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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Imo youths, under the aegis of the Global Association of Concerned Imo Youths (GACIY), have declined its support for Owerri zone anointed by Governor Hope Uzodimma to produce his successor.
A statement by spokesman of the group, Haluchi Ikemefuna, which stated reasons for their action, accused Owerri zone of disrupting the Charter of Equity in 2011 when former governor, Rochas Okorocha, from Orlu zone, defeated then incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim, from Okigwe zone.
According to Ikemefuna, the defeat paved the way for Orlu zone to go in quick succession for almost 14 years and still left Okigwe zone out of the equity.
While blaming leaders from Owerri zone for the disruption, the group said the only way to remedy the situation is to return to the point the rotation was disrupted.
“The root cause of the Orlu zone producing three governors since 1999 was the actions of the Owerri zone in truncating the established rotation of the Charter of Equity in 2011.
“The facts are clear that Achike Udenwa, who was governor at that time, had no intention of handing over to a successor from Orlu after his tenure. Orlu zone overwhelmingly supported the re-election of Ohakim from Okigwe zone in 2011 to complete his tenure of eight years, as Udenwa had done, before allowing the governorship to return to Owerri zone in keeping with the Charter of Equity initiated in 1999.
“We do not agree that the pendulum of justice should swing in favour of the Owerri zone on this Charter of Equity matter. On the contrary, they eventually produced a governor in 2019 with former governor Emeka Ihedioha. The core issue is that the Owerri zone wants to hold contradictory positions – benefitting from the disruption they caused in 2011 – while also demanding an immediate return to power based on that same principle of equity.
“The three principal conspirators against Ohakim’s re-election all hailed from the Owerri zone. All the leaders from Imo State who presented Okorocha to the late Igbo leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, for adoption for the governorship election were all from Owerri zone,” he said.
