Okonkwo Samuel
By Jones Akora
Basil Ejidike was nominated from Onitsha South, Anambra North Senatorial Disrict of All Progressives Congress by Tony Nwoye in May 2018 and elected Deputy Chairman of the party in the State Congress of May 19,2022.
The 68-year old politician is a knight in the catholic church, which makes him add the prefix ‘Sir’ to his name. He is an Igbo red-cap chief going by the title _Ikwele Nnabuenyi_.
Both institutions demand honesty and respect to constituted authority, but Ejidike is carefree with integrity and selective in authorities to respect.
At best he is a viscious pusher of selfish will and interest, who like a parasite or commensal latches onto one host or another to secure its meal ticket or arrive at its destination.
In the wake of 2021 Governorship Primaries for the Ejidike who became Acting Chairman following the removal of Barr. Emeka Ibe by the Federal High Court compromised his temporary position as Caretaker Chairman of APC in Anambra State when he conspired with a few wilful collaborators invited to Abuja to steal the governorship ticket without primaries for one out of 14 aspirants.
He was walked out of the meeting of aspirants to seek a solution to the problem he created for lack of confidence and that was only one flash in many of such, building up to strained relations with the chapter.
That plan to steal the primaries was executed on June 26,2022 with an official face in Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. But the real console was manned by Sen. John Owa Enong, remote-controlled from Abuja Secretariat.
Yet, acting on the instruction of some men of the far north and deep South West with an objective to create confusion in the South East and keep the zone out of 2023 aspirations, Ejidike went on national television adorning a red chieftaincy cap to announce that there were primaries, hence congratulating an imaginary winner.
Two courts, the federal high court and the Court of Appeal have found it as a fact that no such primaries took place, effectively making Basil Ejidike a pathological liar.
Of course the courts deal only with issues before them and cannot be blamed for not tipping APC off on the integrity deficit of the 68-year old man who on March 07,2022 displayed photographs of an unsigned swearing-in sheet for the cameras.
A month and a few days earlier on February 03, 2022, the same man who joined APC along with Tony Nwoye in 2016 and elected to serve under Barr. Emeka Ibe was found displaying what was titled ‘Certificate of Return’, issued to one ‘Basil Ejike’ without any smile.
That mute point was not lost on smart Anambra State political observers.
At that time, the Court of Appeal, in Enugu had returned Emeka Ibe as State Chairman. Remember the issue of respect to constituted authority? . Neither the elected Chairman nor the court that reinstated him was worth listening to by this Deputy Chairman.
In fact, since Adams Oshiomhole overreached Anambra State Chapter and the APC Constitution by usurping the duties of the State Working Committee in the appointment of an Acting Chairman, Ejidike acting like someone with a brief embarked on a journey of disrespect to the Chapter Leader Sen. Chris Ngige,oftentimes sponsoring proxy smear campagns against him.
Of late he created a new pass time in seeking a new leadership standing on the fake candidature from no primaries.
Whether he knew it or not, and the June 26,2022 experience inclines one to the latter, Ejidike was part of a deadly coup plot hatched against APC at the national level.
‘We shall swear you in whatever anyone is saying, but on your own you will move a motion for us to continue in substantive capacity as National Chairman, National Secretary and South East Zonal Chairman, agreed?’
These words depict the plot in the kind of ugly deals Ejidike can be found in.
Typically this is the kind of conversation that denied APC a candidate in Anambra State.
That is also the kind of conversation that saw to the lavishing of state funds out of purpose in the needless bid to please some Abuja forces, which led to his removal by the State Executive.
So who was shocked when men and women appointed on a six-month mandate in June 2020, and who seek in February 2022 to continue in substansive capacity sought to rezone what a critical section of the National Caucus had zoned to make the National Chairman of APC come from North East, Mai Mala Buni’s zone, National Secretary from South South, from where James John Akpanudoedehe close friend and ally of Sen. Andy Uba comes;and the Deputy National Chairman (South) to the South East where Sen. Ken Nnamani hails?
This is the nature of the big league of political conspiracy entered into by Ejidike, egged on by his fake candidate in the election who collaborated with Akwa Ibom – born Akpanudoedehe and Gov. Hope Uzodimma to create a backyard congress in Anambra State, now quashed by the courts.
Funny enough, nothing guarantees that Ejidike’s appearance on camera on March 07,2022 in the national Secretariat, eyes darting from left to right like a worried criminal has not commissioned a smooth journey to prison, being against the grain of a judgement of the high court for which no stay has been granted.
”The Wards, Local Government Area and State Congresses purpotedly conducted by the defendant (APC) in Anambra State on the 26th Day of January, 28th Day of January, and 30th Day of January, 2022 during the pendency of this suit and when the tenure of office of the plaintiffs (APC Anambra Executives) is still subsisting and thereby illegal, null and void are hereby nullified and set aside” Hon. Justice Ike Ogu declared in his judgement of January 23,2022.
But then desperate Ejidike has cleared all doubts about his involvement with his political masters in the legal coup de tat that ousted Barr. Emeka Ibe, elected APC chairman in December 2018; whose restored tenure subsists; and who the desperate one ought to deputise.
That is the logical explanation for the struggle of the desperate Deputy Chairman to be joined ‘as an interested party’ in the legal suits bearing the struggle to restore Emeka Ibe as State Chairman, first activated by Onyi Uzochukwu,a state chairmanship candidate in 2018 congresses.
Of course the man who lies in red cap could not explain to the learned judges if he contested for Chairmanship of the chapter in May 2018.
It also explains the needless and fruitless struggle to displace the boss who was away but is now back to duty.
As things stand and as the desperation continues to beat moderation, whether by appearance on February 03 to be given a worthless certificate without constitutional bearing, or that of March 07,as a deputy Chairman to hussle for oath and display unsigned papers, Ejidike has in the language of the media been ‘inaugurated twice in Abuja’ but none of those misadventures makes him the Chairman of APC in Anambra State.
Gladly, the chapter through its State Publicity Secretary , proactive as ever, has formally denounced that caricature.
With Mai Mala Buni, better remembered for attempting to kill the baby he should tend, out of the way, following court injuctions he engineered against his party, it is left for Akpanudoedehe to find his way out of the secretariat taking Nnamani along, for sanity to return to Anambra State Chapter of APC where Barr. Emeka Ibe remains in charge as State Chairman.
Any good road traveled will be traveled again.
