerians. All national mainstream media [from AIT, ChannelsTV, AriseTV, NTA, TVC, etc] know him more than they know any other person from the state maybe except the governor. One day, on the AriseTV Morning Show. The anchor called Uche Onyeagtucha, Distinguish Senator, not knowing he was not yet. This was far beyond the dispensation of politics. Too many Nigerians think him so because of the capacity he commands, knowledge of good governance he exhumes, the wisdom he dispenses, the boldness he walks in, fearlessness and courageousness he lives in, yet with a loving and accommodative community heart. I am talking of none other than Honourable Barrister Uche Onyeagucha. Among all seeking National Assembly, NASS slots in the whole of Nigeria, Hon Uche Onyeagucha is phenomenal, audacious, courageous, and very loaded. He is not going there because he was a former governor [as the senate has become the retiring home of most politicians, especially governors] but because he had experience, confidence, and knowledge.
- Hon Uche Onyeagucha was a member of the Federal House of Representatives from 2002-2007.
- He was the first elected politician to win an election on the APGA platform in Imo State. He was the only APGA representative in NASS yet was so outspoken [those who followed 2003-2007 NASS can attest to this].
- At the peak of the performance of APGA in the first Imo state under the former governor in 2011-2015, Hon Uche Onyeagucha was the Chief Strategist and Think-tank Intelligentsia behind the fair performance of that government before they change.
- Hon Uche was the SSG par excellence they couldn’t allow to last. Those 8 months experienced transformative impacts and speed in development. We didn’t forget how he was the hero of that democracy and a saviour from the onslaught.
Still a Fighter & Voice to the Voiceless
Since January 14, 2020, to date, Hon Uche Onyeagucha has not for day relegated to fighting for Imolites, South Easterners, and Nigerians even without an office. This is the definition of leadership. Leadership is about IMPACT, INFLUENCE, and ACTION, not POSITION. You can lead without position i.e. title, post, seat, or status. Sitting to talk with Hon Uche for 10 minutes, you will conclude that this is the governor his state has not gotten, and this is the president his country has not got.
10 reasons Owerri Zone will be voting Uche
I want to highlight to us 10 reasons why Owerri people will not just be going to vote for Uche Onyeagucha but will be lending to Imo, South East, and Nigeria.
Uche Onyeagucha wants to go to the Senate to represent the good people of Imo East Senatorial Zone aka Owerri Zone Senatorial Zone on the ticket of the People Democratic Party, PDP and from the mandate of the good people of Owerri Zone comprising of Mbaitolu LGA, Ikeduru LGA, Owerri North LGA, Owerri West LGA, Owerri Municipality, Aboh Mbaise LGA, Ezinihitte Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, and Ngor Okpuala LGA. These 9 LGAs will be lending Nigeria, South Easterners, Imo State, and Owerri Zone a son, a leader, and an advocate of good governance. …Why?
- Uche oils, and lubricates people
Hon Uche is what Igbos will say is “UKWA ACHI N’AKA YA ANAGBA”. He is erudite. This is without much
explanation. Uche is “MMANU OHA NILE.” Wow, too rich a title to describe him here. Uche oils, and lubricates people. He is what my father, John C Maxwell, the leadership expert can term, a “PEOPLES’ PEOPLE”. Let me say, he is peoples’ person and leader. I stand to be corrected but I bet you to say, “NOBODY IN MY KNOWLEDGE SPEAKS OWERRI DIALECTS UNCOMPROMISED LIKE UCHE.” Owerri kingdom deserves to give him a lifetime merit award on the promotion of the Owerri Dialect of Igbo Language. When Uche start speaking Owerri, you wonder whether he came in contact with other languages when he went to school. He is fluent, an orator, and a public speaker par excellence. That shows DISCIPLINE in the use of words, dialects, and expressions. In that same manner, Hon Uche is a much DISCIPLINED man, not easily moved to mess up his image or sacrifice his INTEGRITY. That is why he was a nightmare to the one-time former governor of the state.
- Uche is more than a politician, he is a VOICE for the People.
Permit me to differ from you or popular thinking, “Uche is not a politician.” He is not what politicians are described to be in Nigeria. There is this myth that when people are going for a political office either by appointment or election, they are all politicians. That’s wrong. Read me well: Politics is so important to be left to the hands of politicians. That’s the problem our polity has today. The rest of us abandoned politics to career politicians who had messed it up. In parallel, academics are so important to be left to academicians. That’s we beg private sectors, and professionals to come in to salvage academics, academicians can’t do much to help academicism. Uche is plain, sometimes to his hurt, but God keeps him by Himself. Uche is a leader, and people’s activist for good governance. Uche is found wanting in the negativity politicians are known for here. He is large-hearted, which is an advantage for every Owerri zone son and daughter. He is approachable when in government and when not. He likes empowering his people, is hungry for the development of his people, fearless and vocal. He’s a man to be voted for.
- Uche is already doing the job of a Senator before being in the Senate
A senator is a member of the senate who is involved in the art of making laws and having some legislative oversight function of the Nigerian government. The senators also provide consent and advice to ratify treaties. They confirm the president’s nominations of ministers, diplomats, cabinets, diplomats, judicial and MDAs CEO/DGs. Senate exercises legislative authority on a par with the House of Representatives. So, the job of a senator IS TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THE NIGERIA PEOPLE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS TO ENSURE THE VOICE OF THE COMMON CITIZEN IS HEARD. Uche is already doing this outside the Senate. I said earlier that he is already been addressed as a senator by news media in Nigeria, without knowing he is not yet. Among his contenders, tell me who is a voice as much as he is. The VOICELESS will have a voice through Uche when Owerri people lend to Nigeria Uche to be a senator. Don’t waste a single vote on the senate election – vote PDP on the RED BALLOT PAPER. 
- Uche Onyeagucha knows the business of lobbying.
Hon Uche had been there as a NASS member representing the good people of Owerri West even as a lone voice of APGA from 2003 to 2007. Lobbying is a skillset that aims at influencing public officials and especially members of the legislative body on legislation. Hon Uche is a master here. Owerri people will ENJOY as Uche will lobby to attract a lot of federal presence. Hon Uche is a personal friend and party acquaintance of all the 3 major political parties’ presidential candidates: PDP, LP, and APC. Anyone that wins, Uche can work with and lobby to attract goodies to Imo State and Owerri zone. Uche knows the road. Follow who knows the road, Owerri people. Don’t waste a single vote on the senate election – vote PDP on the RED BALLOT PAPER.
- With Uche in Red Chamber South East Doesn’t Loss Much in the Red Chamber
When Uche starts speaking in the red chamber, South Easterners will know that they didn’t lose Distinguish Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe [though I still hope he will make it], Distinguish Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Late Distinguish Senator C Chukwumerije and other erudite diehard Igbos sons. Please Owerri People don’t deny us this LOAN. The rest of us will come to say THANK YOU Owerri for the Loan as interest the loan. Vocal, outspoken, and fearless people are diminishing in our government system, in fact going extinct in our body polity. In the heat of the insecurity problem in Nigeria, Uche summoned the president to resign. When it becomes extra deadly, Uche took the campaign to Nicon Nuga Hotel Abuja where the seat of government is, to discuss the failures of the government and implore the president to resign. A person who loves his life more than his people can’t do that. This is life-threatening. Nobody perhaps has spoken more passionately against insecurity in the state and the ways things are going than Uche. It is a different thing to pick a ticket, but can you do what comes out of the ticket you’re given? This is a question for the contenders. Uche can. Don’t waste a single vote on the senate election – vote PDP on the RED BALLOT PAPER.
- Uche belongs to the group that Had a CALL/PURPOSE to LEAD
The leadership market is both a CALL and a PROFIT. Please let me introduce myself in a sentence. I’m a leadership authority. I know, understand and speak leadership as a language, #LeadershipXcellence. [I didn’t say politics.] Many come into leadership especially political leadership in Nigeria because it is economically lucrative – profitable. It’s an investment. Banks support and give politicians loans without collateral, just trusting on their winning by all means and paying back with heavy interest.
Some political leaders come on stage because they sense they have a CALL to lead. CALL means summon, purposed, intentioned, or assigned from GOD. Please observe “from GOD.” And when this latter group is not leading, they feel bad seeing people suffering on what they could have contributed to stopping the suffering if they were there. Uche belongs to this latter group that had a CALL/PURPOSE to LEAD. You can’t be with Uche for 5 minutes without seeing him sharing with you passionately what to do to help Imo State and Nigeria to grow and improve the quality of life of our people. This latter group feels not fulfilled when not serving. When Uche was Secretary to Imo State Government, SSG, from June 2019-2020, he was in almost running 18 hours in the office, and no visitor to his office returned unattended and unsatisfied. Ask traditional rulers, heads of civil services, DGs of MDAs, institutions, etc. Hon Uche is a workaholic. Most times in those days, his family missed him. Why was that? He had a call from God to serve people – to lead. This is what leadership is. It is his PURPOSE. He discovered it. And the government of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Ome nke ahuru n’anya gave him the chance.
- Uche Will Not Sleep in Senate or Abandon Duty and Travel for His Business Overseas
Many people who go to the NASS, especially the senate don’t attend plenaries. You see it on TV. The plenaries hardly have
30 persons out of 109 senators. Some use committees as an excuse. Some travel out on personal business. Some can say it is a house business. Some inside there, sleep because they are getting old, perhaps our system may have a solution for that in the future. Uche is in his mid-50 and can’t sleep in the red chamber or travel out absconding from the business of the house yet collecting pay. For every 5 motions, I bet you Hon Uche must contribute 4 if not 5 out of 5. You and I can push for many bills for good governance through Uche Onyeagucha, I bet you. He reads well and a lot and legislative business require a lot of reading and writing. Uche is a lawyer. He was a practicing barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court. Don’t vote for someone who cannot exercise reading discipline. That’s why some abandon house sitting and travel out, or sleep, at end of the month, bank alerts ring.
Conclusion
Having said all, I want to believe Owerri zone can see why and how they will be lending Nigerians, Imo State, South Easterners, and Owerri Zone an asset in a person, erudite, and conscience of the people. Uche in Senate, posterity will not forget Owerri, Mbaise, Ngor Okpuala, Mbaitolu, and Ikeduru people.
Don’t waste a single vote on the senate election – vote Hon Uche Onyagocha, vote PDP on the RED BALLOT PAPER you will be given.
I wish you a successful election come 25th February 2023.
Long Live Imo East [Owerri] Senatorial Zone
Long Live Imo State
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Dr. Mike Ihezuo
Mike Ihezuo is a Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Motivational authority and developer, author, writer, researcher, consultant, and speaker. He can be reached on leadermikeo@gmail.com, +234-80-6232-8080, @MikeOIhezuo, @mikeihezuospeakstv, @mikeihezuospeakshq or URL: www.mikeihezuospeaks.net. or https://leadershiproundtablehq.com/contact/
