CHIKE OKAFOR:HOW BEST TO BE A TRUE PARTY MAN AND LOYALIST OF 3R GOVERNMENT OF SENATOR UZODIMMA -

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CHIKE OKAFOR:HOW BEST TO BE A TRUE PARTY MAN AND LOYALIST OF 3R GOVERNMENT OF SENATOR UZODIMMA

It is only those who don’t understand what partisanship means that question the rationale behind absolute loyalty to the political party one belongs to or adapting and accepting leadership decisions even when they don’t favor personal interests or aspirations.The notion of resisting or disagreeing with leadership decisions in political party settings can only be contemplated by those who are either utopia or with poor understanding of political party organization which empowers leadership to direct the way forward in most cases.It could work in trade Unionism, business partnership, Town Unionism, kindred meetings and other related gatherings where people could throw up challenges and disagreements to the leadership and still function as bonafide members.Politics being a different setting entirely allows you to disagree with leaderships and prepare to leave and not to remain. Even when you revolt and leave, the records will be there for you as a habitual rebel that falls out with leadership and that tag cum luggage alone continues to hunt or hang on the neck like an albatross.

Rt Hon Dr Chike John Okafor PhD, the three -term Member of the House of Representatives Abuja, representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency in Imo State is a well defined textbook example of a true loyal party man with total mastery of the workings and dynamics of partisan party leadership in a democratic setting.His personal convictions and aspirations are well filtered and managed within the framework of the overall party interest as directed by the leadership.This has been the recurring decimal in all he says or does at all times since his foray into partisan politics from the organized private sector where he excelled as a top Bank Executive.

Deacon Chike has continued to express his appreciation to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for giving him the opportunity to be what he is today as a ranking and three-term Member of the House of Representatives.In 2015, he migrated from the Imo State Executive Council as Commissioner For Finance to become a Member of the House of Representatives after winning in a keenly contested election.He served between 2015 and 2019 and was deemed worthy to continue with his purposeful and people oriented representation which attracted accolades across party, denominational and geopolitical divides .Chike had obviously earned wide publicity and popularity with his good work and that was confirmed with the decision of the ruling APC again in 2023 to offer him a return ticket for the third time to the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.It is no longer news that on assumption of office on January 15,2020 as the 7th Executive Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma CON exhibited maturity, magnanimity and inclusivity in his governance style and reached out to identify with those that had worked with his immediate predecessor who were not only resourceful and productive but also willing to partner with his administration to make Imo State better than he met it.Amongst those Senator Hope Uzodimma aligned with at the beginning of his administration was Rt Hon Deacon Chike John Okafor who was already on his second missionary journey.The relationship between the Governor and the Okigwe South born federal lawmaker was so robust that Senator Uzodimma personally attended his programs and functions and went further to support those programs to succeed.Like a father, the Governor visited Deacon Chike and his colleagues on the floor of the hallowed Green Chamber of the National Assembly on several occasions.Notably also was how Chike utilized his good relationship with the Governor to attract vital projects to his native Obowo Council Area and even to sectors like the Armed forces,where he presented the case of decades of abandoned Officers’ Charlet project at Obinze Military Cantonment to the Governor and secured the Governor’s immediate intervention through funding to complete the project.

In his magnanimity, the Governor being the leader of the ruling APC granted Deacon Chike a third-term ticket to return to the House of Representatives to the chargrin of those who were averse to his continuation.He contested the election and was grossly shortchanged and even sabotaged by his fellow party members.The INEC pronounced his opponent, Surveyor Jonas Okeke of the PDP the winner of the election but the Governor stood by him and provided every necessary support he needed and he eventually reclaimed his mandate at the Tribunal and the Appeal Tribunal and successfully made it back to the Green Chamber.These demonstrable leadership capacity and extreme benevolence of the Governor meant so much to Deacon Chike and he was obviously appreciative and holds the Governor in high esteem.

The real time to prove his uncommon quality of being a man full of positive energy and gratitude came up with the events of the 2026 APC primary election.Chike shocked both associates and foes with the highest level of display of demonstrable loyalty to the Governor of Imo State and the leadership of the ruling APC in the State through the way he handled the outcome of the primary which did not favor him.Gratitude they say is a virtue which could only be exhibited by men and women of honor and wisdom whose sense of history and appreciation cannot be quantified.Chike Okafor has shown his uniqueness as a man of strong character who does not downplay the favours of the past with unfavorable situations of the present.He has shown a big difference and Like the Elephant,he does not forget.When his supporters urged him to contest for APC House of Representatives ticket for the fourth time, he joined the race with the mindset that the APC leadership has the final say and that whatever they decide was acceptable to him.And in keeping to his words,when the signal came in the early hours of the fateful day of the primary election that the leadership had resolved to cede the ticket to the neighbouring Ihitte-Uboma, to the former PDP Candidate he defeated in Tribunal and Appeal Tribunal to reclaim his third-term mandate, he did not hesitate to accept the superior judgement of the Leadership but also put across a telephone call to congratulate Rt Hon Surveyor Jonas Okeke on his emergence as the Candidate of the ruling APC for Okigwe South Federal Constituency.Chike followed it up with a visit to Owerri residence of the Candidate in the company of his close political associates and supporters to pledge his support and solidarity.This rare display of absolute loyalty to party decision and gallantry in such a contest was done within 24hours of the emergence of Rt Hon Surveyor Jonas Okeke as the APC candidate.Many could not believe what Chike did after his opponent secured a party nomination he also contested and the reason is simple: in our clime political office holders find it difficult to accept defeat or leadership decisions that do not favor their continuity.Rt Hon Deacon Chike John Okafor has gone beyond visiting Rt Hon Surveyor Jonas Okeke by mobilizing forces and resources at his disposal to lead his campaign in Obowo.

Penultimate Saturday, the Crown Prince of Umuokeh Ancient Kingdom and three-term Member of the House of Representatives Abuja,Rt Hon Dr Chike Okafor, returned to Obowo to join Rt Hon Surveyor Jonas Okeke to inaugurate his campaign structure in Obowo Local Government Area, the homestead of the outing House of Representatives Member.Dr Chike as a leader, Prince and son of the soil led the campaign train which hovered across Obowo: from the condolence visit to Mbakwe’s House where the team commiserated with Mrs Mbakwe over the demise of their son,Alex.,to the Palace of the traditional ruler of Umulogho Autonomous Community and Chairman of Obowo Council of Traditional Rulers,His Royal Highness,Eze Ngozi Patrick Uwalaka for royal blessings and finally to the Council Headquarters,Otoko where party stakeholders, campaign Coordinators and Directors were formally inaugurated and charged to deliver his incoming successor Rt Hon Surveyor Jonas Okeke and other candidates of the ruling party, President Tinubu, Senator Ndubueze and the House of Assembly Candidate, Prince Humphrey Okeke.Chike charged the people of Obowo to support Jonas Okeke on the ground that it is the turn of Ihitte-Uboma and to right past wrongs of injustice against Jonas and his Ihitte-Uboma people.He further pledged to help fund his electioneering campaign.

What Chike Okafor has done in the course of time since he lost his fourth-term aspiration was a show of good understanding of party loyalty and gratitude to the leadership who had found him worthy and entrusted him with previous opportunities to excel.Chike’s colleagues in other places are either challenging the party’s leadership decisions in the Court of competent jurisdiction or defecting to other opposition parties to secure the ticket and challenge the favoured candidate of the ruling party.This is exactly what is going on in Okigwe North federal Constituency where Princess Mariam Onuoha, the outgoing APC House of Representatives member that has enjoyed two-terms is challenging the party for giving the ticket to another person from Onuimo.The matter has dragged from the Tribunal and it is currently at the Appeal Tribunal for determination.A similar thing is going on in Ezinihite/Ahiazu federal Constituency where the outgoing APC House Member,Hon Emeka Chinedu defected to YPP and is poised to fight it out with the APC Candidate.Across Nigeria, outgoing legislators that could not secure the APC nomination to continue at various legislative levels have turned against the party leadership but that is not Chike’s style.Chike is as strong as the rock of Gibraltar in his loyalty and beliefs in the sound judgement and decisions of the party.His support and loyalty to the leadership of APC in Imo State under Governor Uzodimma is unparallel.He believes in Senator Hope Uzodimma and has absolute conviction on the progressive initiatives of his 3R mantra government in Imo which is anchored on infrastructural transformation, human capital development and rapid socioeconomic programs with direct impact on Imo citizens.