The centre can no longer hold in the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, following the outcome of the so-called consensus pattern of selection of candidates for the Councillorship and Chairmanship positions.
After dilly-dallying on the method for the election, the APC, through the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma opted for a consensus system where he suspected to be at the top to chose candidates of the party.
For a greater part of last week, lists of different kinds filed out from different quarters before Trumpeta learnt that an authentic list has been submitted to the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, to beat the deadline for submission of candidates names.
A list circulating in the social media had names of those selected for the positions.
Trumpeta learnt that contrary to expectations, there was no location in Imo State where the consensus was held other than the governor and members of the kitchen cabinet thereby setting up fire in the party.
It was gathered that some of those who named as Chairmanship Candidate of APC on the list didn’t even purchase party forms ab initio before the date the list came out.
According to party sources, against the wish of the APC members in Imo, names of persons who didn’t take part in the buying of forms came signalling trouble.
Another disturbing aspect of the list was the selection of vice chairmen for the Chairmanship candidates. Ordinarily, the Chairmanship candidates are expected to submit names of their Vice, but in this case, the candidates were not aware before it was made public.
A major problem of the list is that it runs in contrast to the zoning arrangements in some LGAs.
For instance in Aboh Mbaise, the APC candidate, Iheukwere Alaribe comes from Oke political bloc of the LGA, same place where the lawmaker Hon Princewill Amuchie comes from. Both are from the same Ward which is against the principle of zoning in Aboh Mbaise. Trumpeta gathered Aboh Mbaise has three blocs of Nguru, Enyiato and Oke. If Oke has the House of Assembly maker, either Nguru or Enyiato should produce the chairman of the council.
Similar zoning arrangement occur in Ezinihitte LGA which has also been neglected if the name of present Sole Administrator, SOLAD……. noticed on the list is considered.
In Ezinihitte, there is Ezi Central, Ezi East and Ezi West blocs. Whereas the House of Assembly in the person of Hon Dr Henry Agbasaonu if from Ezi Central bloc, the APC Chairmanship Candidate also hails from the same Ezi Central negating shift to Ezi East that is supposed to produce the Chairman.
In Ahiazu, there is a rotational formula of sharing between Ekwerazu and Ahiara blocs where if any takes the House of Assembly, the other collects the Chairman. But from the list of APC party candidates which has Larry Chikwe’s name, the sharing formula has been altered. Chikwe is from Oru Ahiara same as Sam Otuibe who is also from Amuzi Ahiara, leaving Ekwerazu bloc with nothing. Traditionally, the sharing formula has always been between Ahiara and Ekwerazu for ages.
Same traditional rotatory formula is also obtained in Ikeduru where there is Ikeduru East and Ikeduru West divide.
And the last elected Chairman was from Ikeduru East, Bethram Metu which implies that the incoming LGA should come from Ikeduru West. But considering the name of Justus Nze from Ikeduru East, also the current SOLAD in the APC list, the rotatory formula has been jettisoned.
Fire is gutting Isu LGA politics after an alleged political arrangement that is allowing allow a political unit or clan ( Isu Town ) to corner all Three executive / strategic political positions in Nwangele LGA to itself vide ; IMHA member / Deputy Speaker, LGA Party Chairman APC and now Chairman of Nwangele LGA going by the name in the list of APC candidates. Other clans that make up the LGA are in tears over the marginalisation which the claim does not promote unity , equity and will remain an unfortunate precedent if allowed to stand.
In this arrangement Abba Clan is the worst hit in the whole scenario leaving it nothing other than complaints.
Owerri North is supposed to go to Emii/Emekuku bloc in the zoning arrangements which forced many others to allow about four of them run for the position. But surprisingly, it went to Lucky Abaraonye who is from same block with Kelechi Ofurum the House of Assembly member of Uratta bloc. With Urrata/Orji bloc having the House of Assembly position in Hon Kelechi Offurum, the Chairmanship position should be of Emii/Emekuku for equity.
