The incumbent Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been in pursuit of political power for a long time that he was the youngest Aspirant during the 1999 Imo Governorship race under the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. He had also tried his hands in being a Lawmaker. Okorocha embraced politics early in his life owning to his back ground.
He grew up in Jos, North Central Nigeria. Northerners development early interest in politics, having realized enough through the White colonialists that it was the easiest way for them to attain the top of Nigerian’s Leadership height.
However in the East, the masses earn attain their financial goals and social popularity, and not politics.
Although, the trend has changed now as every Igboman have realized that the highest paid jobs can be found in politics. But Okorocha learnt this before many of his generation.
Therefore, Owelle Okorocha was a house-hold name in Nigeria before he ascended the throne of Imo Governorship.
However, the people knew not much about his person, except that he was a philanthropist, who founded schools for indigent students for free. This was the impression many had of Okorocha until he was saddled with the task of piloting Imo affairs.
And as is expected after holding public office, the man Okorocha is today different things to different people, depending who is making the description.
His three years in office as the Governor of Imo state has exposed the Ogboko Ideato South LGA born to all; including his loved ones, and detractors. Today his acceptance has either dwindled or sky-rocked among the Imo electorate as the 2015 elections approach.
That is the crux of this piece. Will Okorocha run for any election in 2015? If, is it as a second term Governor, Vice President or President of Nigeria? This question is very difficult to answer, even by Okorocha’s most closest allies. The Governor keeps keeping every body in suspense, even as the party primaries are coming up next month. Is it a good political strategy or will it back-fire to haunt the Governor who keeps changing his plan every day?
In the first place, no matter how smart you think you are as a politician, it is very pertinent to put your followers in the know of what is your political moves. But Okorocha has invented a new political strategy, which is to pull the wool over the eyes of his followers, which can be described as a leader fooling those who ought to fight for him or her. Leaving them in a guess posture even as the battle nears.
If not, how can elections be a few months away, yet a sitting Governor has not yet sounded out his people on what next political move he has in mind?
Either Okorocha is doing this because he does not trust his followers, or that he him self has not made up his mind on what to pursue in 2015.
During the 2011 elections in Imo, many factors worked against the PDP and APGA carried the day with Okorocha, its flag bearer. But today, Okorocha has dumped APGA and pitched tent with the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He left a bad taste in APGA, which today still trails him. Okorocha paid the man who gave him the APGA platform in 2011 with a bad coin. Martin Agbaso till date cannot forgive the Governor for “using and dumping him”. Okorocha even tarnished the image of the Agbasos by impeaching Martin’s younger brother, Jude Agbaso, whom Martin foisted on him as his Deputy.
Okorocha who says APGA is a village meeting and cannot take him politically to his dream height saw APGA as a vehicle to reach his targeted goal in 2011 and left a very bad blood that APGA members have sworn to have nothing to do with Okorocha, even if they meet again in another political party.
Among those the Governor delt with within the APGA group were the young financiers and foot soldiers who staked their lives in working for Okorocha without asking for anything, but to be taken care of if their dogged dedications pay result through victory.
But when Okorocha got into Government House, the first casualties were these set of young men and women. Then Agbaso, and finally APGA as a party.
Today Okorocha is one of the pillars of APC in Nigeria. In order to be his own man and control the soul of the party, being the sole financier, he made sure that the Executives from Wards, LGAs to State levels quake when he sneezes.
In order to place only his own stooges into the party hierarchy in Imo APC, the party has become a private property of one person, which is a situation that cannot help a political party to develop, especially APC seen in the South East as “Yoruba/Hausa party” and therefore should be run broadmindedly to attract members and give them self of worth inside the party.
Rather than give APC a breathing space to at least mature, Owelle Okorocha thinks that making the party an extension of one of his Foundations/NGO will be to his own benefit. But unfortunately, a political party is like a vehicle, run with battery, oil, head lamp, tyre etc. Each has its own job for the general good of the vehicle. Therefore, when you concentrate the working mechanism of Imo APC in one person it cannot work. Okorocha is accused of hating to delegate power, and wants everything to pass under his table; be it Government or political business. In this case, he will not have enough time for Government business. No wonder contractors run away with Imo money running into Billions of Naira. Governors supervise the work they delegate to the Aides as the leader of the team, not engage in frivolities.
For instance, who is the Imo state APC chairman in the politics of Imo state? What APC needs is a tested political technocrat to nurse it into maturity before Okorocha can hijack it for his political deals.
But those in Imo APC delude themselves that the party is solidity on ground, just because of the grand standings on televisions and at Heroes Square everyday. What Okorocha should realize is that 2011 will not be 2015.
The areas APC will make impact in Imo in 2015 will be solely because of the love the people have for that particular candidate not the party itself because a lot of water has passed under the bridge of Imo APC.
Many APC members in the state are not happy how Okorocha is running APC through his stooges. If they are, why is it that the party is everyday losing her strongest supporters. In Orlu it lost Chief Felix Idiga (JAFAC).
Last week Chief Clem Owunna, APC’s roaring lion in Okigwe Zone left. Chief Cyril Amako from Owerri West LGA left also. And many others waiting to leave.
The likes of Chief PC Onuoha, Prof Fabian Osuji etc cannot openly boast with APC. Those still around are just hanging because they have so much exhausted their political goodwills and gallivanted so much since 2011 Okorocha started taking them from one party to the other and are now tired of moving to any other party.
On Tuesday, those Okorocha called his Campaign Coordinators received the humiliation of their lives when they were tricked into relinquishing the vehicles Okorocha had distributed to them just a few weeks ago.
How will these men, including his former Aides recover from this open shame over vehicles that could not cost more than N1.2m each?
Okorocha’s “Inner Cabinet” are beginning to witness what was meted out to former political appointees of the last administration, who have not yet received their severance allowances, and had their homes invaded by a Task Force set up by Okorocha to retrieve Government vehicles from this top politicians of Imo extraction as if tomorrow will not come.
You may even ask; where are those vehicles, and why treat such caliber of Imo politicians with disdain? But it does not matter anymore, since dog is already eating dog within the Okorocha political family.
Due to hind sight, the Governor suspects that he is not treating his followers well, and therefore they cannot be trusted, since they may be out for a pound of his flesh, and therefore still playing roulette with his political decision. He has refused to say what he wants in 2015, yet the time is running out and therefore not to his own political advantage and that of his followers.
Presently, all politicians seeking elective positions in Okorocha’s Executive have resigned to pursue their ambitions following a directive from their principal to do so. But has Okorocha told them what he himself wants to run for in 2015?
Can they beat their chests and say this is what our Boss is running for in 2015?
If Okorocha is running for Governorship and had made it open since, it would have helped his followers plan ahead, even before they get poached by other interested parties running for other things.
And if he is running for Vice or Presidential ticket, he ought to by now made it open, not only to his close allies. This will also prepare some of his followers to make up their minds on what to do.
Some people may dump APC if Okorocha is running for Presidency or Governorship. While others may join the party for the same reasons. So, with this secrecy surrounding his 2015 moves, what happens to those who want to run for the Governorship of Imo state in 2015 under APC? Should Okorocha stretch his luck further by joining the Presidential race, when will his assumed successor begin to prepare for the race? Even If he appoints the APC governorship candidate inside his bed room, that fellow still needs many political consultations on his own. So, what time is left?
But since nobody yet has indicted interest to run for Imo governorship in 2015 under APC it is therefore a tacit confirmation that Okorocha will run again in 2015.
But his confusion now is how to relinquish his Presidential ambition, yet how does he abandon the gubernatorial ambition? Talking of putting ones eggs in one Basket! Yes, because this delay was what caused Chief Achike Udenwa anointing his successor until time ran out on him.
If that is the case, Okorocha needs a lot of work to be done inside Imo APC. Let him not be deceived by the power of incumbency and endless flow of cash into Government Coffers. He knew what happened in 2011.
The Governor may be shocked with the level of enlightenment and over-turn around that have taken place among Imo people. Even among the Keke riders he used in 2011. The Catholics who were blinded with sentiment have since cleared their eyes also.
Those who worked in his administration and were disgraced out are counting the day of 2015 election.
Okorocha still has followers among the down throden, but the population of such followers have been decimated since 2011. But whether Okorocha tells Imo people what he wants in 2015 or not, a lot of work needs to be done. The coast looks cloudy. Are you seeing it?
