The beauty of politics is that it is an Arena for arguments, as politicians always disagree to agree. But when the argument skids offs the route, crisis sets in. And again, conflict resolution is part of politics. However, time factor in resolving political matters is also essential to deadlines. In order words, some cases can be resolved, yet be of no consequence as the aim may have been defeated.
In 2019, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Imo State chapter would be facing elections as the opposition party for a second time, which makes it more of a herculean task, because the All Progressive Congress, APC is the ruling party in the State, with all the praphelenia that goes with incumbent power in the Nigerian context.
Therefore, for the PDP to make a mark, or even dislodge the incumbent political party in power, it has to be rock solid, without cravices within, much more, when the APC is controlling the centre in Abuja, from where “little powers” trickle to the States.
In this circumstance, every right thinking person had hoped that following the tough challenge staring it in the face, PDP in Imo State would gird its loins and put her house in order, by making sure that no loopholes are left in plotting on how to confront APC for the power tussle in 2019.
Unfortunately, very unfortunately though, the Imo PDP from latest developments has shown that it has learnt no lessons, despite all that has happened to the party in the fight to claim Imo Government House since 2007.
At the beginning of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, the dominant political party in Imo State was the now defunct All Peoples Party, APP, which had all the Imo political heavy weights in its fold. Name them: Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Athur Nzeribe, Chief Ifeanyi Araraume was the State Chairman of the party then, including others.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which had the younger elements and new breeds of Imo politics suddenly turned the beautiful bride, as these other heavy weights dumped APP for PDP.
After the elections in 1999, relatively known Chief Achike Udenwa, from Amaifeke in Orlu LGA, became the Governor of Imo State. But since then, the PDP has not won the Governorship seat of Imo State again, as Udenwa handed over power to Chief Ikedi Ohakim, a native of Okohia in Isiala Mbano LGA, whose political party then was Peoples Progressive Alliance, PPA.
Instead of remaining in PPA and build the party, Ohakim was persuaded by PDP Hawks to leave PPA, and join the behemoth PDP, and assumed that its numerical strength would help him to win a second term, but instead the PDP insatiable want and weight with internal conspiracy drowned Ohakim and the incumbent Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA took over power in 2011.
Thinking that PDP would have learnt some lesson in the hard way, and therefore throw away its follies and at least win power first and begin to blame itself later, the party again crashed, as the PDP candidate in 2015 Governorship election, Hon Emeka Ihedioha was sabotaged again like Ohakim in 2011, and lost even his own homestead, Owerri Zone.
Now, just a few years after the election, the ruling party APC has found itself in such a pity situation and there are wailings in the land. This sorry development, many had thought, would be the best opportunity for Imo PDP to come back to life, by appealing to the conscience of the agitating masses, and its teeming members, by conducting a transparent congress to elect sincere fellows capable of reinvigorating the party, and position it to claim this power that has eluded the Party since Udenwa’s outing between 1999 to 2007.
That opportunity presented itself in the month of May, 2016 when the party fixed the date for congresses in the federation to replace all the Executives that have over stayed their welcome in offices.
Imo State like other PDP States joined in the exercise, which was going on smoothly from the Wards until it got to the State level, and personal interests of the leaders derailed the exercise.
Because of the squabble at the National level, Imo PDP was factionalized, as some Big men followed Senator Modu Sherrif camp, while others pitched tent with Senator Ahmed Makarfi Group.
As Sheriff and Markarafi waited for rigmaroles in the Courts, so also did the followers of the Heads of various camps in Imo State, and as the stalemate lasted, so also did the acrimony deepen among the PDP members, who now see the factional War Lords as their messiahs but not the party.
Senator Hope Uzodinma became the Head of Orlu zone ala Sherrif’s Cell, but having it difficult with other leaders in the zone, who sought for succor elsewhere other than Uzodinma’s camp. Yet some Owerri and Okigwe people also stand behind Uzodinma.
In Owerri zone, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha became the Cock that crows, as he is now the symbol of the acclaimed oppressed zone, which sees in Ihedioha the man who has come to liberate them, with also a sprinkle of his own loyalists from Orlu and Okigwe zones. This Group dines with the Makarfi people.
In Okigwe Area, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, a former Governor of Imo State, who romances with the Sherrif camp, and a Hope Uzodinma’s partner in the project, holds sway.
Under this scenario, the Imo PDP has been fractured into two major camps; the Sherrif and Makarfi loyalists, following the ambition of the three musketeers to contest the 2019 Imo Governorship election.
To Senator Uzodinma, the existing PDP State Executive should continue in office so that Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, who is Uzodinma’s prodigee, could remain in office till 2019 and do his master’s biding. Uzodinma is said to run for Governorship in 2019
For Hon Ihedioha, an Okigwe person should be the State Chairman, so that Owerri can vie for the Governorship seat in 2019, based on the PDP zoning formula. And he is eyeing the diadem himself.
And for Ohakim, putting an Okigwe person as party Chairman forecloses any chance of Okigwe zone producing PDP Governorship candidate in 2019. And Ohakim is interested.
Therefore, Imo PDP should shut down because these three prominent citizens of the State have not been able to sort themselves out? And while this ego war and ambitious battles are raging, time is ticking for the party, to the detriment of the same Governorship position which the party as a cooperate body and these men as individuals, are agling for.
A week ago, the Makarfi National Caretaker Committee was said to have set up a Committee, fully backed by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to conduct a Congress for the stalemated Imo State Chairmanship position.
All arrangements were put in place and all the criteria that qualifies a true congress was in motion, with the Delegates, well-set venue, pressmen etc. But while this was going on, the Hope Uzodinma faction took over the party office, saying it has inaugurated a party Executive, headed by Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie.
What baffled many was, when did the Uzodinma Group hold its Congress? Even if the Group wants to foist its own Executive, common sense demands that it ought to have held, even a sham gathering, to substantiate its claimed “congress”
Now, the Group said it held its congress since May. Even if that is true, why did it not publish the list of the Executive until the Ihedioha Group fixed date for their congress held at Kanu Nwankwo Sports Complex?
However, the strangest development in the whole scenario was the conspiracy carried out by the old “Redemption 99”led by Ex- Governor Achike Udenwa, which hitterto had been indentified with the Ihedioha camp.
As the Congress was on at Kanu Nwankwo Sports Complex, Dr Alex Obi, a former State Chairman of the party and Udenwa die-hard loyalist, cornered some PDP members under a Coalition outfit, at a Hotel owned by Chief Charles Onyeagbako, where they claimed they produced a Chairman, in the person of Hon Greg Owuamanam, a former member of Imo House of Assembly from Ihitte Uboma LGA.
What proved pundits perplexed here is that Chief Achike Udenwa voted at Kanu Nwankwo complex, while his “Men” were some where else organizing a sham Congress.
Does it mean that Udenwa has lost control of his ever reliable hench men, who swim and drown with him? Is there more than meets the eye here? Was Udenwa privy to the activities of Dr Alex Obi and co, but quietly played along at the congress at Kanu Nwankwo Sports Complex? Since when has Dr Alex Obi began resisting Udenwa’s orders?
As if these shocks were not enough, another Group that claimed they had elected their own Chairman in the person of Chuks Ajaelu has since gone to the Press to attract attention.
With Ajaelu, Imo PDP now has Anyaehie, Ezekwem and Owuamanam, making it four party Chairmen, for one political party. A case of a wive with four husbands?
Looking at the entire drama, it would not be wrong to say that the most publicized, open and well attended of all these “congresses” was that held at the Nwankwo Kanu Complex. It had all the trappings of a real Congress, with INEC in attendance.
But in politics, Nigerian politics and PDP in particular, two plus two can give you ten. Therefore, despite all that may be seen as right and legal, it still behoves on the Courts and the PDP owners to decide which way forward in Imo PDP.
Unfortunately, the PDP had lived on impunity for a long time now that most of the leaders see no reason to follow due process, even when they know they are on the wrong path.
The problem with Imo PDP dates back to the period the leaders had their ways without minding whose ox was gored. But things are changing, and those of them who know they cannot achieve their ambitions through the right processes, cannot leave impunity. And he who makes peace impossible, invariably invites mayhem and chaos. And very unfortunate that most Imo PDP leaders cheris crisis, because they become millionaires through it.
Luckily for Imo PDP, most of its followers have fate in the party that no matter what you do to them, they still hope that it “shall be well” in the end.
And mostly to Imo PDP’s advantage, the ruling APC led by Owelle Okorocha is not interested in making more followers. For if Okorocha was Ohakim or Udenwa, the number of Imo PDP followers would have been decimated and that of APC bloated.
But Okorocha is tight fisted with cash, and also afraid of challenge and therefore shuts gate of Imo APC, despite the glaring opportunity to poach PDP members.
However, the biggest mistake PDP will make is this penchant at taking the poor members for granted, because the problem of the party since 2007 it lost the Governorship has remained poor leadership and clash of interests of its Big Men.
What is rocking Imo PDP presently is nothing but the issue of who Governors the State in 2019, and therefore all the interested parties in the race are scrambling to take charge of the party structure. But the proper thing should have been to accept defeat if your partner outwits you in the game, than pull the house down on every body.
Senator Hope Uzodinma, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim should be reminded that there would be no PDP without its teeming followers. Moreover, it must also be stated here that the internal squabble tearing PDP apart is to the benefit of the APC, which poses a serious challenge to the PDP, unless it puts the house in order by carrying every body along.
But it is disheartening that the present chaos in the party will take a lot of time and energy that ought to have been devoted to building the party in settling matters.
It is shameful that rather than see the opposition as the major obstacle to the party, the leaders see themselves as the real enemies, instead of pulling their resources together and plan how the party can scale APC hurdle in 2019.
They say no country fights two civil wars and remain the same. But I say here that Imo PDP cannot lose Douglas House for twelve consecutive years and be the same. After all, if it loses power due to this internal crisis in 2019, it would be forever as members would have had enough patient, and therefore free to seek for pastures elsewhere.
Since 2007, has PDP won any other Governorship election in the State? That is why the warring leaders must sheath their swords now and see reason.
