Whoever is going to emerge the Senator representing Imo East, otherwise known as Owerri Zone, in 2015 will have a huge task staring him/her in the face. This is because the incumbent Senator, Christy Anyanwu has done things that can been seen with eyes, and felt with hands.
Apart from her sterling achievements, the woman from Mbaise clan conducted herself so well in the Red Chamber that whoever that is going to take over from her is not only expected to live up her billings, but surpass her fits.
Before Chris Anyanwu were Senators Isdore Obasi, Anthony Anyanwu, Evan Enwerem, Ama Iwuagwu, and Eze Ajoku. Ama Iwuagwu was marvelous, but death could not allow Owerri zone reap bountifully from the dynamic young and sharp brain who died on the seat.
Anyanwu has done well in her two tenure outing, but had declared intension to be governor of Imo state in 2015. However, what is not certain is whether she will not run again for Senate, assuming her Governorship expedition does not pan out as expected. This is because the former Publisher and Journalist has the constitutional right to jostle for the seat again in 2015.
But whether Chris Anyanwu is running again or not has not stopped other Owerri sons and daughters from throwing in their hats into the ring to do battle for the coveted seat come 2015.
Already, the field is brimming with a plethora of Apsirants from various political parties gunning for Anyanwu’s position.
For now, only three political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and All Progressive Congress APC have indicated interest on the job following the caliber of persons these parties are parading.
In PDP are Chief Chris Asoluka, Hon Samuel Anyanwu (Sam Daddy), Dr Dan Okehi, Hon Enerst Ibejiako and Chief Onyemaucheya Igbokwe.
APC has Hon Uche Onyeagocha, Chief Nick Oparandudu and Bar Mrs Ugochi Nnanna Okoro.
Without sounding immodest, all these Aspirants are heavy weights in their respective callings and are qualified to vie for this important position. However, in the popular Book, Oliver Twist, it is said that “All Animals are equal, but some Animals are more equal than others”. Yes, these Owerri sons and daughters are qualified for this job, but in the end, only one person will emerge from each of the political parties to face the electorate in the main election.
Now, the ball is in the courts of the parties who are first to elect who represents them, through a primary, before such a fellow faces the electorate in the general election.
Therefore, in making this “internal selection” by the parties, it behooves on the party hierarchy to select who is the best among the equals, since a good choice by the political parties will enhance the chances of such party during the election.
Any political party who thinks that it will be business as usual in 2015 will be shocked. The electorate are getting enlightened and wiser and ready to face any plot to impose unpopular candidates on the populace in 2015.
The out come of the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections are clear signals to political parties that time has passed when the highest bidder and not the best Aspirant is given the ticket of any political party.
In the case of Imo, all the elections will be dicey because APC is the ruling party and will not be a push-over, while PDP is the behemoth and would not like to be taken for a ride. Therefore the situation will degenerate to a level of free and fair election where voters will be allowed to cast their ballots, because neither PDP nor APC agents can be bought over.
Under this scenario, it will be a tough order and for all the political parties to file their best and go to work, because rigging will only breed turmoil in the state in 2015.
In Owerri zone Senate, whoever emerges the candidate of APC, PDP or APGA will give the other the fight of his or her life. Therefore, even if other senatorial elections in the other zones turn out to be a walk in the Garden, it will not be so in Imo East.
And I believe that the tough situation on ground now is an advantage to Owerri zone, as it will in the end produce the best and capable person to represent the zone in the Senate Chamber.
With the look of things in the entire federation, the next Senate will be sophisticated and full of men and women of timbre and caliber. Nearly all the two-term Governors in Nigeria are gunning for the senatorial seats of their areas, and are bound to make it.
This is the reason Owerri Senator must be a grounded and tasted person who will not quake at the voice and presence of these Governors who are heading to Abuja in 2015.
These Governors eyeing Senate seat include Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Alhaji Yaguda of Bauchi, Fashola of Lagos, just to mention but a few.
In this case, all the states are sending their “first Eleven” to the Senate. Should not Imo nay Owerri send her best too? Any political party who allows sentiment to over shadow her sense of judgement in selecting who represents Imo East in the Senate would have started failing even before the votes are cast.
The huge task facing these political parties now is how to navigate out of the primaries unscathed and produce the best among these equals without shooting itself on the foot. This is where the one million naira question comes; who shall we send?
PDP parades among other Aspirants, Dr Chris Asoluka, an egg head and former member of House of representatives. Urbane and widely connected. He had wanted to run for the seat in 2011 but was asked by the party to bury his ambition till 2015.
Now 2015 has come. What will PDP tell this Ihiagwa, Owerri West born Technocrat? Shall he be asked to step down again or given the ticket on a plater, or be allowed a level playing ground to fight it out with other Aspirants?
Asoluka is a “home boy” yet his traducers say he is elitist in nature and lacks grassroot base. Will this Management Consultant of international repute shame his critics?
Then comes Dan Okehi, from Orogwe in Owerri West LGA as Asoluka too. A Marketing guru who joined the race in the replica of late Ama Iwuagwu whose composure and deep pocket silenced even the most opponents. Okehi is financially solid and holds his listeners spell bound with his sharp intellect and easy approach. But he is also accused of “coming home now just because he is contesting election”. But his followers say that does not count, provided he can do the job well.
PDP also has Hon Samuel “SamDaddy” Anyanwu. This Amaimo, Ikeduru LGA born politician has been a player in the Imo political family since the current political dispensation in 1999.
Anyanwu has contested three elections since 1999 and has not failed any. He was a chairman of Ikduru LGA, from where he moved to the Imo House of Assembly twice, and now eyeing the Owerri senatorial ticket.
His critics are saying that he is too young and should wait, since Senate is like the House of Lords, for the Elderly. But his supporters are asking how old was Gen Gowon when he became Head of state of Nigeria?
Despite this criticism, Anyanwu has taken his campaign to every corner of Owerri zone, and may shock Book makers.
And Anyanwu’s followers describe such allegations as rubbish and hold no water, since the young lawmaker has all the qualities to be a good Senator having been a legislator for nearly eight years now.
Hon Enerst Ibejiako (Nwandaa) is another Aspirant for the Owerri Senate Seat. A former House of Assembly and House of Representaives member. The Owerri Municipal born politician is a house hold name in Imo politics due to his “live and let live” attitude.
He surprised pundits when he clinched the PDP ticket for Owerri Municipal Assembly seat in 1999. The story was the same when he moved up to the Green Chamber at Abuja years later.
For the last three years, he has been working in the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
His ardent supporters say he has enough experience to be a ranking member of the Senate if he clinches the slot. But his enemies say he does not have the financial muscle to prosecute the project if given the ticket. But his promoters are asking that the ticket should be given to him first, and see if funds will be a problem.
Another PDP Aspirant is Chief Onyemaucheya Igbokwe.
He hails from Obinze in Owerri zone West, leaving Owerri West LGA with three Aspirants in PDP alone.
Igbokwe is new in Imo politics, but is covering the grounds too quickly as he has visited nearly all the LGAs in Owerri to show-case himself.
APC parades heavy weights like PDP. Only a jester will wave aside Bar Mrs Nnanna Okoro. A daughter of Nwangele LGA but married in Ihiagwa in Owerri West LGA. Okoro is synonymous with Imo politics. A dogged female fighter, Nnanna Okoro has ran as Governorship Aspirant and was state woman leader of PDP. She is presently a Commissioner and has been rustling feathers in Owerri West so much that her opponents will under rate her at their own peril.
Her accusers are saying that Owerri zone cannot hand over the zone again to a female Senator just after a female Senator, adding that Nnanna Okoro has “bad mouth and quick temper”
But her supporters say she is adapting coolly now and has changed enough with age and time to handle the senatorial position to the surprise of her attackers. She is also said to have enough structure to actualize her dream, including the fund to execute the project.
Another APC Aspirant is the tasted and tried political war horse, Hon Uche Onyeagocha. This Obinze, Owerri West LGA born radical Lawyer always swims against the tide, and usually comes out unscathed. This may be the reason Onyeagocha delights in fishing in troubled waters. But whether he will meet his waterloo this time needs to be seen.
Onyeagocha was one of the Federal Legislators who thwarted Obasanjo’s three term dream, when he and his group demolished the plot to perpetuate himself in office by Obasanjo.
He ran as a Guber Aspirant before but has come down to senatorial stable this time around.
The only thing against him according to his critics is that the fire-eating Activist has lost steam and may not have the fund to execute a senatorial election if handed the mantle.
Nick Oparandudu, a native of Emekuku in Owerri North LGA is neck deep in the race. Although he looks more like a Banker, which he is, but many say there is more in him than meets the eyes. His accusers say he is not cut-out for the Shark-infested Nigerian politics and more, does not have a grip of the grassroots.
They say that despite being an intellectual and part of the Brain Box of the Okorocha administration, Oparandudu is yet to have a grip of what Imo politics is all about.
However, his followers say such allegations are pedestrian, as what is important is if the man is impeccable in character and has the capacity to make a good Senator.
However, what is going for Oparandudu is his quiet mien and straight forwardness which are qualities Imo people are now looking for in the new Nigeria and politicians.
There is Dr Chris Anele, Chief Jude Iheakanwa in All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA. Anele we know is from Umudim in Ikeduru LGA, a business man and former National Zonal Chairman of Peoples Progressive Party, PPA in 2007 when Chief Ikedi Ohakim won Imo governorship election under PPA. Since then not much has been heard of Anele until now.
However, what is glaring and surprising to pundits is that no Aspirant has yet come out from the Mbaise Clan and Ngor Okpala axis for the senatorial seat, as if it was an agreement from Mbaise people. That is a big signal, because Mbaise Nation cannot go empty handed in 2015 without any “State” juicy position.
And Owerri West is parading the highest number of candidates both in PDP and APC. Okehi, Asoluka, Igbokwe, Okoro and Onyeoacha. If they do not agree “inside” before coming “outside” it means Owerri West LGA would have exhausted itself within before venturing out to face the real battle.
But with the scenario on ground, it seems that Mbaise Nation and Ngor Okpala Clan are now the fishing grounds for
