The lingering political feud raging between two Okigwe zone prominent sons, Chief Fidelis Ozichukwu and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume seems to have been finally buried as Araraume stormed Chief Fidel Ozichukwu’s Ihitte-Uboma country home.
Uzochukwu was said to have received his August visitor with warm embrace, as both men deliberated issues of common interest, especially how Okigwe zone will win the 2015 governorship election and complete its proverbial second term which was cut short by Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s loss in the 2011 election.
Ozichukwu was said to have assured Araraume of his support as he pursues his governorship ambition come 2015.
Ozichukwu debunked allegations that he was one of those who advised former president, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo to stop Araraume from becoming the Imo State Governor in 2007 despite the fact that he (Araraume) won the PDP Governorship primaries in Imo state.
He added that Obasanjo simply acted on the advice which, he said, was given to the former President by certain leading politicians from Imo state.
Ozichukwu further admitted that it was unjust for the party’s leadership then to have denied Araraume the PDP ticket even when it was very clear that he came first in the primaries. He said that he never recommended anybody to Obasanjo to substitute Araraume.
Ozichukwu who spoke about Araraume in glowing terms, stressed the need for other zones to allow Okigwe to finish its eight year tenure which was truncated following the failure of Chief Ikedi Ohakim to secure a second term in the 2011 governorship election. He asked: “I not Okigwe, who?”, stressing that there would be equity if Okigwe was allowed to complete eight years like Orlu. He further argued that the zoning arrangement would commence fully when Okigwe would be allowed to have another four years from 2015. “Then other zones would take their turns”, he noted.
Ozichukwu described Araraume as his brother and denied ever quarrelling with him. “Whenever two of us work together, Okigwe is stronger”, he added. He promised that he would never engage in any act that would compromise the desire and interest of the Okigwe people in the Imo Governorship in 2015.
In a response, Araraume regretted the actions of certain persons who, he said, created problems for Okigwe zone and expressed his desire to team up with all the sons and daughters of Okigwe to achieve the political dreams of the zone. He also promised to confer with Nze Ozichukwu regularly on all matters concerning Okigwe and Imo state.
It would be recalled that for some time now, Chief Ozichukwu and Senator Araraume had operated politically apart from each other, following the 2007 Governorship debacle, where Araraume was fought to the last by his own political party, PDP, when Ozichukwu was the South-East zonal chairman of the party.
Araraume believed his brother abandoned him at the time he needed his support.
However, with Araraume’s visit to Ozichukwu, it is believed that they have buried the hatchet.
