By Dr. Chuks Osuji
Throughout the electoral week, the social media have been awash with the debate between a towering giant, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo and a “Dwarf Mannequin” Senator Andy Uba. Those who watched the debate were amazed at the incompatibility of the two prominent debaters, Senator Andy Uba and Prof. Charles Soludo.
The debate was characterized with sometimes verbal jabs because indeed, were it not for political exercise, who would bring out Prof. Charles Soludo to debate our highly respected senator Uba. One social psychologist, Aron king once said, “When one has a lot of money and wealth, one should be careful because such money and wealth may take him to shame.” Without doubt, Senator Andy Uba is a prominent Nigerian and a towering politician who has played different types of politics in Nigeria and also in the Anambra space.
But he did not realise that he was not both academically, intellectually and professionally qualified to be the governor of Anambra State -The light of the nation as it is popularly known.
Without mincing words and without claiming superiority of Anambra over other disaster states, admittedly, all things considered, I am sure that without money (Too much of it anyway) that Senator Andy Uba should not have had the slightest opportunity of manoeuvring the slightest victory for him to be the APC candidate. It is an open matter that Anambra politics is characterised by who gets more money, who distributes more money and who is able to manoeuvre his way by hooks and crooks to become the ticket bearer of the ruling party APC.
There is one Igbo proverb which says, “when a gorilla and the chimpanzee engage in a wrestling dwell, both will have their knees bruised and bruised.” In all honesty, those well meaning people in APC should have done better by nominating someone better for the governorship race particularly after Prof. Soludo has emerged as the APGA candidate. They should have brought somebody whose academic profile could have marched very closely to that of Prof. Soludo. But because of the money which Sen. Andy Uba threw around, he was able to dazzle other candidates in APC with too much money.
I am sure, that there are few people in APC with intellectual record who would have mimicked Andy Uba on his onslaught of trying to wrestle down an internationally recognised professional in a debate watched globally.
Those who have sympathy for APC should have advised the APC hierarchy that Prof Charles Soludo is not a match to Andy Uba. In fact, in proper analysis, except his money, Andy Uba could be described as one who would best serve as a senior monitor in adult education classroom. If Senator Andy Uba reviews the tape of the debate, he would be ashamed of himself and would have known from that night unless a miracle of rigging happens that he has already lost that election.
Many newspapers and other print media houses have turned Andy Uba’s performances to shreds. This could be deducted from numerous murmurs, giggles and of course silent hubbub which adorns the arena whenever Senator Andy Uba spoke. Tears of sweat and sweat of tears soaked his dress. One would ask, is this the caliber of a person to govern Anambra State. Honestly, I have a lot of friends and professional colleagues in Anambra State and in all seriousness, I join them to crucify the people who conspired to bring Andy Uba for Anambra governorship election.
If the result of that governorship debate is to be announced, just like it has been announced and the results will favoured Charles Soludo. Although this is not based on empirical study, although normative studies are more likely to give a close empirical result. If Senator Andy Uba will not learn anything from the debate, it is at least to show him that at best, next time around he should start with a contest to be a local government chairman or a councilor because money and money is not everything. A word is sufficient to the wise.
