Apprehension and fear have gripped most Aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP jostling for the Imo Governorship Seat in 2015, as the plan by Senator Hope Uzodinma to join the race has shattered the political equilibrium of the PDP as regards the earlier plan to zone the ticket to Owerri Zone.
A reliable source told Trumpeta that the Senator representing Orlu Zone has made up his mind to throw his hat into the ring for the contentious position, after reading the political barometer, and came to the conclusion that in the invent that the former Governor, Dr Ikedi Ohakim fails to regain his mandate at the court, he is the only one qualified to battle the incumbent Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, money for money, body to body, connection for connection, and “any how”.
The Onwa Oyiko of Omuma in Oru East LGA, has sent shivers down the spines of many Aspirants since he began to consult in Abuja to sound out his political associates over his latest thinking.
Uzodinma is said to have the ears of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and is highly respected by the PDP hierarchy and therefore may have his way if he pushes the project further.
Senator Uzodinma is said to be gradually getting a grip of the Imo PDP Executive by foisting his loyalists to strategic positions that can facilitate his emergence during the party primaries.
Following this strategy, the Senator is bent on producing Eze Duruiheoma’s successor as PDP State Chairman, while he had already captured the Deputy Chairmanship position, with his man, Chief Ugochukwu Nnawuihe replacing Prince Marcon Nlemigbo, who has since joined Gov Okorocha.
Trumpeta learnt that part of the permutation for Uzodinma to pick the Imo Guber ticket in 2015, is to persuade former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa to return to PDP, and be handed the Orlu Senatorial ticket, while he runs for Governorship so that both men will form a strong force to flush Okorocha out of the Government House.
This Newspaper learnt that it was generally agreed by PDP hierarchy that except the Orlu axis is fortified, Okorocha may stage a surprise in 2015, by defeating PDP again.
Therefore, to forestall any thing that may make PDP not to reclaim Imo, it was muted that Owerri Zone can not produce a strong candidate that will match Okorocha in every thing.
Also, the population of Orlu was put into consideration, meaning that any move to lose Orlu again in 2015 by PDP may spell doom for the party.
But Owerri Zone is already reacting over the Uzodinma ambition, which the zone sees as an affront by PDP to deprive it of its “rightful slot after helping other zones to win Imo Guber elections for many years now”.
However, another devastating angle to the whole game is the insinuation that Okigwe Zone is still angry against Owerri Zone, whom they labeled the architect of their failure in 2011 election by not voting for their son, Ikedi Ohakim.
Therefore, the solution now, a source told Trumpeta, is for PDP to produce a candidate from Orlu Zone, since Owerri and Okigwe Zones are not yet ready to agree on a compromise.
And it was learnt that the only person from Orlu Zone who can unite the PDP, and can be acceptable to all in the other Zones is Senator Hope Uzodinma, who is described as a politician without bitterness, and has die-hard followers across Imo State.
Already, Trumpeta learnt, some politicians from Owerri Zone have begun to fall over themselves to clinch the Deputy Governorship position to pair with Senator Uzodinma.
It would be recalled that Senator Uzodinma shocked Imo people in 2007 when he joined the guber race a few weeks to the PDP primaries and yet came second behind Senator Ararume.
When Trumpeta contacted an Aide of the Senator, the source denied that his principal has any ambition for 2015 Imo Guber but replied, “What is wrong if he aspires to be Governor of Imo State, is he not qualified to run?”
Meanwhile, not a few PDP members believe that if Senator Hope Uzodinma joins the race, the equation will change.
“Let me tell you, if Hope Uzodinma joins the race tomorrow, the whole scenario will change, because he is a well known party man both in the State and National levels. Moreover, the emergence of Okorocha in 2011 election has changed the zoning formula in Imo State” a top PDP member told Trumpeta.
