2019 Governorship Race In Imo: It Has Commenced
The decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State Capital to strike out the petition brought before it by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), praying it to nullify and vitiate the electoral victory and declaration of Owelle Rochas Okorocha as duly elected on the basis that it did not comply substantially with the provisions of the electoral Act, came to many in Imo State as a rude shock and unprecedented.
Not a few had before the verdict expected the turn of events which was hardly imagined. Instead, the least that was predicted was that the election, going by the purported importation of fake result sheets from Sokoto, Zamfara and other Northern States as alleged would be easily vitiated and declared null, void, of no effect and to be repeated. The verdict of Tuesday July 21st 2015 was therefore a watershed and has sent everyone including Emeka Ihedioha to the drawing board. I have specifically mentioned Ihedioha because it is still the contention in several quarters that Owerri Zone should take the next shot at the Governorship, going by the perceived zoning. What this means is that the same gladiators who contested for the prime office in 2015 are likely to jump into the boxing ring again in 2019.
Apart from Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the others include Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho of APGA, Dr. Osmond Ukanacho of UPP, Chief Ken Ojiri of ACCORD Party and his Labour Party Counterpart, Barrister Ngozi Oleru. Barring other eventualities, what will play out in 2019 may not be more spectacular and dramatic than the outcome of the recently concluded election of 2015.
The election under review saw the core Owerri Federal Constituency (Comprising of Owerri North, Owerri Municipal and Owerri West) and Mbaitolu/Ikeduru Federal Constituency (Comprising of two LGAs) deliberately aborting the resolve of the entire Owerri Senatorial zone to unite and produce the next Governor of Imo State.
Keen observers and commentators have described what played out during the governorship election as barefaced classical betrayal and sabotage which if extrapolated may lead to the self destruct of what presently is known as Owerri zone. To be specific, the last election showed that the most densely populated Mbaise nation had overwhelmingly voted for one of their own, Emeka Ihedioha.
Even those Mbaise sons and daughters living abroad were particularly moved to identify with this project and aspiration, on the understanding that it was already accepted that in line with the agitation for zoning, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was the most acceptable and adopted choice for the zone.
Regrettably, other segments as I mentioned earlier, in Owerri zone aborted this project by purportedly voting for Rochas Okorocha, to the extent that candidates of other parties who also are of Owerri zone origin failed to make appreciable impact in their various booths and constituencies.
Being that Hon. Emeka Ihedioha presented a more formidable alternative and was endorsed a “sole candidate” of the zone, the perceived betrayal by electorates of Owerri and Mbaike Federal Constituencies have consequently set a precedence that could endure, and play back in 2019. It is therefore obvious that Owerri and Okigwe zones will compete with each other for the governorship slot in 2019, now that Orlu zone has dominated the scene for 16 years at the expense of Owerri and Okigwe zones complaining of zero attempt and only four years respectively.
Furthermore, Okigwe zone, grumbling over their loss in 2011 when it was absolutely obvious that Owerri people turned against their sons (and candidates), Ikedi Ohakim and Ifeanyi Araraume, would re-unite with the aggrieved Mbaise people against any candidate from Owerri Federal Constituency. Any candidate from the Mbaike Federal Constituency may be pardoned (tolerated) because the constituency only played the spoilers role once. But Owerri federal constituency played the role twice, in 2011 and 2015.
Let me further open the minds of the reading public on this discourse; In December 1998, an Mbaike son in the person of Barrister Humphrey Anumudu won the PDP governorship primaries, but an Mbaise son, Chief Innocent Diala Nwoga conspired with an Okigwe zone son, Professor Emeka Echeruo to deny him that ticket, and gave it to an Orlu zone man who came a distant fourth. His name is Achike Udenwa, who later emerged governor. Conversely, one can argue that the people of Mbaise nation and Okigwe zone were the ones that first betrayed the Mbaike nation. Also, in 2003, an Okigwe zone in the person of Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba emerged the governorship candidate of the then All Nigeria Peoples party, ANPP, but an Mbaike son, Barrister Humphrey Anumudu through political “OROGROPGY” was announced the candidate instead.
Also, in December, 1998, an Owerri Federal Constituency son, Chief Martin Agbaso was set to emerge the candidate of PDP for Owerri Senatorial election but an Mbaise son, Chief Innocent Diala Nwoga as the then leader and state chairman of PDP openly threatened and instructed delegates to vote for an Mbaike son who had joined the party few days earlier. His name was Chief Evan(s) Enwerem (Dede Mature). Also again, in the PDP governorship primaries of December 2014, an Okigwe zone son, Ifeanyi Araraume, clearly won the primaries but the Mbaise nation led by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha conspired against that victory. The implication of the revelations in this discourse is that the Mbaise nation, Mbaike nation, Okigwe nation and the Owerri Federal Constituency nation had at one point or the other betrayed one another.
They are all guilty of this betrayal. Having governed Imo State for 16 years out of 20 years by 2019, the people of Orlu zone cannot therefore morally lay claim for that position in the next 16 years. What this means is that both Okigwe and Owerri zones must go back to the drawing board and plan their strategies. They must reconcile with each other. They must apologize to each other for betraying themselves at one point or the other. I am not here to paddle anybody’s political canoe but to state the obvious, which is to “ginger” both the Owerri and Okigwe zones to speedily go to the drawing board and resolve their differences before it becomes too late. They must agree on how the 2019 governorship candidates would emerge for the three main parties namely – APC, PDP and APGA.
For political peace to reign in Imo, the Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates for the three parties must come from Owerri and Okigwe zones. This way, the political animosity and suspicion between the two zones would have been solved.
It is not yet clear what the attitude of Orlu zone would be in the whole arrangement and emerging drama, but the genius in me is saying that the PDP elements in Orlu zone are likely to go with Okigwe zone candidates while APC elements in the same zone may go with Owerri zone candidates. The APGA elements in the zone may split their votes along Okigwe and Owerri zones.
At this point, let me say that the roles played by so-called heavy weight PDP leaders who dumped the party’s candidate for APC’s candidate in the just concluded governorship election were politically infantile. These were people who have benefited generously from PDP over the years. However, going by the present realities and understanding, that Governor Rochas Okorocha has deceived Imo people over time, it would take a herculean task for Okorocha to name or impose his successor on Imo people. This does not mean that APC as a party should be hated. No.
I am talking of Rochas Okorocha and not APC as a party. APC candidates would be weighed on their individual capacity and acceptability across the state. I will also blame the state PDP for being too hasty in suspending some of their party bigwigs over some perceived wrong doing without first going to the drawing board, to find out why they lost the last election. From my political barometer, I can see the PDP being hunted by their stupid and foolish hasty decision to suspend party members come 2019.
For Imo State, the race towards 2019 governorship has effectively begun, irrespective of what becomes of the Appeal against the verdict of the Imo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which at worst will culminate into Okorocha completing his second tenure.
I rest my pen.
Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha.
Former Senior Special Assistant on Media
Immediate Past Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties.
Imo State House of Assembly
07032934037
28th July, 2015