Expectedly, the race for who occupies the position of the Senator representing Okigwe zone in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly will not wear a different picture from the scary political warfare in the other zones of Imo state where the partakers are showcasing enormous war chest to not only grab the ticket of the party but also book a seat at the Red Chamber.
The Okigwe zone senate race will appear more interesting and a contest to behold considering latest development that will see the three major political parties showing presence in the race. Interestingly, APC, APGA and PDP parade best materials that will likely run the election.
It would have been a straight fight between APC and PDP with several contestants seeking the party ticket. But the recent volte face by one of the former APC aspirants, Clems Owunna who has confirmed his APGA move, has redesigned the battle field for a tripod challenge.
Before now, the fight for APC ticket was between the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Benjamin Uwajumogu and Owunna, until the recent cross carpeting by the multi-millionaire business man who has moved base to Imo from Aba.
Elected under the platform of PDP in 2011, as one of the state lawmakers, Uwajumogu turned coat to get the number one position after identifying with the APGA party that brought Governor Rochas Okorocha into power in 2011. Alongside other defectors, Uwajumogu representing interest of Ihitte Uboma State Constituency sojourned with Okorocha in for a while in APGA before becoming part of the APC crusade where undoubtedly he is one of the kingmakers of the party in the state and a front runner for the Okigwe zone senate.
But Uwajumogu was not alone in the quest for APC senate position as Owunna based in Aba showed keen interest. Owunna from Okigwe LGA attracted sentiments considering the fact that he is the only outstanding aspirant from Okigwe North Federal Constituency angling for the position in APC against Uwajumogu from Okigwe South Federal Constituency. I will break off a bit to delve into the zoning squabbles that are dominating discussions on the 2015 Okigwe zone senate seat. Since the advent of Nigeria’s nascent democracy, there has been a kind of mutual understanding between the two components; Okigwe North and South divide. Accordingly, rotational policy may have been entrenched in the body politics of Imo senatorial zone if the home base of past representatives is considered. Consequently, after Ifeanyi Araraume, from Isiala Mbano (Okigwe North) was incharge 1999-2003, and 2003-2007, the baton changed to somebody from Okigwe South, Sylvester Anyanwu, from Obowo who was there 2007 to 2011. In order to complete the two tenures Okigwe North had under Araraume, Mathew Nwagwu again from Obowo part of Okigwe South stepped in last three years and will complete in 2015.
Therefore, Okigwe North people, comprising Isiala Mbano, Onuimo and Okigwe LGAs feel it is their turn to produce the next Senator if the mutual practice of rotational policy should be imbibed in 2015. And if that should come into play, Onuimo and Okigwe LGAs that are yet to have a senator deserve the chance.
Against this permutation came Uwajumogu. The lawmaker with the Chieftaincy title of Odokaraomee is a sure bet for the National Assembly election coming up on Lovers Day of next year. At present, the Imo Speaker may not experience challenges for the APC ticket as his main rival Owunna has dumped the broom party for APGA. The Ihitte/Uboma lawmaker began the senate race early by raising the APC structure in Okigwe Zone as the Apex Leader of the six LGAs. He also formed another socio-cultural organization to advance his ambition. Considering his position as the highest ranking political office holder and number three citizen of the state, Uwajumogu dictated the pace and has become undisputed the arrowhead of APC in Okigwe Zone. Having overcome initial scares from Owunna, election programmes are occupying Uwajumogu’s mind unlike the rival PDP where heavy weights in the political field are eagerly warming up for the expected showdown.
Irrespective of the rotational policy, APC people in Okigwe have no option than to back Uwajumogu except the party wants to lose the chance in 2015. Under Uwajumogu, Okigwe Zone can be said to have had a fair chance from Okorocha government. The Imo Speaker’s political sagacity cannot be divorced from pockets of infrastructural development recorded so far. The rural roads, modernization of Okigwe town even as it has come to a halt, proposed Imo State College of Education (Technical) and Okigwe Zone branch of Imo State Polytechnic can be traceable to Uwajumogu’s quest for the development of the area.
One common factor that would make informed voters consider Uwajumogu their choice is that if elected, he would not got to the senate as a first time lawmaker likely not going to learn the ropes in the very few years. As the numero uno of the state legislature, going to the Senate would amount to graduation and another veritable platform to showcase his legislative ingenuity.
But Uwajumgu will go extra mile to make his dream of making laws in the hallowed Red Chamber of the senate come true. Despite raising a political platform, the Okigwe People’s Political Movement, OPPM, as a grassroots movement to champion his senatorial conquests alongside his strong-hold of APC structure in Okigwe Zone, tough battle still lies ahead. The fierce battle will appear at the end of PDP primaries when the party’s flag bearer would have emerged.
Likely to pose a threat to Uwajumogu is the APC platform he is likely going to run with. It may appear a bitter truth that those running for the National Assembly elections using APC will surely encounter difficulties sailing through because of its combination with the presidential election. Considering that the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan will carry the PDP banner, and a supposedly Northerner may appear as APC candidate there would be sympathy votes from Ndigbo to Jonathan just as it happened in the previous election. It would also appear difficult to educate voters, especially the aged and illiterate ones, the differences among the voting ballot papers for Presidency, Senate and House of Reps on the Feb 14, 2015 election day. Results of 2011 election show Jonathan recorded high votes in South East. Uwajumogu and other candidates running for federal legislator positions in other parties except PDP need to devise a significant tactics to avoid voters cast sympathy votes to PDP for the sake of Jonathan.
I stand to be corrected that in 2011, because of the crave for Okorocha in what I may describe as Rochasmania, some present lawmakers of Imo State House of Assembly who neither campaigned nor made strenuous moves to be in the state legislature found themselves in the lawmaking body because of the massive vote for APGA during the Governorship/House of Assembly Election.
Aside from the combined election deformation, Okigwe Zone may not give Uwajumogu a fresh mandate again since he cannot be trusted on political platform. It will amount to a discourteous terminology to bring in political harlotry, but jumping from PDP where he got House of Assembly seat to APGA because of speakership and later APC could be an ominous signal that those who voted him in might be disappointed again if he changes political camp after 2015 election.
At the home front, reports have that his Ihitte/Uboma kinsmen are not to comfortable that no meaningful changes have been observed at the so called College of Education he claims to have attracted with the host community giving out land for the purpose. From all indications, the college of education project appears to be the historic “Nkwa Shagari Kwere Amucha” of the second Republic fame.
Already, the exit of Owunna who controlled an appreciable number of supporters from APC will also deal a devastating blow to Uwajumogu’s chances. Owunna’s support base is his Okigwe North bloc. A recent advertorial signed by Okigwe North stakeholders and addressed to governor Okorocha suggests that the senatorial ticket is still in their mind notwithstanding Owunna’s exit. While showing support to the governor, the group declared intention to pursue their ambition to have senator of Okigwe North bloc extraction to logical end. By this, it still means that danger still lies ahead for the Imo Speaker. Should APC go ahead to hand Uwajumogu over the ticket, there could be protest votes from Okigwe North bloc against him.
Mazi Owunna has been in the news in the past few weeks. It started when the Recreation Park he built as Pro Chancellor of Imo State University, IMSU was commissioned by the visitor and governor of the state, Okorocha. As if the Umulolo-Okigwe born business mogul turned politician was waiting to perform a major official function before becoming a party changer, Owunna said to be an ally of the Okorocha family before fresh sojourn in APGA, Owunna appears to be one of the beacons of hope for the realization of senator of Okigwe North bloc extraction. Based in Aba as an icon in the business industry, Owunna is worshipped at home because of his philanthropic gestures and community service to society and humanity.
On joining forces with the Rescue Mission government, the newcomer in the field of politics was granted opportunities of facilitating the appointment of some present office holders in Okorocha culminating in his meriting the IMSU Pro Chancellor position.
To advance his senatorial project, Owunna was said to have raised structures in Okigwe Zone under APC which has now been collapsed into APGA. Similar to Uwajumogu style, Owunna also established another socio-political forum of Okigwe people which is geared towards the shifting of senatorial position to Okigwe North bloc. That has been his desire until the reported “settlement” meeting Okorocha organized between him and Uwajumogu which fell like pack of cards without any result.
As a dogged fighter, he shifted to APGA where he is gathering enough war chest to challenge any contender. His newcomer status is marketable because it gives him electoral value as no dark side will be spotted in his political career for now. The hope Owunna is raising in the minds of Okigwe North people can be said to be his weapon for the fight as he is likely going to get sympathy support and votes as “the man of the people” the purported support newspaper reports indicate that Uwajumogu gets from Owunna’s backyard are mere smokescreen that may not translate to votes when the chips are down. His background as an accomplished pharmacist, industrialist and successful businessman is a member of established bodies like Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has developed a Focal-Point Agenda for agriculture, industry, health and education. His conglomerate in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, toiletries, plastics, packaging and other sectors are pointers to success.
There are other factors to determine if Owunna’s first attempt in the political field would be fruitful. As a fresher in the system, the Aba-based business man will suffer shortfall in terms of raising forceful campaign machinery in his new APGA party. Political pundits can readily disclose that of the three senatorial zones in the state, Okigwe Zone is not a catchment area for APGA. Since the history of the party, it has not won any electoral victory be it House of Assembly or senate. Even when APGA won governor of Imo in 2011, PDP was in charge and swept the polls for House, Reps and Senate position. How Owunna will devise a magical wand to surmount oppositions from dominant PDP and emerging strong force from Uwajumogu’s APC will determine his progress in the race.
Moreover, Owunna will be a victim of grandeur of delusion that afflicts most politicians seeking elective offices. They seem to be guilty to the false belief and unrealistic permutation that is resistant to confrontation with facts about their political desires. Since victory is their ultimate aim, the fall prey of being misled by co-travelers whose interest is to milk principal dry of his resources.
Only recently, eye-brows were raised over the purported N150m spent for the IMSU Recreation centre. Considering the myriads of problems confronting the state university, using a whooping N150m for a four-room bungalow is wasteful. Though, the Pro Chancellor has cleared the air on the issue but the fact that he is involved makes it questionable.
After a brief stint with APC, Owunna’s loyalists and sympathizers who remained in the party and refused to join him to APGA may also work against his interest for abandoning them unannounced at a crucial movement leading to 2015 election.
Notwithstanding the acceptability factor, money is crucial in any electoral game, it may be mere wishful thinking for Owunna if he adopts a miserly approach to funding campaign programmes by also failing to properly fund his campaign as it was rumoured that his inability to provide necessary logistics to stamp APC authority in Okigwe forced him to back out.
Political pundits are of the view that Owunna may be a political liliput to avoid party primaries hence his jumping from APC to APGA where not real challenger will battle for the ticket. The question is that if he is not forceful to engage in primaries combat can he be able to take part in a much competitive and fierce election?
I will stop so far hoping that in next edition, it will be the turn of PDP titans where Nnamdi Obiaraeri, a law teacher at IMSU, another multi millionaire businessman Patrick Ndubueze, business mogul, Athan Achonu, former SSG. Cosmas Iwu and incumbent Matthew Nwogu are getting set to go for each others jugular for the ticket.
