By Tony Okafor
The quality of representation Ndi Anambra get at the National Assembly will depend on how seriously they treat the 2007 elections.
The Senate and House of Representatives are not classrooms for political novices. They are chambers where laws are made, national budgets are negotiated, and federal projects are attracted or lost. Anambra cannot afford to send people to Abuja “to learn on the job.”
That is why experience, competence, and not sentiment, must guide the choice of candidates.
This duty begins at the party primaries. When parties field weak aspirants, the electorate is trapped with poor options in the general election. The damage is often done long before ballot papers are printed.
Too often, elections are reduced to sentiment: whose turn it is, who danced best at the rally, or who shared the most rice. These may win votes, but they do not write bills, lobby committees, or defend Anambra’s share of the federation account.
A first-day senator who cannot read a budget line, or a House member who mistakes oversight for sightseeing, has failed before starting.
Party delegates must therefore insist on aspirants with three things: proven capacity, a solid grasp of legislative work, and integrity.
Legislative work is technical. It demands knowledge of procedure, the courage to negotiate, and the presence to command respect in Abuja. Sentiment delivers none of these.
Ndi Anambra should also drop the illusion that representation simply means “having our son there.” A seat without influence is an empty chair. A competent legislator attracts federal presence — roads, schools, appointments, and more.
A weak one watches opportunities pass to states that sent better hands. The cost of poor choices is collective: missed projects, weak federal allocation, and a voiceless Anambra in national debates.
The 2007 NASS elections are not about parties; they are about results. Every bad choice will echo for four years in stalled communities and abandoned projects.
Every good choice will translate into functional boreholes, better schools, and youths who find jobs and scholarships.
As primaries approach, delegates must vet, not hail. As campaigns heat up, voters must interrogate, not celebrate.
Anambra’s future at the National Assembly will be decided long before election day.
The time to get it right is now.
