By Nze Duru
For some time now, the political space in Okigwe North Federal Constituency has been subjected to the antics of individuals who, for reasons best known to them, chose to lay claim to the NDC ticket for the 2027 House of Representatives election. The curious thing, however, is that there was never any ambiguity within the party over who its candidate was. The NDC had unanimously settled for Chidi Mike Anyanwu, and the party’s position was known to those who cared to follow the process. What was therefore being witnessed was not a contest over an unsettled ticket, but an attempt by some mischief makers to create confusion around a decision the party had already made. What was missing was perhaps the final stamp that would put the matter beyond political arguments. That stamp has now come from the Independent National Electoral Commission. With the publication of the particulars of candidates, INEC has put its record on the table. Chidi Mike Anyanwu is the candidate published for the NDC in Okigwe North. And with that, much of the noise surrounding the matter should naturally come to an end.
Politics is a contest, but it is not a licence to become whatever one wishes to be. A person may desire a ticket, may have supporters and may even convince himself that he ought to be the candidate. But political ambition does not replace the process through which candidates emerge. Once a party has made its choice and the electoral umpire has published that choice, continuing to parade oneself as the candidate of that party becomes more than mere political bravado. It could raise serious legal questions, apart from the obvious moral burden of deliberately misleading the public.
More troubling is the democratic question that such conduct raises. Political parties are built on rules, procedures and the collective will of their members. Once a party has gone through its process and arrived at a decision, attempting to foist oneself on the party outside that process is not democratic. It is an attempt to substitute personal ambition for the collective decision of the party. Democracy cannot survive where individuals believe that their personal desires should prevail over the rules and decisions of the institutions they seek to represent. You cannot claim to be fighting for the people while refusing to respect the process through which those people are meant to choose their representatives.
Perhaps what is most interesting is that while some people were busy arguing over who was or was not the candidate, Chidi Mike Anyanwu did not allow the distraction to shift his attention. He has remained focused on the task ahead. Quietly, he has been putting together his campaign strategy, building his team and reaching out to stakeholders across the federal constituency. More satisfying, he has continued to strengthen the party structure, apparently conscious of the fact that elections are not won by noise alone. That approach says something about the man. There is a time to answer every allegation and there is a time to keep working. Chidi Mike Anyanwu appears to have chosen the latter. He seems to understand that the real work is not in spending every morning explaining one’s candidacy to those who already know the truth. The real work is in meeting the people, building relationships and preparing for the election.
And this is where the emergence of Chidi Mike Anyanwu becomes more than just another political candidacy. CMC represents a new breed of politician that Okigwe North will benefit from. He comes at a time when young people are increasingly asking to be given not just a place at the table but a voice in the decisions that affect their future. His emergence also fits into the larger vision of the NDC to create space for young people to participate meaningfully in politics and governance. Youth should not be invited into politics only to clap at rallies or carry placards. They should be given the opportunity to lead, to contribute ideas and to shape the future of their communities.
For Okigwe North, the decision of the NDC to entrust its ticket to a young man with a record of character and achievement should therefore be seen as a breath of fresh air. Our politics needs young people who are not merely young in age but fresh in ideas, temperament and outlook. It needs people whose personal journeys show that they can build something, manage responsibility and succeed without making noise about it.
There is also a sense in which the entrance of Chidi Mike Anyanwu into this race appears divinely orchestrated. Some things in life happen with a timing that is difficult to explain by ordinary calculation. An idea whose time has come cannot be killed by the opposition of men. It may be delayed, it may be mocked and those who fear it may attempt to frustrate it, but when the moment comes, it finds its way. The confirmation of CMC’s candidacy by INEC has therefore only added another layer of certainty to what many within the NDC had known all along.
INEC has now spoken. The NDC has also made its choice. Whatever arguments existed before the publication may continue in private conversations, but the official record is now clear. The wise thing, therefore, is to leave the politics of pretence behind and face the real contest. Okigwe North has an election ahead of it, and Chidi Mike Anyanwu has work to do. Those who have been busy contesting his candidacy may now have to contend with the more difficult task of contesting his ideas, his record and, ultimately, the confidence of the people.
For now, the matter is settled. The NDC chose Chidi Mike Anyanwu. INEC has published him. The attempt by some individuals to create another reality around the ticket has therefore met the official record. The noise can continue if those behind it so desire, but it will not change what is written.
The real work begins now. Chidi Mike Anyanwu must take the opportunity before him, speak to the people and earn their confidence. The people, as always, will have the final word. But perhaps this time, Okigwe North is about to witness the arrival of a new political voice, one that understands that leadership is not about how loudly one announces oneself, but about what one brings to the table when the people finally ask: what do you have to offer?
