By Henery Ekpe
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by November 2023, the people of Imo State will go to the polls to elect their new Governor.
As envisaged, the exercise will be tough and dicey. Imo State, as it progresses, has been encountering contentious Governorship elections since 1999.
The last Governorship election of 2019 was the toughest in the history of the State. The 2019 Imo Governorship election stressed all the participating political parties, Imo Electorate, the State and its people to elasticity point.
Never before had Imo State had an election that remained unpredictable from the beginning till the end, following the situation then on ground.
For the first time, all the political gladiators in the State who hitherto operated under one political platform: The Peoples Democratic Party PDP, found themselves in different trenches, challenging one another.
All the contenders then were former members of the PDP, whose togetherness in one political party usually made it possible for the PDP to easily roll over other political parties even before the march is kicked off.
But in 2019, Senator Hope Uzodinma, a second term Senator under PDP was the candidate of All Progressive Congress, APC, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, under PDP platform, was the flag bearer of PDP.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who also was in the Red Chambers for two consecutive times under PDP, hoisted the flag of All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA in that battle.
The then sitting Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who had tried many times under PDP to be Governor of Imo State , and held top National Appointments under PDP, planted his son-inlaw and preferred successor, Chief Uche Nwosu in Action Alliance AA as his proxy in the contentious Governorship war.
So, it was a battle of Titans. Tested political Game Masters, facing each other in the Battle of wits and horse trading.
In the end, it was Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP that came out triumphant and was declared winner by INEC.
But his Brothers: Araraume, Okorocha/Nwosu, and Uzodinma never gave up and still went ahead through a seven months litigation process that spanned from Tribunal to High Court to Appeal Court and then Supreme Court, where the Judiciary on Jan 14, 2020 pronounced Uzodinma as the new Governor and Ihedioha was removed.
The Supreme Court verdict created a new dimension in Imo Governorship history, because even though candidates, usually challenged whoever won that seat, at no time had a sitting Governor of Imo State been removed from office.
Even though Chief Ikedi Ohakim during his time as Governor encountered over twenty litigations in Court, the Okohia, Isiala Mbano born politician survived them all.
Therefore, the Jan 14, 2020 judicial decision which upturned Ihedioha’s victory, was served on a plate of mix feelings and reactions.
While some people went home rejoicing that they had succeeded in snatching the cup of water from one Brother, those who lost the cup and water had remained tasty and went home grumbling. It caused some cravices in Imo political brotherhood, as the scar still lingers.
However, whether the present holder of the cup and water has succeeded in convincing those that were short-changed by bringing everybody together as one is left for posterity, the masses and history to say.
Therefore, it is under this ugly scenario that Imo State is yet again gearing up for another Governorship election which I fore see to be tougher than that of 2019.
The reason is that our democracy is deepening every day, even as the electorate are getting wiser. More so with the latest Electoral Act which guarantees at least, more power to the voter, unlike before.
The truth of the matter is that the situation in Nigeria has opened the eyes of the masses, that even the previously ignorant has realized that Governments control their collective wealths and lives, which has led many people now get interested in Government business, unlike when it was left only for the politicians.
In other words, what obtained in Imo during the last Governorship election in 2019 will not be same in 2023.
And again, Imo State is a peculiar State in terms of elections, as you could think the populace are gullible, only to get the shock of your life.
During the Governor Rochas Okorocha era, he never minced word of what he had in mind and wanted to do with Imo. But political watcher put eyes on him, but kept quiet until the right time to strike.
With all the confidence in this world, Okorocha thought he had put Imo people where he wanted them, and ran the State however he felt like.
But he forgot the counsel from James Hardley Chase that “It is only when a man is full of confidence that he is out for the sucker punch”.
The revolt from “Imerienwe Declaration” convened by Dr TOE Ekechi, was what demystified Okorocha who had thought that he had conquered Imo, with the State sitting right on his laps.
Okorocha never thought it was possible for him to lose, at least, APC Governorship ticket, much more the major election.
Today, all that is history.
Therefore, political developments in Imo has taught us that it is better to allow your followers to open up before you as a Leader, than make them sheepish and pretend they are loyal and all well.
Unfortunately the day they revolt you would be shocked that nearly all those you called loyalists were only hanging around because of the little bread that falls off from the table.
However, on November, the usually dominant political parties will show their strengths once more.
The PDP still remains strong and will do a strong battle in challenging the incumbent APC.
The Labour Party has replaced APGA as the third major party in Imo State. However, APGA will still pose a big opposition because after or before the Governorship primary, those who know they stand no chance to pick the ticket in the bigger parties will quickly move to APGA to grab the ticket, since the Electoral Act forbids you to participate in primaries of two political parties.
Now, for APC, there seems to be no body with the Balls to confront the sitting Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma for the party’s Governorship ticket.
Therefore, as it stands today, Uzodinma is the “Sole Candidate” of Imo APC Governorship.
However, the only thing that could change this permutation is if Uzodinma chooses to move to either PDP or Labour, depending which party wins the February 2023 Presidential election.
It is whispered in the dark that Uzodinma may move, to retain his seat for a second term, if APC loses the Presidency.
In PDP, it is certain that Emeka Ihedioha will try to pick the party’s ticket to finish what he started that was snatched off him from the Court.
The only other person interested in the ticket now is Senator Sam Daddy Anyanwu, the National Secretary of the party. There seems to be no other fellow interested in Imo PDP Governorship flag except the two people mentioned.
In the end, the Delegates will decide that at the appropriate time.
The Labour Party has its breath on their Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. And unfortunately or fortunately, his election comes up first before other elections in the party.
Obviously, the outcome of Obi’s election will affect and determine what next will happen in Labour party its members say is a “Movement”.
Already about four people have openly indicated their intensions to run under Labour Party as Governorship Aspirants, while others are still keeping their plans in their chests.
Those whose ambitions to run for Governorship under Labour has gone viral include, Chief Martin Agbaso, General Jack Ogunenwe (Rtd), Chief Basil Maduka and Rt Hon Kennedy Nwagwu.
All these Labour Party Aspirants are from Owerri Zone, as we are yet to hear from Orlu and Okigwe Aspirants.
However, this, pundits posit, may be silently be speaking out, that Imo electorate may look towards another Zone, either Okigwe or Owerri, in 2023 since Orlu has held the Imo Governorship Seat for twenty years to the detriment of Okigwe five years, and Owerri Zone seven months.
Political observers, across the State, say that such development does not engender peace, love, justice and equity among the three Political Zones of Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe as it portrays Orlu not have feeling to the marginalization faces by their Brothers in their hands.
