Following the Supreme Court judgment of January 24, 2014, on the Imo State Governorship Supplementary election of May 6, 2011 where the interlocutory appeal of Governor Rochas Okorocha was upheld against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Dr Ikedi Ohakim’s joinder application, political life in Imo State has started buzzing, with interested Governorship aspirants dusting their political structures.
It would be recalled that the Supreme Court matter had held political activities in the state to a standstill, as many aspirants waited for the court’s final verdict to know where the pendulum would swing to before they start erecting their structures.
The apprehension in many quarters was that if the matter ended in favour of the PDP, it means a fresh mandate for the former Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, which will cause INEC not to organize Governorship election in the state in 2015.
But if it ends in favour of the incumbent, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, it means that Governorship election will be held in the state in 2015.
Therefore, with the outcome now tilted towards Okorocha, the plethora of Aspirants jostling for the coveted seat have rolled out their machines for the task ahead, which commences with party primaries by October this year.
In the last count, over twenty five people from various political parties have indicated their interests to take over Okorocha’s job next year.
The PDP is parading the highest number of aspirants, while many aspirants in All Progressives Congress (APC) are yet to indicate interest in the plum job, since Okorocha is yet to make his 2015 political destination open.
Although the Governor had asked all his Aides to indicate their political ambitions for 2015, including office of the Governor, but not few of them are wary of that trap, as there is the feeling that Okorocha may be laying a landmine among his Aides, to know who among them is eyeing his Seat, when he has not said where he is going in 2015.
Indications are that from hence forth, Imo political environment will be busy, since there is no more impediment holding aspirants from coming out.
The Supreme Court case, many said, was part of the reason the last Christmas was dull in the state, as politicians “horded” their monies, as they did not want to spend in vain. But with the judgment, the coast is very much clear now for prospective Aspirants.
Governor Okorocha has even contributed to the charged environment by saying that the 2015 Imo Governorship has been thrown open to all the three political zones that make up the state.
Therefore, those aspirants who have been hiding behind Supreme Court, and Zonal formula are free to throw in their hats into the ring.
Meanwhile, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter. In a release signed by his Special Assistant, Ethelbert Okere, Ohakim said he accepted the verdict “with total equanimity and deep sense of patriotism, though it came without justice”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has released the much awaited 2015 general election time table.
The release which coincided with the squashing of the election petition against the election of Governor Rochas Okorocha by former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as well as the Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria (PDP) has put to rest all the lingering contentions on the legality of Governor Okorocha’s election in 2011.
According to the Supreme Court which had earlier consolidated the legality of the supplementary election by (INEC) and the joining of the PDP and Chief Ohakim in the Senator Araraume’s case against Governor Okorocha, the supplementary election by (INEC) in the 2011 Imo Governorship election was Legal and Constitutional.
