2015 Okigwe Senate Seat: Group Raises Alarm Over Plot To Destabilize APC In The Zone
Ahead of the 2015 senatorial election in the Okigwe zone of the state, a group known as the Okigwe APC Grassroot Mobilization Front, has expressed deep concern over plots by those they described as destructive politicians, whom they said do not mean well for the party, were in the bid to destabilize and truncate the Rescue Mission project of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the zone.
The group which expressed dismay over the length, at which some of the politicians in the zone could go in destabilizing the party to achieve their selfish ambitions, also frowned at what it described as the grandstanding effort of a purported group which they claimed was unknown to the party and Okigwe zone in general.
According to them, the group known as the All Okigwe Progressives Forum, had in their one paged advertorial published in some of the Owerri based local tabloids, claimed that stakeholders and leaders of Okigwe zone had stated that the zone would only support candidates from the Onuimo and Okigwe local government areas in the forth coming senatorial election in the zone.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ugo Anyanwu, in Okigwe, yesterday, the Front described attitude of the group as a deliberate ploy to undermine the towering profile of the APC in the zone through an opposition infiltrated group which had members like Chief .S. Uzoukwu, Hon. Ibeh Ijeoma, Hon. Sir Emma Joe Okereke and many others, who are known opposition members of the present administration in the state.
The Mobilization Front also maintained that the purported action of the group in isolating Ihitte-Uboma local government area, as one of the contending council areas in the zone, having not represented the zone at the senate, was a clear case of marginalization of the area in the zone and a calculated attempt to blackmail the candidature of the Speaker, Imo state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu, who is said to be one of the strongest contenders in the senatorial race.
It however, asserted that their support for the Uwajumogu candidacy was not only based on his soaring popularity, accessibility, philanthropy and track record of achievements within three years as the Speaker of the state Assembly to reposition Okigwe zone and make it a model as could be seen in other zones of the state, but based on the existing analysis which cleared air on the zoning of senatorial position in the zone.
Continuing, Hon. Anyanwu, who described proponents of the said zoning based on clannish arrangement as ignorant of the provisions of the country's electoral arrangement, were also unmindful of their published statement that zoning was between the Northern and Southern Federal constituencies of the zone as the known arrangements have been based on either, Communities, Wards, LGAs, Federal constituencies and zones, maintaining that zoning favors Ihitte-Uboma local government area in essence, even as going by the federal constituency arrangements which had senator Chukwuemeka Echeruo, from Okigwe South, who had a shot at the senate and handed over to senator Agunanna from Okigwe North federal constituency, while senator Ifeanyi Araraume from the same Okigwe North completed the North's two-terms at the senate and further started another term, thus making it three consecutive terms for the Okigwe North federal constituency, before handing over to senator Sylvester Anyanwu from the Southern constituency, after which the incumbent senator Another Matthew Nwagwu took over.
Hon. Anyanwu, however maintained that based on the following analysis, Okigwe South federal constituency, needed to start and formally complete their remaining one term to bring it at par with their Northern counterpart which had three maximum terms of representation at the senate consecutively, adding that it would be foolhardy if the APC in the zone allowed itself to play easily into the hands of the opposition parties, who are bent on rubbishing good efforts of the party in the zone.
They also cautioned those who are using the names of respected individuals in the state to hype support for an aspirant who is yet to be genuinely absorbed as a bonafide member of the All Progressives Congress, using a non-existing zoning arrangement, to retrace their anti-party posture or face the full weight of the law, as the party was not ready to field any unpopular candidate who can flaw its chances of winning the 2015 general elections.
The APC Mobilization Front further, reaffirmed their total support to the state governor, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha in his untiring effort to rescue Imo from the shackles of under-development, pointing out that it was time for some Okigwe zone APC leaders to shun anti-party activities and support the leadership of the party to achieve total victory in 2015 general elections.