The Imo Governorship election which commenced on April 28, 2011 just came to an end with the Supreme Court judgment of January 24, 2014, which affirmed that Owelle Rochas Okorocha is the dully elected Governor of Imo State.
It was quite unfortunate that it took this long time before the contentious issue was brought finally to an end. However, it was not the first time the Governorship seat of Imo State took this stretch of time to be resolved.
Right from Dr Sam Mbakwe, the Imo Governorship seat has been subjected to litigations. Bar Humphrey Anumudu of then APP dragged Chief Achike Udenwa of PDP to Court. Ikedi Ohakim, the immediate past Governor was in court for over twenty seven matters. His kinsman, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume fought him to a standstill.
As at the time the 2011 election was going on, the case instituted by Chief Martin Agbaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, against Ohakim, was still on, but had to be over-taken by events.
Therefore, I chronicled these incidents to let my readers note that the issue of Imo Guber elections being subjected to litigations has remained legendary.
However, I want to state that the long drag which preceded the Owelle Okorocha election in 2011 would not have been, were some certain things done, and done well.
Immediately the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC announced Owelle Okorocha of APGA the winner of the May 6, 2011 Supplementary election, then Governor Ikedi Ohakim assembled his Media team, after he had earlier deliberated with his Senior Aides, to draft a release accepting the out-come of the polls.
Yours faithfully summoned Journalists, both Print and Electronic, Local, National and International at the Government House and addressed them on the election result, as accepted by the Governor.
When I invited the Journalists, they were the ones asking me questions, rather than the other way round. “What is the reaction of the Governor to the announcement of Owelle Rochas Okorocha of APGA as the Governor-elect of Imo State?” That question came from the Channel Television Crew. Thinking that Ohakim would reject or resist the result, they were shocked when I read the first sentence.
The entire hall was quiet when I responded in the positive. “Governor Ikedi Ohakim congratulates the Governor-elect, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and pledges to support his Government”. I read from the prepared script.
Within the next second, all the Journalists dispersed quickly to go and send out their stories. Even the Government House Press crew were surprised with the press release.
In the body of the Press release, Ohakim urged all the contestants in the Governorship election to take the result with all equanimity and should not go to court, so as not to distract his successor, as he would not wish him to face the same distractions he faced with over twenty seven court cases, all on the Governorship election of 2007.
Later, Ohakim’s political party, the PDP was not happy as it claimed its candidate did not consult with the party before accepting the Supplementary election result. But Ohakim stood his ground that he would not want his successor suffer what he passed through.
From hence forth, Ohakim called an expanded Exco meeting where he instructed all Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and others, to begin to prepare their hand-over notes before May 29, 2011 swearing in of the Governor-elect.
The then out-going Governor extended an invitation to his successor to visit the State Government House, and have an inter-face with the then Expanded Exco, where he, Ohakim will explain some certain Government Mechanisms to Okorocha.
Then Governor-elect, Owelle Okorocha acknowledged the letter, and a date was fixed. On that day Ohakim and all his appointees assembled at the Banquet Hall, but waited in vain for Okorocha who did not attend, but only sent a terse message that he traveled out of the country.
Ohakim, that day, was downcast and felt slighted by a fellow brother, whom he wanted to hand over the leadership of Imo State. He later believed that Okorocha traveled. But why did he not inform him earlier than the shoddy treatment meted to a sitting Governor?
But one rainy afternoon, Owelle suddenly arrived Government House, when Ohakim was unprepared to receive him as his Appointees were all gone, except for some of his close Aides. But Ohakim had to receive him.
Ohakim and Okorocha drove in the Staff car of the Governor, and the out-going Governor took his successor around the Government House. Both men later locked themselves inside the Governor’s office where they had a closed-door meeting.
When they emerged, there was a photo shoot, which yours sincerely sent out to Media Houses immediately, since Chinedu Offor, who later took over from me had not yet assumed office.
However, a few days after the Okorocha visit, Ohakim was shocked to his bone marrows, when he learnt that Imo Government Accounts had been frozen following a letter from the Governor-elect to Banks housing Imo Funds.
Therefore, from hence, the Ohakim administration literally collapsed because there was no fund to run the Government again, even though his Government had up to two weeks to wind up.
Following this development, Ohakim relocated to his village at Okohia Isiala Mbano, from where he ruled the state until he left Imo State on May 28, 2011 for Abuja enroute South-Africa, having officially handed over to Okorocha on May 27, at a brief ceremony at the Exco Chambers.
Immediately Governor Okorocha was sworn-in, he systematically began the demolition of all Ohakim’s structures, from the sack of Elected Council Chairmen, to sack of 10,000 youths employed by that administration.
I think that it was as a result to stem the Okorocha policy to eradicate all that Ohakim and PDP left as legacies that prompted the PDP to file a suit against the result of the Imo 2011 Governorship election, which they felt was full of irregularities, even though they had earlier decided to let the sleeping Dog lie.
To me, I believe that had Okorocha reciprocated the Ohakim olive branch by allowing bye-gone be bye-gone, Imo politics would have been quieter, smother and more peaceful ever since than all these pressures pilled on the Government and the people by the Court and Tribunal matters.
On the other hand, Okorocha may have refused to accord Ohakim and his appointees peace of mind following the trouble he went through while in the process of wrestling power from Ohakim.
During the 2011 election fever pitch period, people like the present Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere were “jailed” for their political leanings. This include other strategies to cow Okorocha from entering Douglas House.
But they were all political intrigues that go with fight for political power. Who would want to stand hands folded while his “empire” is taken away from him? Which Governor or President will not fight to retain his position, mostly when such a person only ran for a first term, and has the opportunity for a second term?
I strongly believe that what Ohakim was doing then was to retain his office as an incumbent which every politician would have done. One good thing was that he went about it without targeting lives. It is on record that not a single blood was shed for Ohakim to retain his office.
I know that had Ohakim resorted to all means to retain his office, innocent lives would have been lost, and he would be rounding off his second term now, but would have lived all his life with a dirty conscience and God’s wrath. But he choose the best option. Which is that power is transient and not everything in life, since there is life after power.
While Ohakim was battling to retain his office, his opponents, including Owelle Rochas Okorocha also resorted to their own strategies to take power from him. It was Okorocha who paired his picture with that of Dr Jonathan Goodluck of the PDP. All entreaties for him to drop the banner fell on deaf ears, even as PDP and Jonathan did nothing. That “game”, many do not know, worked in advantage of Okorocha some how.
When the issue of Father Eustace Okorie came up, even though that story of flogging the Clergy man was generated from the ACN propaganda laboratory, the Okorocha campaign machine elevated it to a hymns and it paid off. It worked magic. That is the beauty of game of politics when played without violence.
Therefore, what I am saying here is that in political wars, all is fair. This is because every candidate wants to undue the order. Why is it that in Rivers State today, while PDP rallies are protected by police, APC rallies are rather dispersed by the same police? Why is Opayemi Bamidele getting things tough in the hands of APC in Ekiti State today? That is politics. This is just making use of what you have in getting what you want. Provided it is not murder.
For instance, the Odenigbo Governorship debate at Assumpta Cathedral in 2011 was another spot where Okorocha maximized public sympathy to his good. Infact, PDP and Ohakim did not think the Odenigbo debate would turn out a serious matter, but rather gave much attention to the one organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ at Concord Hotel.
Therefore, while it was not wrong for Okorocha to grab the opportunity Odenigbo created to finish Ohakim, since he had no control of Government power, so also was it good for Ohakim to use Government power if he could. They are all politics.
But one thing certain was that Okorocha’s boldness and courage, even to juggle along the Streets in some cases, including confronting the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at Government House round-about with his army of Keke riders and the poorest of the poor, were issues that would have generated cordial discussions and banters after the elections, but bad blood and bad advise from Political Hawks made the in-coming Governor to go for a pound of flesh immediately he assumed office. This led Okorocha to close his door instantly to all Imo people who worked for the last administration, forgetting that having won the coveted diadem, there was no need being antagonistic, since he has automatically become the father of all, irrespective of party, as the campaigns were over.
In anger, I presume, Okorocha refused to pay all Ohakim aides their entitlements, including their salaries that were already scheduled for payment before he was sworn-in as Governor.
He also refused to pay his predecessor his entitlements, knowing that he too will leave office some day, and will be at the receiving end of his own successor.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Okorocha, in a normal clime, what the Governor ought to do is embark on fence mending as the father of the State, and abandon issues that will heat up the state and polarize Imo citizens the more.
Nobody is contesting the enormous power he wields. But according to the Constitution, including the Bible, political power should be used to protect the vulnerable; the poor, and other citizens of the state.
In a few months time the Governor will face Imo electorate for yet another election. It is when Imo people will judge his sense of accommodation. This is the time we shall all see how the Governor will seat with hands akimbo, without resistance, and allow other candidates chase him out of power, whether he is contesting or foisting any body on the seat.
Okorocha will soon know how it feels to hold power and see people dip fingers into your eyes, right inside Government House. It is under such provocation that he will exhibit restraint as a Leader.
Having said that, peace should now reign in Imo. What ever happens in 2015, Imo people would not want violence or loss of lives in the quest for power. Rather, the conscience of the people should guide the governor, who is expected to give free room to all, just as he enjoined in 2011 despite occasional “harassments” from those in office then. And, the Governor should remember that whatever happens, Imo remains our state as we shall not all run away. Congratulations! May God help us all.
