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"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength," said Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The supporters of one Felix Amadi, the gubernatorial candidate of the African Political System party (APS), went home on 3rd of February 2012, frowning, as the Apex Court – the Supreme Court – threw out Amadi’s suit against Governor Chibuike Amaechi. This suit was challenging the victory of Amaechi at the April 2011 governorship election in Rivers State. Amadi had claimed that he was illegitimately skipped-over from contesting the election. Amaechi and his supporters are rejoicing over the judgment which was before dropped at the Election Petition Tribunal and subsequently the Appeal Court before the Supreme Court finally threw it out for what was described as “lack of merit.” Commenting on the ruling, Mr. David Iyofor, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor said that Amaechi-led administration is ordained by God. He further nailed his comment by saying that the victory is for democracy, rule of law and for Rivers people.
But there are more to winning in anything than in losing. Now that Amaechi has got the winning card, it is essential that he always play fairly in governance by accommodating those who might have challenged him one way or the other that still want to work with him in seeing the elevation of the status of Rivers State to a magnanimous height. He should know that winning is not a one day thing, but something that has to be bequeathed to generation through genuine exhibition of talents, characters and works. He should not say that he has won just for today; he should make sure that he wins all the time, because winning is everything.
It is because of winning that people keep score. One John Wooden appropriately captured what winning should mean when he said: Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. And the president of America, Mr. Barack Obama admonished that part of the reason that our (American) politics seems so tough right now and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hardwired not to always think clearly when we're scared. And the country's scared.
Amaechi should not allow anybody or group to intimidate any resident of Rivers State, by making the person think that he or she is a loser. Amaechi should always welcome daring ideas when they are thrown to his desk. He should be addicted to such ideas. They will make him to win whoever that is winning at the moment Nigerian politics calls for a big caution.
Odimegwu Onwumere, Poet/Author, Media/Writing Consultant and Motivator, is the Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes In Rivers State (CONIRIV); and Founder, Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. Mobile: +2348032552855. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
