Uzodinma's Governorship Ambition Tears Imo PDP Apart

Ahead of the 2015 general elections in Imo state, the ambition of Senator

Hope Uzodinma to run for governor has created divisions among members of

the party in the state.
 
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the senator's moves to woo stakeholders

of the party for his ambition is being greeted with opposition as the odds

does not favour his Imo West senatorial District (Orlu zone) having held

the governor seat through Chief Achike Udenwa from 1999 to 2007 and now,

under the incumbent, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
 
In a chat with journalists, a PDP chieftain from the Imo East senatorial

District (Owerri zone), Chief Cosmas Duru said that Uzodinma has

approached some leading politicians in the area appealing to them to be

his running mate, but is being rebuffed.
 
He lamented that if Uzodinma's political game succeeds as he is firmly in

control of the party machinery in the state and delegates from his Orlu

zone which has the highest number of local government councils, the PDP

may lose the governorship position again.
 
The party chieftain also accused Uzodinma of sponsoring various

governorship aspirants from Owerri zone in order to boost his chances. “

Uzodinma's game plan is to create infighting, wrangling and bitterness

among the aspirants he is sponsoring from Owerri zone in order to split

the vote from the zone and boost his own chances.”

 
Duru called on the political leaders of Owerri and Okigwe zones to join

hands and stop Uzodinma and his Orlu zone from taking 16 years at the Imo

governorship position at the detriment of other zones.

 
A former state publicity of the party who spoke on the condition of

anonymity told our correspondent that Uzodinma's ambition to run for

governor is against the charter of Equity which rotates the seat among the

three zones and now favours Owerri zone to produce a governor in 2015.

 
According to him, it is unfair for any politician from Orlu zone to run

for Imo governor in 2015 after Udenwa's 8 years and now Okorocha's 4

years. People of Owerri zone are not slaves and should be supported to

produce a governor. If PDP fields Uzodinma in 2015, there will be protest

votes and they will lose the seat again. I trust Imo people, they will

never tolerate injustice. I warned them during the Ikedi Ohakim era but

they didn't hear until we lost to APGA. PDP should be aware that there are

other parties with formidable candidates waiting for a little mistake to

cash on.”
 
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Uzodinma's ambition is already creating

fears among the camps of governorship aspirants from Owerri zone such as

the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; Hon.

Bethel Amadi; Senator Chris Anyanwu; Prof. Jude Njoku, Chief Ken Ojiri,

among others.
 
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Uzodinma is boasting on his control

of the party structure in the state where he is behind the emergence of

Chief Nnamdi Anyahie as the new state PDP chairman after his predecessor,

Chief Eze Duruiheoma(SAN) was confirmed as the Chairman of the National

Population Commission(NPC).
 
Again, the senator is also said to be basking on his control of the

delegates from the 12 local government councils of Orlu zone at the party

primaries.
 
“Our structure is firmly in control of the 12 LGAs in Orlu zone out of 27

LGAs of the state. If we get some votes from the LGAs from Owerri zone and

add it to what we can get from Okigwe zone, we would have defeated any

other aspirant at the primaries,” an aide to Uzodinma told our

correspondent.