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*Nigeria: Understanding Chudi Offodile

-Masterweb Reports

For those who do not know him, Chudi Offodile is a man who accidentally went to the House of Representatives because of the pervasive electoral fraud that has characterised Nigeria's politics for some time now. In 1992, when there were two political parties of comparable strength; when the military umpire was not a contestant; and credible elections were possible , Chudi Offodile contested election to the House of Reps and lost woefully. She was defeated by a woman, late Ifeoma Chinwuba.

Our man, Offodile, has never held a job in his life. He managed to graduate from UNN Enugu (after repeating his 3rd year twice) in 1987 and had no visible means of livelihood thereafter. The next thing was his emergence as the NRC candidate for Awka LG in 1992. Worsted in the election, Offodile had gone to the Election Petition Tribunal to try to upturn the result. When he entered the dock to give evidence, he was asked what he did for a living. Offodile stammered. The defendant counsel then asked him pointedly what he had been doing since he left the university. Offodile answered that he had been trying to decide what to embark on pror to the transition politics! So for about five years, our man was undecided what vocation or occupation to take up! Now, you begin to have a sense of the playboy before us. ( Continues below..... )

Photo Above: Chudi Offodile

From then till now Chudi Offodile has never held a job except for the years he was a member of the House of Reps no thanks to our corruption suffused politics. Our man has shyly and evasivesly stated that he has never been indicted by any panel or court for election rigging. That does not mean that he is not an acknowleged election rigger. Which politician hs ever been so indicted? Do we now say that electoral fraud does not thrive here because no politician has been pronounced guilty by the courts? In any case it is a statement of fact that in 1999 Offodile was not just arrrested for election rigging, the Commissioner of Police who confirmed Emeka Obinwa's report on NTA, made it clear that Offodile was arrrested for writing election results!

The other point of interest is how a man who never held a job or known to have a visible means of livelihood was able to obtain the money with which he went into politics. This is an issue our man who likes to speak 'integrity' these days must address. This is a fundamental issue. If Offodile fails to address these and related issues of electoral fraud, then he makes a mockery of the word integrity. ( Continues below….. )

Photo Above: Nigerian Naira Notes

With no job experience, you can only imagine the lack of vision that Offodile took with him to the House of Reps. Pity Nigeria for the waste she suffers at the hands of a PDP politician like Chidi Offodile. No wonder that Offodile was known in the House for his love of designer suits and shoes rather than for contributions to debates. In This Day of July 25, 2012, Patrick Ugeh in an article "A Dirge To Politcs' lamented this situation where people without track record of performance find themselves in office.

Offodile was later sacked from the House of Reps for usurping Ossy Egwuatu's ticket. From that 2006 till date, Offodile has been in the cold politically. Drunk with the palace mentality, he is be bored and restless not being in Government. I understand his need for recognition. But he does not need to market lies against Governor Peter Obi to be noticed.

Maxwell Menkiti (maxwellmenkiti@yahoo.com)

Article Source: Masterweb Reports

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