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By Kennedy Eweama
In the history of elections in Imo state, no other form of election (not even the presidential election) generates interest and anxiety like the governorship election. The reason is obvious, and stems from the fact that the governorship seat is the apex political office at the State level. Again, any occupant of such office usually wields tremendous influence with the propensity to even influence the operations of the other arms of government, the doctrine of separation of powers notwithstanding.
By November 11, 2023 (otherwise now known in Imo political parlance as 11/11), the governorship election will hold in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States. Of these three States, that of Imo has continued to generate public commentaries and attention more than the others. This perhaps, could be as a result of the calibre of the candidates being fielded by the various political parties contesting the 11/11 off season election in Imo.
Though there are many political parties which have indicated interest to participate in the 11/11 election in Imo, political pundits, however, believe that there are more pretenders than actual contenders who are masquerading as candidates of some minor or fringe political parties in Imo. In other words, these political analysts identify only three political parties and their candidates as being serious minded amongst the multitude of candidates. These three are: the incumbent Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Senator Athan Achonu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) respectively.
To Imo people, these three are the real contenders to the seat of power in the State, the Douglas House, Owerri. However, among these three major contenders, there seem to be major unpleasant baggage which might constitute an albatross to both the PDP and LP candidates, and Imo people are not finding this funny, deducing from their reactions so far.
According to Collins Opuruozor, former Publicity Secretary of the PDP, who recently dumped the party and joined APC, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP is “an unfit and improper person to hoist the party’s flag in the 11/11 governorship election”. Opuruozor also accused the PDP candidate of allegedly fleecing N490 million constituency funds meant for Imo East Senatorial district constituency projects when he was a serving senator. Alongside seven other State Working Committee (SWC) members of PDP who have also dumped the party, Opuruozor went further to purport that the PDP candidate is a terror and bully on party members with dissenting views, which he contended, has occasioned mass exodus of members from PDP to APC.
Investigations have confirmed Opuruozor’s allegation that indeed, there is truly a mass movement of PDP members to APC since Anyanwu won the party’s governorship ticket unopposed as a result of Emeka Ihedioha’s voluntary withdrawal from the governorship primary . PDP, as it is today in Imo, is evidently a party at war with itself . Former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, and also former Imo Governor, Emeka Ihedioha alongside former Governor Achike Udenwa and President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo), who is Senator Anyanwu’s political godfather as well as virtually all major political leaders in Imo have abandoned Anyanwu to his unfortunate political fate.
Senator Anyanwu’s traducers equally point to his alleged filthy romance with issues relating to diversion of public funds, thus indirectly giving credence to Opuruozor’s allegations. Quoting “The Insider Newspaper”, Anyanwus’ critics point to N18.5 billion NDDC contract which they assert that he allegedly diverted as a then serving senator. According to the report, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) is now beaming its searchlight on the embattled PDP Governorship candidate following a petition written by a group, “Foundation For True Freedom And Good Governance” led by a human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju.
A letter posted on Adeyanju’s tweeter (now x) handle, quoted the EFCC’s reply with reference No. 3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/EG/T.6/Vol.4/044, dated August 14, 2023 and signed by one Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, Head, Economic Governance Section, titled, Re: Request for Investigation of NDDC Over Corruption Allegations of Diversion of Public Funds”, assured that investigation has commenced into the weighty allegation. Furthermore, even the incumbent Senate President Godswill Akpabio was quoted as having revealed before a Senate Committee during the 9th Senate, that the PDP candidate received 19 contracts from the NDDC which he allegedly failed to carry out but diverted the money.
Since these issues of alleged humongous financial malfeasance broke out , people in Imo, including PDP core supports have been in shock at the startling revelations. They have been wondering how convenient and safe it is to continue with their support for PDP.
The LP candidate is not better either. As at present, the internal strife in the party is better imagined than being faced. The incontestable fact remains that the party is very severely fragmented.
LP is a party divided against itself with four different persons laying claims and counter claims to its governorship ticket. The ferocious rivalry, disunity and self-centeredness among the party members and its leadership in Imo, have shifted to the courts, where each passing day, one court order or another emerges from the blues declaring different persons as the authentic leadership of the party or its governorship candidate, yet election is in less than two months time. Those involved in this tussle are: Ike Ibe, Athan Achonu, Joseph Ukaegbu and Basil Maduka, while the leadership brouhaha now in court vide suit No. HOW/217/2023, is between the Ambrose Onyekwere led SWC of the party and its national leadership led by Julius Abure, who purportedly dissolved the SWC under Onyekwere illegally.
November 11, 2023, as it is well known by all Nigerians, has been set aside by INEC for governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Beyelsa States as stated earlier. In spite of the proximity of this date, LP in Imo is still awaiting the Federal High Court, Owerri, to determine who its rightful governorship candidate will be by October 12, that is, less than a month to the election in suit No. FHC/OW/CS/27/2023. Habaaa! Which serious political party does this kind of abracadabra?
The APC, on the other, seems to be the most stable, focused and prepared political party in Imo ahead of the 11/11 governorship election.
Apart from witnessing an avalanche of decampees from other political parties, notably, the PDP, into its fold, the spectacular performances of its candidate and incumbent Governor of Imo, Hope Uzodinma, have endeared the party to Imo people.
Virtually in all sectors of Imo’s socioeconomic, political and cultural lives, the populist imprimatur of the governor is felt. Infrastructurally and educationally, the State has within three and half years of Uzodinma’s administration, witnessed monumental transformations.
In the political sphere, the APC has solid structures in all the polling units (PUs) across the 27 local government areas of the State. The party’s political ideology, ingenuous leadership style and administrative sagacity are remarkable, and should be very positive reference points to other political parties in Imo which as at today, erroneously believe that election is won by merely running about hysterically in the social media.
One major gain of the APC ahead of the election, is Uzodinma’s foresight and wisdom in reconciling all political war lords in Imo State irrespective of political party affiliations long even before INEC released the 11/11 election time table. As at today, majority of opposition parties in Imo State, their party structures and a large chunk of their leaderships have all joined the APC.
It needs not be overemphasized that election planning, management, and its eventual victory, is a serious endeavour requiring commitment, scarifies and defined vision propelled by ultimate mission. It is not a tea party event or jamboree of sort.
The APC candidate and incumbent Governor, Hope Uzodinma, being politically savvy and master of his craft imbued with enviable foresightedness, obviously understands the terrain far more than his opponents in the 11/11 governorship election. I say so because while others are busy indulging in showmanship and loquacious braggadocio, Uzodinma prefers cautious reticence while conscientiously mobilizing and solidifying his support bases amongst the electorate at the grassroots His campaign strategy is “bottom-up” and not otherwise.
Again, with the heavy baggage on the shoulders of the two major opposition contenders, PDP and LP, it is very doubtful if they can convince Imo people not to abandon them. It is axiomatic that a kingdom divided against itself can never stand. Both parties are in disarray with very distracting internal strife and mind boggling issues of financial indecencies hanging around them so early in the morning. Will Imo people, in spite of these startling revelations about these two political parties, still give them listening ears on 11/11? Honestly, I don’t think any rational mind would do so.
Nobody should therefore, be surprised if at the end of 11/11, Uzodinma pummels other contenders with a wide margin. He has been resilient and hardworking knowing full well that nobody dashes anybody power anywhere in the world in a political contest. Unarguably, and from all indications too, APC is the only party in Imo State that is properly positioned and ready for the November 11, governorship election. Time, however, shall tell.
