For political expediency, Imo State is divided into three Political Zones namely; Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe Zones. However, this political arrangement taken by Imo political Elders to balance power equation among the zones has turned out to be a punishment to Owerri and Okigwe Zones.
While Orlu zone as at today has twelve Local Government Areas, Okigwe has six and Owerri nine. With this situation, Orlu is more populated than Okigwe and Owerri. Since democracy is a game of number, Orlu zone will ever continue to dominate the Leadership position of the state, which it has covertly appropriated to itself since 1999 when democracy berthed in Nigeria this dispensation.
It was the fear of one zone “kidnapping” the lever of power in Imo State that PDP Elders arrived at the idea of Zoning the Governorship in the party in 1999. However, while the PDP romanced with the zoning lingo, the party never reckoned that any other political party could assume office of the Governorship in the State. Therefore, when Owelle Rochas Okorocha emerged Governor of Imo State in 2011, it seemed the zoning formula had been buried.
This is because Okorocha is from Ogboko in Ideato South LGA which is in Orlu zone. He defeated Chief Ikedi Ohakim from Okohia, Isiala Mbano LGA in Okigwe zone, whose emergence in that position was partly facilitated with the zoning formula in mind.
The thinking was that Ohakim would have completed his second term in 2015, give way for an Owerri candidate to carry on with the rotation of Imo Governorship seat among the three Political zones.
However, as it stands today, only Orlu zone since 1999 has garnered Eight years under Chief Achike Udenwa from Amaifeke in Orlu LGA and Owelle Okorocha has finished a four-year tenure, and by 2019 would have completed eight years. So, when you add Udenwa’s Eight with that of Okorocha’s eight years, Orlu would have amassed sixteen years in 2019.
When Ohakim left Office in 2011, Okigwe zone had pocketed four years. If we add the four years of Dr Sam Mbakwe from Obowo in Okigwe Zone, that zone would have garnered eight years.
Then Owerri zone did eighteen months via Senator Evan Enwerem who was booted out by the military.
But when democracy was restored in 1999, it was assumed that since Owerri had tasted the seat with eighteen months, and Okigwe four years, the best option for equity and justice to prevail was to allow the Orlu brethers to ascend the throne.
That was the reason the PDP after its Governorship primary in 1998 asked the winner, Barr Humphery Anumudu, from Mbieri in Owerri Zone, to step down for his Orlu brother, Chief Achike Udenwa who came a distant fourth in the race.
But even since Owerri magnanimously through Anumudu relinquished that diadem for peace to reign in the state, the zone has been treated with scorn, and has kissed the position a final goodbye, until the nearest it got to the seat through Hon Emeka Ihedioha, who hails from Mbutu in Aboh Mbaise LGA, which is in Owerri zone. This was just a few weeks ago.
Studying the entire political scenario in Imo since 1999, one can easily decipher that Orlu zone has continued to pull the wool over the eyes of the political elites from Okigwe and Owerri, who gullibly believe that Orlu zone subscribes to zoning.
In the first place, zoning is not in any way enshrined as part of Imo policy to share power among the political zones. It is only in PDP that zoning is mentioned. For other major political parties in the state like APGA, APC, etc, I doubt if they practice the policy of Governorship rotation among the three political zones.
Therefore, Orlu zone as the largest political zone in the state has ever subtly used its numerical strength to coerce other zones to allow it inherit the position of Imo Governorship for keeps.
And Orlu does this by pretending to adhere to the principle of zoning, only to go for “Orlu formula” and “Orlu Agenda” when the crucial time comes.
In the first place, if not that Senator Ifeanyi Araraume gave Chief Achike Udenwa a good fight of his life in 2007 which led to the stalemating of the PDP primaries, Orlu candidate would have succeeded Udenwa after eight years and heavens would not have shaken.
It is on record that it was Senator Hope Uzodinma who trailed behind Araraume in that contentious primary. It was when President Olusegun Obasanjo delved into the matter that he was informed that Imo State stands on a tripod, under which platforms the Imo Governorship seat is rotated.
It was in the course of finding a solution to the imbroglio that Engr Charles Ugwu emerged as part of the bargain, since he is from Obowo in Okigwe zone.
Therefore, when Araraume persisted in his litigations and the elections were approaching, the PDP had no alternative than to shop for its own “candidate” no matter from which party.
That was the reason the PDP hierarchy threw its weight behind Chief Martin Agbaso of APGA, whose journey to Douglas House was abruptly stopped when the likes of INEC top Brass then in Abuja said the position must go to Okigwe zone.
Following the crises that followed the first election, Chief Ikedi Ohakim of PPA was “adopted” by the “Redemption ’98” and PDP and he cruised to victory.
That Ohakim lasted on that seat was simply because he had a Deputy in Dr (Mrs) Ada Okwuonu, who is from Ezinihitte Mbaise in Owerri zone.
What it means was that had Ohakim been removed by impeachment, or any other means, the power would have fallen into the hands of Owerri zone.
Therefore, Orlu zone had to tarry awhile and “managed” Ohakim till 2011, when Okorocha was planted in APGA, through the political naivety and craze for power by an Owerri son, Chief Martin Agbaso.
Indeed, it was not a surprise that in the 2011 election, Ohakim’s henchmen from Orlu zone could not deliver their Booths. Ohakim was completely betrayed by those he trusted would deliver the Orlu votes in the plate for him, having named and collected completely in full, all the materials they mentioned would make them deliver.
Till date, Ohakim is yet to recover from such a political treachery that deserves a space in the Guinness Book Records.
In that same 2011, in some Booths in Orlu zone, Owelle Okorocha of APGA won the Governorship, the PDP Governorship candidate lost, while PDP House of Assembly candidates won. How did the Orlu electorate develop to such extent of deciphering such pattern of voting?
In that same election, Okigwe zone could not be fooled, as it stuck with their son, Ohakim, except for about one hundred thousand votes given to another of their son, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of the defunct ACN.
In 2015, it was parroted everywhere that it was the turn of Owerri to produce the next Governor under the platform of the PDP.
Truly speaking, no Aspirant came out from Orlu zone to vie for that position, leaving the coast clear for Owerri and Okigwe zones who flooded the race with Aspirants.
But I saw through that subterfuge, when I wrote a piece predicting that despite the fact that Orlu zone did not present even a single Aspirant to jostle with others for the PDP ticket, I still believed the zone had a plan up its sleeve.
First to react and attack my write-up was Barr Rex Anunuobi, who told me that I was only raising a false alarm, as Orlu is completely behind PDP and Owerri zone producing the next Governor of Imo State. Today, I have been vindicated since neither PDP nor Owerri zone produced any Governor, but Anunuobi is now in the ruling party and fought Owerri zone nay PDP from the trench of APC and Orlu zone during the last election.
Unfortunately, in 2015, Orlu zone fooled Owerri zone, as it fooled Okigwe in 2011 to believe it wants power to rotate to other zones.
In the 2015 election, Orlu dictated the tone. All the candidates of the various political parties relied on Orlu to win. The PDP Candidate, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha anchored his success in Orlu on Chief Achike Udenwa. Chief Ken Ojiri of ACCORD Party was urged on by one big politician from Orlu.
Capt Emma Ihenacho of APGA slept and woke up in Orlu, where he was egged on that he would win. With all the “Owerri Candidates” captured by the “Orlu Agenda” they were like Lambs waiting for the abattoir.
So, when Ken Ojiri and Ihenacho were asked to see reason and join forces with Ihedioha who has a brighter chance, both men were asked to march on in the race by their “Orlu Advisers”. And they went on with the election. In the end, they ended up in stopping Owerri, their zone, from mounting the Governorship seat of Imo State.
Neither Ken Ojiri nor Ihenacho won any Local Government Area in Owerri zone, which were swept by APC, in conjunction with Owerri sons and daughters manipulated by Orlu people.
You now ask, why did PDP lose in Owerri zone when their “Son”, Emeka Ihedioha was in the race?
That is where the Orlu subterfuge came in. You don’t take that away from them. Power is not negotiated, but snatched. When Owelle Okorocha realised that his Orlu zone alone will not win the election for him, he “poached” his “Orlu Brothers” within the PDP fold to reach out to their Owerri friends. It was these trusted “Orlu people” within the Imo PDP powerbase, who capitulated under the Owelle inducement that caved in PDP resistance, including in Owerri zone.
When the likes of OZOPOLF realised that their Allies in Orlu zone have fallen for Okorocha, they followed suit and sold-out the Owerri cause. And Owerri people who love money, more than Okigwe people that voted for their sons; Ohakim and Araraume, as against Okorocha in 2011, fell for easy lucre, and Orlu again retained power at the centre.
Let me state here that I do not begrudge Orlu zone for using what it has to get what it wants. After all, politics is all about treachery and conspiracy. Rather I blame Owerri and Okigwe zones who think they are smart, yet Orlu zone uses and dumps them at will.
From the look of things, zoning of Imo Governorship is gone. One, the PDP which brought the language into Imo political lexicon is no more in power. Two, APC which is in power in the state does not talk about zoning the Governorship seat in its activities.
Already, with the way and manner Okorocha emerged as Governor in 2011 and now in 2015, he seems to have “abolished” Godfathers in Imo State and he is now the only Cock that Crows in the State. Therefore, in 2019 he can decide to hand over to his son and the heavens will not murmur.
Therefore, Imo people should not be deluding themselves that there is zoning in the State anymore. Orlu people from the beginning know there is no zoning, but only gave lip service to the model, but go back home to hatch the plots that have continued to keep power in their domain.
In the long run, Owerri zone may never produce a Governor of Imo in the nearest future. They had the biggest opportunity in 2015, and it has been lost.
In 2019, Orlu zone will reenact its trick and continues to dominate the politics of Imo State, for as long as democracy is a game of numbers, none of the other two zones can match Orlu. That is the practical fact.
