By Charly Udeh
No doubt, Mr. Chuks Iloegbunam is a veteran journalist and columnist of repute. As a growing young man with budding flair for writing, I looked unto him and his works as models.
He is a journalists’ journalist. He has used his talent for the upliftment and defence of Nigerians, especially the Igbos. He is and will remain an icon in Nigerian journalism.
I was surprised and stunned, perusing his recent article trending on social media with the title “The Governor of Enugu State.”
My surprise emanated from the fact that Iloegbunam ought to know that it behoves any writer or commentator not to delve into merits of a case before the court as such may be considered prejudicial and contempt of court. It calls for worry seeing a great journalist like Iloegbunam falling victim of such misdemeanour by delving and writing with finality about Enugu governorship election case that is before the election tribunal. What example has he shown as someone that ought to know better and society looks unto for direction?
The outcome of the Enugu State Governorship election, which Bar. Peter Mbah won is being challenged at the tribunal by his closest rival, Bar. Chijioke Edeoga of LP and others. Iloegbunam knows this. He is also aware that judgment has not been delivered.
So what exactly does Iloegbunam want to achieve or present by pontificating on the legal matter before the tribunal in a most jaundiced, judgmental, contemptous, and compromised manner like Edeoga’s social media montebank?
The last time I checked, I am sure that Iloegbunam has not added a law degree to his certificate for him to be or claim to be an expert in law. Even if by omission or commission, he has become an expert in law, pontificating and adjudicating on Enugu State Governorship election case on social media is a bad beginning or practice for him. It is belittling of him no matter what was offered him for such a yeomans job on social media.
Besides, good lawyers and journalists are not known for social media grandstanding and razzmatazz. They deal with incontrovertible evidence and facts, not hearsay or rumours.
Back to the article in question, Iloegbunam in a clever bid to extricate himself from the mess the work will put him in, started by engaging in grammatical gyrations, circumloction, verbosity and insinuations that were neither here nor there. This took a greater part of his epistle before he denigrated INEC and accused them of wrongdoing in the Enugu Governorship election that Barr. Peter Mbah won.
From Iloegbunam’s tone, disposition, and prism, it is clear that INEC’s only offence is that it didn’t declare Chijioke Edeoga of Labour Party winner as desired or preferred by him and his cohorts/paymasters. This is not different from what Edeoga and his supporters have been saying and peddling. So it is possible that Iloegbunam is one of them. It is not out of place that old age is telling on Iloegbunam. Hence, he is fast losing grip on the realities.
If not, how can a journalist and man of Iloegbunam’s status and experience take on an institution like INEC for doing its constitutional work in the Enugu governorship election? How? This is even when the Enugu governorship election result has not been nullified by the tribunal? Is Iloegbunam saying that he knows better than INEC or the tribunal?
Iloegbunam knows that the beauty of democracy is strict adherence to constitutionalism and rule of law, not emotions and sentiments. For Iloegbunam to have embarked on wild goose chase of canvassing for support and victory for Edeoga on social media means that he lacks clear understanding of how the governorship election in Enugu State was conducted, contested and won. He only relied on biased information supplied to him by his benefactors to write on the matter, thereby making a mess of himself and his profession.
Without sounding harsh and demeaning, Iloegbunam should know that no amount of his compromised article on social media will change Mbah’s victory in Enugu governorship election as all issues concerning it which are being challenged are before the tribunal.
Until and unless the tribunal decides otherwise, there is nothing anybody, not even many Iloegbunams can do or write about it that will achieve anything. All parties in the Enugu governorship case are before thebtribunal. There is a need for the tribunal to be allowed to do its work.
Trying to stampede, preempt, blackmail or intimidate the tribunal with sponsored social media articles like that of Iloegbunam will not work. This is the same tactic Edeoga and his social media minions have used for a long time that has failed them and continued to fail them.
Expectedly, the tribunal will deliver its judgment on the matter based on evidences and facts before it, not lies, propaganda, emotions and sentiments being fabricated and shared by Edeoga and his social media hirelings all over social media platforms. Iloegbunam should wait patiently for the outcome of the tribunal judgment and spare himself of the embarrassment and emotional trauma that come with engaging in media stunt for a failed and rejected Labour governorship candidate in Enugu governorship election.
