The efforts by the political leadership of Mbaise, a prominent clan in Owerri zone part of Imo state, to adopt a sole candidate to represent interest of the area in 2015 governorship election has witnessed a failure in the mean time.
Not less than seven prospective aspirants have declared interests to run for the next governorship election under different party platforms. However, the aspirants are in PDP.
To project a consensus candidate that will get the support of the people from the area, for the task ahead, the political leaders formed a caucus said to be headed by a former PDP chairman, Chief Innocent Nwoga, for the purposes of getting a single candidate among the array of aspirants, from the three LGAs that make up the Mbaise clan.
Against the backdrop of the altercation that greeted the formation of the caucus to select a consensus candidate, Trumpeta can exclusively reveal that the Nwoga -led committee is on the wild goose chase as the aspirants are yet to reach an agreement on adoption of a consensus candidate.
At a meeting held at the home of Chief Nwoga last Saturday, four of the five PDP aspirants were reported to have rejected the idea option preferring a full scale primaries to allow all aspirants test their popularity and acceptability by the masses during party primaries and eventual election.
Trumpeta reliably gathered that when the stage was set, the four aspirants namely Senator Chris Anyanwu, Senator Bright Nwanne, Chief Emma Ojinere and Dr Obioma Agonmuo, vehemently kicked against the adoption of a particular candidate amongst them, while Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha differed on the issue.
It was learnt that while likes of Anyanwu claimed that everybody should be allowed to contest, Senator Nwanne and Ojinere gave indication that they are eminently qualified to run the race to the last stage irrespective of any decision to be reached at the meeting.
Anyanwu was said to have expressed displeasure over the conduct of one of the aspirants among them warning that any attempt to adopt a particular person as consensus candidate will spell doom for the Mbaise Clan. The female Senator was observed to have opined that it is not only undemocratic but premature to shut out any prospective aspirant who may later emerge to have the chance to grab the position on behalf of the Mbaise nation.
Senator Nwanne was also said to have opened up warming that he has the financial capacity and muscle to run the race adding that he has made wide consultations beyond Mbaise Clan to be asked to drop his governorship ambition for another candidate in the name of consensus. He said that the position of Governor is not only for Mbaise people, as Imo people are involved in deciding who grabs the ticket. Dr Agonmuo in his comments remarked that if anybody should be given the nod to represent Mbaise interest in 2015 governorship, he is the one qualified and possesses the track records to be counted upon as a marketing strategy during campaign. Agommuo who is an American based physician added humour during the meeting when he said that his old age is another big plus among the aspirants which stands him out to be considered, warning that he is willing to run the race to the finishing line.
In contrast to the views of other aspirants, Ihedioha was said to have advocated for a consensus candidate based on several reasons that will be of help to the Mbaise dream of producing governor. He reportedly informed his kinsmen that he has been at the receiving end of vicious attacks for what he has been able to do for the Mbaise people. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps however prayed for unity of purpose and solidarity among the Mbaise aspirants to ensure that all is well in their camps.
Apparently disturbed by the mixed reaction of the aspirants, the Nwoga caucus threw the matter back to the governorship hopefuls for internal settlement. At the end, Senator, Anyanwu was handed chairmanship of the group because of his feminine status to act as a mother to the Mbaise team for governor.
