Since 1998, the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been longing for political power.
After his attempt to win Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governorship primary came to nought in 1999, the then youthful Okorocha rather than get discouraged by that failure, instead dug deep into Imo nay Nigeria political ground.
He later made fruitless efforts to be a Senator representing Orlu zone. When that one hit the rocks, he tried his hand on the Presidential ticket of the All Peoples Party, APP. That also came to grief.
As a political Cat with line lives, Okorocha later made a detour to the Imo Governorship diadem in 2011 after the doomed 1999 effort.
And this time, around Okorocha arrived Imo State from his bases in Jos, Plateau State, and Abuja the Federal Capital respectively, with a new strategy and fresh ideas.
He abandoned the PDP under which platform he was rejected a Senate slot again in 2011, and rather went for the All Progressive Grand Alliance, for the bigger Pie; the Governorship ticket of Imo State.
Luckily for Okorocha, Chief Martin Agbaso who has been funding APGA in Imo State just got frustrated and politically farmished after having spent millions of Naira, chasing a mandate which he claimed the then Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim stole from him.
At this period, Okorocha arrived the Imo political scene at the right time, and with some mouth-watering promises, Martin Agbaso relinguished the Imo APGA Governorship strangle-hold to the Ideato South born Owelle.
From this moment, Okorocha realized that to achieve his long-time dream of capturing political power lies on him, since at this juncture, the hard-to please Imo electorate with the elites, were clamouring for a fresh air, thinking that Okorocha, who has been around Imo State political environment for years, was a better option than the PDP incumbent Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim.
It happened that the electorate who were looking for a Messiah had envisaged one in Okorocha, who used his oratory to mesmerize the bemused populace, who simply prayed for the election day to come so that they can enthrone their newly chosen Prince.
Reading the mood of the masses, Okorocha did away with the old political Elites, who luckily for Okorocha then, were all mainly in the ruling PDP whose face the masses detested then.
Okorocha later went for unknown political neophytes to help him battle the old and existing names, who in 2011 sounded like broken records to the ears of Imo populace.
Among Okorocha’s new “political Army” were young men and women whose names do not ring bell in the Imo political lexicon.
They include people like Prince Eze Madumere, (his long-serving Chief of Staff), Dr Paschal Obi, Chief Ogueri Enwere, a certain youthful Uche Nwosu, Chinedu Offor (who was then minding Okorocha’s Media)Frank Onwumere, Prof Tony Anwuka, Nze PC Onuoha, High Chief Uche Njoku and Others.
To win the hearts of the people, Okorocha adopted the “Talakawa” method, by taking his campaigns to the poor; Artisans, Keke Riders, Market women and men, Churches etc where he dazzled the crowd with his promises.
And this style tickled the gullible Imo electorate to no end, as they jubilated and sang Okorocha’s praises whenever they catch him eating corn on the streets, dancing with Traders, ridding Keke or other campaign tricks.
To the Imo masses, why would they be looking for or be interested in an incumbent administration that is doing relatively well, based on the funds available, when there is a new Messiah who has told them that Imo State is brimming with too much wealth, as the only problem is how to spend it.
But despite these eulogies and hero-worshipping, it took Okorocha a second-balloting and active support of the powers that be in Abuja then, for him to dislodge the Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and the PDP.
Immediately Okorocha was declared winner, the lives of all those working in the out-going administration came to danger, as the jubilating masses bayed for blood, and ready to lynch any of them at sight. This led members of the out-going State Executive to live in fear.
Their apprehension was added more to announcement signed by Chinedu Offor ordering that any of them seen with Government property risks being arrested, including their official vehicles that had already been documented and asked by the Ministry of Works to go home with in lieu of their severance allowances.
By May 29, 2011, all senior Government officials had deserted Imo Government House Owerri, except yours truly, who had to wait for Media reasons.
As Okorocha was being sworn-in on May 29, 2011, all officials who served under Ohakim’s regime had either left Imo State, for Abuja, or were outside the country for dear lives. But I had to remain in Owerri, where I was born and have been since Sam Mbakwe’s regime came and left.
As Okorocha arrived the scene, he came with combative and vindictive style of governance, which split Imo State to the middle till date. He had to “produce” his own set of Leaders, and admitted only appointees of old regimes who agreed to sell their principals. And mark my words, as Okorocha leaves by next year, the same people will also sell him a penny to the next tenant at Douglas House Owerri.
Till date, nearly eight years after, Okorocha has not softened on his combative style of Governance. He does not give ear to anything that is not his own idea.
He is not a team player, and does his things the way he feels without minding whose Ox was gored even though we are in a Democracy.
However, whatever has a beginning has an end. For sure, a lot of people benefited from Okorocha’s reign, much as some people suffered deprivations also. Therefore, as Okorocha gets set to quit, the time of reckoning has come, and mostly in his own political camp from where the Governor would love to pick the fellow who takes after him in office, if the members of his party APC, and the Imo electorate agree.
As it is bound to happen, there is fire now within the Okorocha political empire which he bestrode like a colossus these past years.
Because of his safety after office, and for protection of his wealth when he leaves, Okorocha is expected to hand over power to whom he thinks cannot betray him in the case where shove comes to push later when he is gone.
But unfortunately as humans, we cannot predict tomorrow. Indeed, based on Okorocha’s permutation, he would love to hand over to his son-inlaw, Uche Nwosu, who he claims he does not know his mother or father, but rather met him on Wethral Road, Owerri from where their relationship blossomed to the extent that the young man became Okorocha’s son-inlaw courtesy his marriage to the Governor’s first daughter Uloma, who is billed to take over from the mother as the First Lady of Imo State by May 29, 2019.
Unfortunately for Okorocha, permutations and postulations hardly come out as predicted, especially in the shark-infested political waters like ours.
While Okorocha hinges the qualification of his successor on breed (Agburuanyi), clan and relationship but political pundits say that none of the above can be equated to experience, political expediency, justice, equity, loyalty and zoning.
Left for Okorocha, he would have loved to single-handedly share the Imo political offices by himself, devoid of democratic tenets. But in a Democracy, the Minority has their say, and the Majority has their way.
As at now, Okorocha’s political empire is in a turmoil. The reason is that the Emperor has done what pleases him, but his servants have for the first time raised their voices against the Principal, and the centre can no longer hold.
Okorocha’s open backing of his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu has broken the chord that held him together with his other lieutenants, and it is now “To your tent oh Isreal”.
The Leader has betrayed his bias for one among his people and can no longer rein in his followers, because the game is over. Most of Okorocha’s “Boys” who have toiled for long with him till now have nothing else to lose and having been pushed to the wall, they are now fighting for their lives, not even politics.
For the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, he sees the situation where his Boss adopted his son in law as the highest betray of the century because having spent years with Okorocha down the Hill, Madumere feels that now that they have climbed the valley together to the top, and with the Imo zoning formula effectively favouring him, the Mbieri born politician sees himself as the heir to the throne.
But Okorocha having bared his fangs, Madumere is now on a suicide mission, without minding what should be the end.
For a man who received odium and abuses for being loyal and total for Okorocha for these donkey years, is this how it should end? That is the matter!
Therefore, Okorocha’s empire is rumbling may crumble soon because a house that is against itself does not stand. Dangling an Owerri Senatorial bet at Madumere by Okorocha is seen as an after-thought. In the first place how does he determine who wins what in 2019? It is only the political parties and the electorate that will do that.
For sure, Uche Nwosu is one of the luckiest guys today in the poverty-ravaged Imo State. A good man though, but the situation looks hostile to the utopian height his father-inlaw is pushing him into, against the run of play and the tide.
Had Uche Nwosu been from Owerri zone, he would have simply strolled into Douglas House in May 29 2019 as the youngest Governor Imo State ever has.
But with Okorocha leaving office after eight years by 2019, including the eight years of Udenwa, making it sixteen years (16) for Orlu zone while Okigwe zone has Eight (8) years, with Owerri Sixteen months, what then can any scene person from Imo State argue about the North/Fulani hegemony that is tearing Nigeria apart?
The Ball is entirely on Okorocha’s court. I think that the Governor is now between the devil and dark blue sea. But only himself can disentangle himself from the political suicidal web he presently found himself.
Power, Power. Power is an opium and when you allow it get you addicted, you only hear your own voice because to you others are Lilliputians. We can take Joseph Zuma of South Africa as a case study. “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of Democracy” says Abraham Lincoln.
