The race for who represents Ngor Okpala/Aboh Mbaise House of Representatives at the Green chamber, Abuja in 2015 has resumed in earnest.
This position is for the two Local Government Areas that make up the Federal Constituency namely; Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala. In the last twelve years, Aboh Mbaise has been holding the slot through Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, who contested the position for three consecutive times and won.
Before Ihedioha was Hon Greg Egu from Umuohiagu in Ngor Okpala LGA. Egu, who contested the for position under the platform of All Peoples Party APP in 1999 vacated the seat after just one term in 2003, obeying a said agreement reached by the Traditional Rulers of both LGAs, that each of Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala would run one term, and allow the other, in that order, for the seat to rotate between the two LGAs each election year.
Whatever that may have led to the breaking of that agreement is not the issue of this topic, but what remains clear today is that Aboh Mbaise had cornered that position to itself in the last twelve years to the detriment of its “brother” Ngor Okpala.
Luckily enough, Ihedioha has decided to hands-off the seat, now eyeing the Governorship position of Imo state, which as it is affords Ngor Okpala the opportunity to try its hands on the seat come 2015.
But the contentious question now is; will Aboh Mbaise not file an Aspirant for the coveted seat in 2015 simply because it had usurped the trophy since twelve years now?
If I may attempt the question; I would say that in the constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, Aboh Mbaise has the full right to vie for the seat because we are operating a democracy. But for conscience-sake, it would be acceptable if Aboh Mbaise checks the number of years it held to the position to the detriment of Ngor Okpala and appeal to their sons and daughters to look at equity and justice and allow Ngor Okpala produce Ihedioha’s successor.
Unfortunately in politics, there is no conscience in the game. Which otherwise means that Ngor Okpala while getting set to take-over the seat should not take it for granted that Aboh Mbaise is not backed by law to file an Aspirant for the race.
What Ngor Okpala should realize is that assuming the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP refuses to present an Aspirant in order to give Ngor Okpala the leverage to clinch the diadem, what of other political parties?
Therefore, I foresee a situation where other political parties will file candidates against who ever emerges as PDP candidate be it from Ngor Okpala or Aboh Mbaise. And in Ngor Okpala, will other parties not file candidates from the area?
This write-up is like a wake-up call to Ngor Okpala LGA, who seems to believe that since Emeka Ihedioha has decided to relinquish the position, and even openly supporting Ngor Okpala to produce his successor, the battle is now over. It is far from over, instead the situation is more dicey.
Many scenarios may play out in this matter that may shock Ngor Okpala. One, Ngor Okpala itself may press the self-destruct button by the plethora of candidates that will hoist the ticket of various political parties, right from within the LGA.
For instance, perennial contestant, Dr Theodore Ekechi is definitely going to join the fray under the All Progressive Congress APC. Having lost the position the three times he ran against Ihedioha, he may believe this is the right time for him, being the Commissioner for Information in Imo State now, a position which have expanded his outreach and pocket.
Ekechi will also be running for the seat when the APC is in charge of Ngor Okpala LGA purse, strongly manned by his prodigee, Chief Ugochukwu Okere.
Therefore, with Ekechi appearing on the scene, he would have decimated the bulk of votes that would have poured into a single candidate from Ngor Okpala.
Chief Blyden Amajirionwu, the erstwhile PDP Publicist, may hoist the APGA flag in the race. That is votes taken by another party.
This will also be applicable to other mushroom parties that will parade candidates. Even if nobody votes for them, such candidates will boast of votes from their immediate families and inlaws from Ngor Okpala.
Two, any other political party from Aboh Mbaise can also file a candidate, even if Ekechi picks the APC ticket. Therefore, another vote decimator may spring up from Mbaise, adding up to what Ekechi and Blyden Amairionwu will cause.
Three, Ngor Okpala seriously needs to extract from Aboh Mbaise that it will wholly and truly support her. There can be a situation where Aboh Mbaise may back a candidate from another party other than PDP. After all conspiracy and treachery are part and parcel of politicking.
Remember, it happened in 2011 when the Mbaise nation voted PDP in nearly all the elections, but poured in their votes for their daughter, Senator Chris Anyanwu of then APGA, who thrashed Dr Mrs Kema Chikwe of the PDP.
Therefore, Ngor Okpala, which dominantly is a PDP enclave should go into their political laboratory and think out what it can do not to allow this position elude her now that Ihedioha is not running.
From the reality on ground, the only political party that can win the seat is the PDP because of its overwhelming presence in Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala LGAs, but it should take seriously the aforementioned loopholes enumerated, or something drastic may happen.
However, another thing that can help the PDP in Ngor Okpala to clinch this seat is to do away with sentiment and produce a candidate that will appeal to both Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala people.
Hon Emeka Ihedioha, because of his political sagacity has elevated the status of Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala at the House of Representatives that whoever will takeover from him will not only be a cynosure of all eyes at Abuja, but will have a lot of loads on his shoulders.
The reason is that the returnee lawmakers from other parts of Nigeria would naturally want to know who took over from the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Ihedioha, when he went for the first term, was like every other lawmaker in Abuja. The second time he became a Chief whip, and the third term a Deputy Speaker, parading sirens and heavy entourage in his village and in Imo, which are constitutional privileges of his position.
Therefore, the poor villagers of Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala do not know the difference between a Deputy Speaker and a first-time lawmaker. So, all they will first look out for whoever took over from Ihedioha is to parade his kind of entourage, which will not be possible at all.
Even if they do not hear any sirens, they would not want to hear that the fellow did not attract a substations, build bridges and tar roads.
These are infrastructure the Deputy Speaker attracted with his office to his constituents. But does the poor electorate want to know that?
Of all those who indicated interests under the PDP, none has yet come from Aboh Mbaise, which many see as a good omen, which though may not last, as aspirants win surely spring out from Aboh Mbaise PDP soon.
Those who have indicated their interests in Ngor Okpala under PDP include Hon Bede Eke, Bar Enyinna Onuegbu and Okenze Uche Okereafor.
Others who are nursing the ambition but yet to visit the Ngor Okpala PDP Caucus are Bar Soronadi Njoku and Dr Ethelbert Okere.
All these are experienced politicians and wish to continue from where Ihedioha stopped.
Hon Bede Eke hails from Umuaga Nguru. He was a businessman in Lagos until he came back home in 2003 and was elected into the Imo State House of Assembly, representing Ngor Okpala state constituency.
He served for two terms of eight years which ended in 2011 and has now reignited his interest to continue at a higher level as a lawmaker in 2015. His fate now depends on the PDP delegates to give him the ticket to face the major election.
Another interested party in the race for Ngor Okpala/Aboh Mbaise Federal Constituency is Bar Enyinna Onuegbu. Onuegbu has been in politics for too long now despite his young age. He has had political tutelage under the feet of many veterans in the game.
He was the elected chairman of Ngor Okpala LGA before the Administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha quashed their tenure.
Presently, Onuegbu is the Publicity Secretary of the Imo State PDP, and hails from Umuokoro, Okpala.
Step forward Okenze Uche Okereafor called “Gburugburu”. He is a money bag, who has been one of the financial pillars of PDP in Ngor Okpala.
The successful businessman hails from Obike. Bar Soronadi Njoku is one of the oldest practicing politicians in Ngor Okpala (not by age). He was a former member of Imo House of Assembly at a very young age. Was a three time commissioner in Imo state. He ran for the seat in 2011 under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, and is now back to the PDP.
Soronadi Njou is a native of Egbelu, Uwuowa. Speculated to be running also is Dr Ethelbert Okere. A prolific Writer, Poet, Publisher, Journalist and Public Analyst. He was a former Special Adviser to a former Governor in Imo state. He hails from Umuowa as Soronadi Njoku, but from Umuawuka village.
Others till expected in the race under the PDP are Chief Clifford Ogbede and Bar Austine Oguguo.
Clifford Ogbede is from Obiangwu , and is a constant fixture on the race since 2003. He ran against Emeka Ihedioha in 2007 during the primaries, and ended up being appointed a Special Adviser on Diaspora to the Deputy Speaker.
Bar Austine Oguguo runs in all the House of Representatives election since 2003. All he does is purchase the PDP primaries form, participates and heads to court and disappears to show up when the next election year comes. He is from Nguru as Bede Eke.
Although Oguguo has not indicated interest yet, but pundits predicate he surely will contest. Till date, he still has a litigation against Ihedioha in court.
Before I end this piece, let me say that Ihedioha had made it open in many fora that he will not run again, and will not influence who succeeds him, even as he has told his Aboh Mbaise brothers and sisters to support Ngor Okpala because Ngor Okpala has supported Aboh Mbaise, by not producing an aspirant.
But unfortunately, among all these aspirants are Ihedioha’s friends, brothers, and prodigees. The million naira question is; can Ihedioha control the urge of not supporting any of the Aspirants and remain neutral? Will Ngor Okpala after twelve years produce a member of the House of Representatives in 2015? These questions
