Afro Beat Maestro and Music Legend, our own FELA (Abami Eda), in one of his numerous classics dropped a song titled “Double Wahala for Dead Body”.
In the song, he said that when a dead body is being conveyed for burial and on the way the Ambulance had an accident, it is “Double Wahala” for that Dead Body “and the owner of Dead Body”.
In Imo State, what could be said to be “Double Wahala” hit the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha within Forty Eight hours.
For his insistence to foist his son in-law, Chief Uche Nwosu as his successor, against Imo zoning formula, against the disapproval of a majority of Imo populace, and against the top echelon of his party, All Progressive Congress, APC the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been facing a political war front fighting the battle of his life.
The war is between Okorocha and his opponents, who have sworn that the Governor should allow Imo people chose who should be their Governor in 2019, and not for Okorocha to force down their throats, whomsoever he chooses as his anointed successor.
This decision by Okorocha to produce a successor is seen by many political pundits as the reason for the raging political war in the State and the volatile tension in Imo.
However, in the fight for the soul of Imo State, Okorocha has been doing everything possible to put his political detractors at bay, while the “enemies” also are fortified to face Okorocha’s ambushes.
Therefore, in the last six months now, the matter concerning Okorocha and his political opposites has been reduced to a ding-dung affair. If Okorocha conquers any “territory” today, his detractors try to regain it tomorrow. And then Okorocha retakes the lost ground tomorrow and his opponents over-take him. Then, Okorocha manoeuver again.
But this week, within Forty Eight hours, Okorocha’s opponents caused havock within the Okorocha political Kingdom, by dealing his Group two deadly blows that shook Okorocha to the bone.
The Imo Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, whom Okorocha orchestrated his impeachment, was asked by the court on Tuesday to return to his office, as his impeachment by the Imo House of Assembly was declared an illegality that cannot stand.
Before then, Barr Emma Ibediro, the National Organizing Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC was asked by another court to face fresh election in Six States, whose Polls were disrupted by political thugs in APC National Convention.
This development could be described as “Double Wahala” for our Governor, as the Judiciary has sent him back to political drawing Board, because Okorocha had thought that he was done with the matter of his Deputy’s impeachment, and the office National Organizing Secretary of APC, with his stooge, Ibediro incharge of that powerful office in Abuja.
In the process of actualizing the plot in putting his son in-law as his successor, Okorocha lost the loyalty of his Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, who had been a friend and Okorocha’s associate for over Twenty Five (25) years.
Madumere had believed that having served Okorocha loyally for many years, he (Madumere) deserved to be Okorocha’s successor.
But Madumere was shocked when Okorocha openly said that his Deputy has no qualities of a Governor, but instead the more younger son in-law, Uche Nwosu, who just joined business and politics newly possesses legions of experience than Madumere an old political Fox and technocrat.
This led Madumere to cross sword with his earstwhile Boss, and therefore declared for Imo Governorship seat, which irked Okorocha who felt that Madumere has committed sacrilege by disobeying his order not to vie for Imo governorship, reserved exclusively for Uche Nwosu his son in-law.
This singular act by Madumere led to his impeachment brouhaha, which the Imo House Assembly, under the influence of Okorocha, carried out hurriedly on Madumere, leaving holes and crevices, which led the court to puncture the impeachment business.
Quite unfortunately, before the purported impeachment of Madumere could filter out, Okorocha had penciled down Madumere’s Kinsman, and Head of Service of Imo State, Chief Callistus Ekenze to replace his “brother” as both of them are from Mbieri, in Mbaitoli LGA.
Many saw this as a political gimmick by Okorocha to quieten Mbieri people, who saw Madumere’s removal as a slap on Owerri zone.
But Madumere ran to Court for justice and delayed the swearing-in of Ekenze, which was aborted. Since then Okorocha entered the history books as the only Governor in Nigeria that operated without a Deputy for months.
If Okorocha had thought that Madumere’s removal has been sealed and delivered, he was disappointed when the court on Tuesday said Madumere should resume in office.
In the case of Emma Ibediro, he was the one who replaced Senator Osita Izunaso as the National Organizing Secretary of APC, an office ceded to Imo State in APC powering sharing formula.
Izunaso became an enemy of Okorocha when he led other Imo APC stalwarts to wrestle the Imo APC structure from Okorocha, whom they accused wanted the party structure to plant his son inlaw as his successor, against the general agreement of the party Chieftains that Okorocha should look at other political zones of Imo State than Orlu zone, from where he hails from that is completing Eight (8) years when he leaves in May 29, 2019.
But as a political Cat with Nine lives, while Imo populace celebrated and rejoiced over the “defeat” meted out to the Governor in the APC Delegate elections that stripped him of the party’s structure in Imo State, Okorocha plotted how to return as the leader of the party.
And this came so quickly because the new National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole is a Buddy of Imo Governor, and gave ears to Okorocha’s lamentations.
In the National Congress that held in Abuja where Oshiomole was returned unopposed, Okorocha presented Emma Ibediro as his candidate for the office of National Organizing Secretary, and fought Izunaso who wanted to return for a second time, to a stand still.
To the glaring of the world, even with President Buhari present at the Eagles Square venue of the Nation Convention, imported thugs unleashed mayhem on Imo Delegates and extend the chaos to other States, claimed by Izunaso as his catchment Areas.
Therefore, in the end Izunaso lost and Ibediro nay Okorocha came out triumphant. But Izunaso went to court challenging Ibediro’s emergence on the bases that thuggery marred the election.
Therefore, on Monday, the court confirmed Izunaso’s allegation and called for elections in those States whose ballots could not be counted due to the problem unleashed by Thugs.
With this situation, Okorocha has been pushed to a tight corner, even though Ibediro still hangs in his office, pending the final out come of the election in the thuggery-infested States.
Apart from these major political upheavals in Okorocha’s political camp, everything seems to be working against the Governor, as he needs to work harder to upturn some of these “tragedies” hitting his political camp.
It is said that Imo APC will go through Direct primaries, as against Okorocha’s Indirect proposition. To the Governor’s calculation, indirect Congress will avail him the chance to make use of his Councilors and Council Chairmen which numbers over one thousand Delegates to make Uche Nwosu APC’s Governorship candidate.
But in a direct congress, which involves all APC card carrying members, Okorocha will find it difficult to produce Uche Nwosu as the candidate of APC.
As if that is not enough, it is said that APC is afraid of losing more of its National Lawmakers to PDP due to the return ticket issue. Therefore the party is considering returning all its National Assembly members unopposed.
With this situation, sources say that Senator Hope Uzodinma may reconsider his earlier plan to run for Governor and go back for his Orlu Senatorial Seat.
If this happens, it means Okorocha has been shut out of the Orlu Senate race which he sees as his “retirement benefit” and which he would use to remain relevant politically, until 2023, when he vies for the proverbial Igbo Presidency.
With all these “Wahalas” trailing Owelle, will he be able to wringle out from all these political cob webs and once more demolish his political detractors?
It seems Okorocha is facing an uphill task at the dying minute of his Governorship sojourn in Imo which has left many people with different description of the Okorocha administration.
