Of the 8th Abia Assembly and the Inordinate Ambition of Abia’s New Macbeth, by Jude Ndukwe

“Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires…

“I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’ other” – Macbeth

The success of the next administration in Abia State will depend largely on the persons and characters that will make up the leadership of the next Abia State House of Assembly.

The demonstration of desperation at this early stage for the Speakership of that House by certain actors should in itself be a factor to ensure that such persons do not emerge.

Inordinate ambition does not mean you can’t nurse an ambition, it simply means you should not pursue your ambition through subterfuge and desperate measures, disrupting the system and desperately seeking the destruction of others just to achieve your aim – overambition!

The thing is that history is replete with such men and they usually end up being victims of their own desperate measures. Again, Macbeth is one scholars of literature will always remember when it comes to the issue of overambition. Macbeth is so notorious today even among junior secondary students for embarking on self-help coupled with extreme evil plots to the detriment of man and society all in a bid to achieve that which is already destined to be his. But in his desperation, he destroyed himself and everything that is dear to him!

Like history will always repeat itself with actors making themselves available for such, we have in our midst today, another Macbeth who despite intense denials is known to be the mastermind and sponsor of the now infamous Dining Table Legislators-at-Large to disrupt the peace of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly, and by extension, that of the state just so he can become Speaker of the incoming 8th Assembly.

However, the backlash that has followed his ill-advised action has forced him to issue statements of denial and articles through third parties. Unfortunately for him, his toga as “Macbeth of Abia” has come to stick, and no amount of denials or third party writings can clean him of this mess!

The newly elected lawmakers are not only aware of him now having exposed himself too early with his shambolic plan of a legislative coup, they have now become wary of him also for his destructive and disruptive tendencies and will not want such a man near their leadership circle.

Even Abians now understand that having such a man as Speaker will be a huge encumbrance to the desired smooth running of the incoming government. That is not what the incoming government needs; that is not what Abians deserve! Abians and the next government deserve a Speaker that is polished, unabrasive, considerate, and without any record of desperation whatsoever.