Wonders, they say, can never end. Everybody that is somebody believes that Imo State is a State with unbelievable political sceneries. This is not in doubt at all because of all the States in Nigeria, this is the only State where the ruling party in the country PDP is going to net over one billion naira from mere purchase of forms by various aspirants. Besides, this is the only State where high level political gimmicks are playing out. On daily basis, a lot of political rumours, gossips, maneuvers etc are published, speculated and sometimes brandished by the architects of political rumor mongering.
But beyond all those unusual happenings, the most interesting and intriguing is the two legged aspirations of Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
His perplexing and complexing postures of aspiring to remain as the APC Governor of Imo State, his alleged and reported desire to remain as Imo Governor under PDP and above all, his doubling pestering to become APC Presidential Candidate or to become the running mate of APC final candidate. To many discerning minds, this is indeed unusual political behaviours never seen or observed in any single human being in the annals of politics here or elsewhere in the world.
One man trying to be many things at the same time – President, Vice President, Governor and perhaps “the commander in chief of keke Napepe Assembly.” No wonder, that one journalist wrote, “in Imo State, political happenings are always bringing about perplexing political incalculable activities.”
For one thing, why must Owelle not to be satisfied with being the Governor of Imo State, rule it right and leave something positive and concrete on the pages of history?
Why can Owelle not to be satisfied and concentrate on building a strong APC in Imo State, since he made the costly mistake of jumping into APC without consultations. Shamefully enough, he did everything to ensure that Senator Ngige won Anambra Governorship election, he spent billions of Imo money for that purpose. He still failed. Now he has been trying everything including unprecedented national television adverts to get his party APC to give him Presidential ticket on the basis of “miracles he had preformed in Imo.” Seeing that, that will not work; he began a process of ensuring that Abubakar Atiku considers him as a running mate. He has not been steadfast on that one. Then he has been making private move to get Buhari to adopt him. His only credential to ensure that a Northerner adopts him as the running mate is because of his entrenched connection with malams and abokis, hence in fact, many authors and writers, including careful political watchers believe that Imo Government House is an extension of Kano Government House, Kano.
Recently, it has become highly speculated that Owelle is making frantic efforts to return to PDP, a move he has failed to accomplish over and over in spite of his manipulating propensities. Recently, the rumour has become louder and louder to the extent that Senator Hope Uzodinma spoke publicly against the move asking the president not to allow Owelle to come back to PDP. Honestly, it will amount to costly political suicide for both Owelle and PDP to think of Owelle coming back to PDP. It will cause heavy damage of political image. How can he after dropping APGA for no just cause, jumped into APC without any consultation, now having brought out so many APC followers to the brink of national election, he wants to abandon them midstream.
Although many people in APC don’t trust Owelle’s political calculations, they have been shocked to the marrows on hearing that Owelle is making another frantic move to return to PDP which has completely mapped out its plans too many to mention, to uproot him out of office with disgrace and ignominy come next February Governorship election. Can he jesttson his ill-fated APC and his disappoint followers to go back to PDP which he has curse, abused and scorned many that believe that in politics there is no permanent enemy, but in the Nigerian political context, such axiom does not hold water because our culture is different. Does he think that all the Governorship aspirants in Imo who have laboured and crisis-crossed the entire states, consulting and campaigning would simply seat by to allow him come back to PDP to contest for the Governorship? Why would Owelle continue to fool himself? If he believes that there is that possibility, then, he can believe that in Hell, Satan has some friendly angels in his cabinet.
Nobody would believe this to happen. Now having put himself in a tight position, he should do either of the two things: stay in APC to contest for the Governorship in Imo State, whether he gets victory, success or failure, he must accept it. Secondly, join the PDP but forget the Governorship. But knowing his political chemistry, he cannot do that. Or in the alternative, refuses to contest for the Governorship in APC but fights hard to ensure that his successor gets victory. No, Owelle can never do that because from all his political behaviours, it appears that he has unquenchable greedy ambition to be in power, remain in power and to be in a position where he should be attracting a lot of clapping of hands and cheering.
But if for any unlikely political miscalculations he is received in PDP to contest for the Governorship, he will witness the most devastating defeat no matter the military or civilian support which the Federal Government may deploy to Imo. Because, protest votes against him would be very total and comprehensive and just a very lucky party like APGA may emerge as the party in power.
Meanwhile, his double legged aspiration may boomerang. He has to be careful.
