By hector obinna
What looks like a political disaster has hit the ambition of the Speaker of Imo House of Assembly, Hon Benji Uwajuomgu to realize his tall dream of running for Okigwe Senatorial Seat, as his principal, and Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is said to be turning his back at him and embraced the ambition of another aspirant, Chief Clement Owunna.
Uwajumogu got the signal clearly when the Governor not only graced the Free Eye Service organized by Owunna for Okigwe people, but flagged off the ceremony, with Governor’s wife and other principal officers of the House of Assembly and the State Executive Council present.
The occasion which shook Okigwe, and with Uwajumogu himself present, sent out clear message that the interest of Okorocha has shifted to Owunna, said to be stupendously rich, and a close confidant of Okorocha and his family, while the relationship between Okorocha and Uwajumogu is built on political exigency, ambitions and opportunism. Trumpeta clearly observed that troubled Uwajumogu reportedly sent emissaries and tried to confirm his fate over Okigwe zone senate seat which he found a group, the Okigwe Peoples Political Forum, OPPF to run. A near negative response has put the Imo Speaker in jeopardy.
Following the latest development, Trumpeta learnt that Uwajumogu after consulting his camp, has decided to seek soft landing with the initial plan of the Federal House of Okigwe South and through the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP having sensed that the APC option looks a mirage.
Trumpeta learnt that Uwajumogu was shocked that APC could not register more than three hundred members in his Umuihi Ward, despite various methods used to coarse would-be members, including using scholarship and employment campaigns.
Uwajumogu, it was learnt has set plan in motion, to return to the PDP and execute his 2015 ambition in the party with his agents seeking rapprochement.
Trumpeta learnt that the Speaker had thrown a kite to the Umuihi PDP Ward, by sending emissaries to sound out members on his purported return to the party.
However, investigations indicate that PDP members in Ihitte Uboma LGA have sworn not to have anything to do with Uwajumogu again, after he dumped the PDP and its members to pursue his personal ambition by becoming Speaker of the House of Assembly, on the day of his inauguration.
Sources said that the crises trailing Uwajumogu since 2011 will continue to follow him, no matter the political platform of his choice to realize his political ambition in 2015 as his constituents view him as fair wheather politician and a rolling stone that gathers no moss.
Trumpeta learnt that one of the reasons Okorocha prefers Owunna to Uwajumogu in the Okigwe senate seat under APC, is that while Owunna is a “virgin” politician, and can be trusted, Okorocha is not sure of Uwajumogu who dumped his political party in search of personal greener pastures, forgetting his constituents who voted him under PDP. Remember up till now, no body can swear which political party he belongs to. Is it APGA or PDP or even APC which he is hiding ? A source said.
Till date, the leaders of PDP in Ihitte Uboma LGA, including Chief Ozichukwu Chukwu, Sir George Egu etc still rue the day they asked pharmacist Jonas Okeke to step down for Uwajumogu, during the PDP primaries.
Pundits are worried of what will become Uwajumogu’s fate in 2015, if APC and PDP close their doors on the Speaker.
Trumpeta learnt that already, PDP is shopping for a candidate for Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal constituency, and Uwajumogu’s name did not crop up, instead one Chief Igwe, a Lagos based chartered Accountant and a brother to former SSG and political icon of Obowo extraction, Barr Chris Okewulonu, is being persuaded to return home and serve his people.
From all indications, before the 2015 election fever hits town, Uwajumogu will become a political orphan following his antecedents of 2011, as nearly all the parties are closing their doors at him.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Speaker, Hon Benji Uwajumogu, told Trumpeta that his boss is still studying the political environment, pointing out that the stories being said of his boss are just the figment of imagination of certain people, which does not hold water.
“All these people are afraid of Speaker Uwajumogu. in the first place, Gov Okorocha has not endorsed anybody for any position yet. And when the time is ripe, the Speaker will inform Imo people of his plans in 2015, not these rumours and stories from disgruntled elements” the source maintained.
Trumpeta recalled that Okorocha came up earlier with something that sounded like a huge joke when he looked at the side of the speaker as his possible replacement in Douglas House when he muted the idea of backing him for the governorship race. It was learnt that the huge joke turned to be a decoy to keep off from the Okigwe zone Senate seat of the APC said to be reserved for Owunna
