During the build up to the 2023 general elections, I wanted to test the sincerity of some of my political science lecturers on what they teach us in class in those days in the Political Science Department of ESUT. Prof. Sam Ugwu and Prof. Ifeanyi Odoziobodo are both cerebral lecturers from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State in the Department that taught me back then in school.
One fateful day, I met Prof. Sam Ugwu and told him that I am working assiduously for Bar. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to become the governor of Enugu State on the platform of the People’sDemocratic Party, PDP and he told me, “I am his coordinator in Isi-Uzo Local Government” and I told him, “Prof, you are wise because Bar. Peter Mbah is the man to beat for the PDP ticket in Enugu State”. We didn’t go further as I discovered we are working for one Alhaji.
When I met Prof. Odoziobodo, though after the PDP Primaries, I told him, “Prof., I am working for Bar. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to become the governor of Enugu State and he said, “Congratulations! I read your write-ups in the social media. I had thought that one of us from Isi-Uzo, Bar. Chijioke Edeoga would clinch the ticket so that an Isi-Uzo man becomes the governor but he didn’t win. Bar. Peter Mbah is a better candidate”.
At that time, Edeoga had joined the Labour Party and I then wanted to test Odoziobodo on what he used to teach us about “political harlotry” and I asked him, “Prof., I learnt that Edeoga had joined the Labour Party; are you going to join him?” Prof Odoziobodo then asked me, “do you think I don’t believe in what I teach students about political defection? How can I join Edeoga in Labour Party? That would mean defection without cogent reason and I cannot do that. Moreover, Edeoga did not even have the courtesy to inform me that he was standing forelection. As a major stakeholder and one of the movers and shakers of Isi-Uzo politics, Bar. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah sent a high powered delegation to consult me and seek my support and also talked to me on phone about his ambition. It was an honour and I have to give him the same honour. Apart from that, I see him as a man who has the capacity. I also like the phrase he uses, “disruptive innovation”. I will join hands with others and deliver Bar. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the candidate of my party,come rainfall, come sunshine,”Odoziobodo thundered.
I was happy that my teacher believed in what he taught us in class on the Course, Political Behaviour. Prof. Odoziobodo had always told us that lack of ideology is one of the Achilles heels of Nigerian political parties. He believed that this makes politicians to jump from one political party to the other. Once an individual cannot get the party’s ticket to run for an election, he would move to another party immediately. Most politicians see the political party only as a vehicle on which they would reachtheir fancied dream and once they cannot get the party ticket, they move to another party. He described this act as “political harlotry” and condemned it strongly.
Prof. Odoziobodo was the immediate past Head of Department of Political Science of ESUT. He is a versatile knowledge mobilization specialist with a Ph.D and Masters in Political Science, Masters in Public Administration, Bachelors in Philosophy (second class upper division), Diploma in Latin and Diploma in Journalism with over 25 years’ experience working both independently and collaboratively within teams to provide technical support, expertise and coordination for effective implementation and completion of research and learning-related activities in the fields of education, social sciences and humanities, development and public policy within the world bank, non-profits, international NGOs and learning institutions. He has also worked in government.
Prof. Odoziobodo has published widely and has presented papers in international conferences in both Europe and America. He is also a consummate politician and has won election to the House of Representatives.
