POLITICAL TRAJECTORY: WHY 4 + 4 IS NOT 8—THE FALLACY OF AUTOMATIC SUCCESSION

By 

Martins Chiedozie Ugwu 

Johnmartinsworldonline@gmail.com 

_"Power is not a family heirloom to be handed down by the clock; it is a temporary lease granted by the people. The only currency recognized for its renewal is the sweat of fulfilled promises. To treat a second term as a mathematical certainty is to transform democracy into a polite form of tyranny."_

​In recent months, supporters of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah have popularized a resounding political chant: “4 + 4 is 8.” This slogan is delivered with an air of inevitability, as though a second term is a natural extension of the first and democracy operates on autopilot once an election is won. This narrative is a frontal assault on the foundation of democratic accountability. 

In a true Republic, 4 + 4 is not 8; it is a rigorous audit where the second term is earned only if the first four years are fully justified by measurable progress.

​The "Political Turn Taking" philosophy, fueled by ethnic sentiment and regional zoning, is the primary architect of African underdevelopment. It breeds a culture of political laziness and systemic irresponsibility. When a leader believes the "second half" is guaranteed by a calendar rather than a scorecard, the incentive to innovate dies. This arithmetic mantra suggests reelection is a matter of inheritance rather than earned trust, encouraging leaders to consolidate power instead of delivering results. Such thinking numbs critical inquiry and forces the electorate to accept mediocrity as an ethnic obligation.


​We must move beyond slogans and demand a forensic audit of the "Tomorrow is Here" manifesto. We must question the reality of the water mirage that promised transformative pipe-borne water supply to every household. We must address the power paradox where, despite the state’s bold entry into electricity regulation, the darkness of epileptic supply persists.

Most urgently, we must ask why the economy is faltering, why businesses are shuttering, and why the people of Enugu are growing poorer while unemployment surges. These questions are not acts of hostility; they are the highest acts of citizenship.

​The four-year term was strategically designed as a checkmate, a mandatory pause to ensure the servant does not become the master. To demand another four years based on "zoning" or "turn" is to prioritize tribal geography over human prosperity.

Democracy is a contract, not a donation. If the promises of 2023 have not materialized into tangible progress, then discussing 2027 is an insult to the collective intelligence of the electorate. We must reject the lazy arithmetic of "4 + 4" and embrace the hard logic of Performance-Based Renewal. Enugu does not owe any man eight years; it owes its children a functional future. Until the pipes flow and the lights stay on, until the people's purchasing power increases and rural urban renewal becomes a reality, the math remains zero. 



EDITORIAL  NOTE

THE ARITHMETIC OF ARROGANCE


_​This "4 + 4" mantra is a toxic delusion peddled by political sycophants who value patronage over progress. It is a bold-faced attempt to sedate the electorate into accepting stagnation as a regional right. Let it be known: The Governor’s office is a performance stage, not a retirement home. If the "Tomorrow" promised in 2023 remains a dark, thirsty, and impoverished "Yesterday," then there is no mathematical formula on earth that justifies an extension. We will not be governed by the clock; we will be governed by results. Accountability is not optional-it is the law._


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