That the Governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress APC in Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has appointed his Deputy for the 2019 election is no more news. However, what is news now is the story of how he emerged.
Prof Placid Njoku, who hails from Amaimo, in Ikeduru LGA, in Owerri political zone has officially been unveiled as the Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC.
Information available to Trumpeta has it that Prof Njoku did not emerge as Uzodinma’s Deputy from the sky as he was picked after marathon meetings that took place both in Owerri and Abuja respectively.
Trumpeta has it on good authority that left for Senator Uzodinma, he would have chosen a more pliable politician, and not an egg head-Professor in the person of Placid Njoku, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Umudike Umuahia, Abia State.
This Newspaper was told that the issue of who becomes Uzodinma’s Deputy became a serious matter, following the method Uzodinma emerged as candidate, coupled with the heavy weight politicians who teamed up to make Uzodinma’s Governorship ticket as success.
This Newspaper learnt that the hands of Bishop Anthony Obinna and some Owerri zone political Elders were prominent in the selection of Njoku and his acceptance to work under Uzodinma as Deputy.
Trumpeta was told that in the course of stopping Governor Rochas Okorocha from planting his son inlaw, Uche Nwosu as the Governorship candidate of APC in Imo, all hands were put on deck, including that of the Arch Bishop of Owerri, Anthony Obinna in making sure the Imo State Governor did not succeed in his plans.
Sources told Trumpeta that in pulling various Coalition of Groups together to stop Okorocha’s plots, many Group Interest came together to actualize the exit of Uche Nwosu from the APC Governorship race.
It was at this juncture that agreements were reached on how to “Rescue” Imo State from Okorocha’s grip, with Owerri zone tipped as the favoured zone to produce Okorocha’s successor.
However, when in the process to clinch the slot and all the Governorship Aspirants from Owerri zone felled by the way side, it was agreed that if Uzodinma restled the APC Governorship ticket, his Deputy would be from Owerri zone, which he accepted.
Therefore after Uzodinma successfully grabbed the coveted diadem, he wanted to appoint his Deputy himself, but met a strong resistance from Bishop Obinna and other Owerri zone Elders who warned Uzodinma to stay off and allow Owerri people pick the Deputy with hiss input as agreed.
However in the process, the likes of Prince Eze Madumere, Sir Jude Ejiogu, Sir George Eche, Chief Gbujie, Anozie, and Dr TOE Ekechi were in the race for the Deputy Governorship position.
But sources said that TOE Ekechi disqualified himself from the position saying that he was fighting for Owerri zone Governorship and therefore not for other thing more is it would be morally wrong to do anything otherwise.
Trumpeta learnt that Ekechi was said to have insisted that no Owerri APC Governorship Aspirant should be picked for the Deputy Governorship position as that would spell doom for all of them, since it would be misconstrued that they are selfish.
With this situation Madumere, Ejiogu, Gbujie, Eche, Anozie and Ekechi were all ruled- out and Owerri Elders and the Bishop were said to have gone for an erudite Owerri son, who is saleable, and in the end arrived at Prof Placid Njoku as Uzodinma’s Deputy.
Trumpeta learnt that with the approval of Njoku by all these forces, Uzodinma had no choice but to bow to superior argument.
