Last week, a speculated rumour came to fruition, when one of the strong men in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State chapter exited the party. I write here of Senator Hope Uzodinma representing Orlu zone in the Red Chamber, for a second term which will roll into Eight years by 2019.
No doubt, Uzodinma was one of the pillars of PDP, right from his Ward Omuma, to Oru West LGA, Imo State and Nigeria.
However, the rumour mill had speculated that Hope Uzodinma would leave PDP someday, but for political pundits, no one predicted that Uzodinma will berth with All Progressive Congress, APC.
And there were many reasons for that. But since political permutations are as fluid as human behaviour, one cannot say why Uzodinma of all people chose to now hibernate with APC fellows.
For starters, Uzodinma was a member of PDP Board of Trustees, BOT, which makes him an Apex member of the party, in addition to his position as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, all this romance with PDP ended last week when Uzodinma said a final goodbye to PDP, a party under which he won an election, despite his various trials under other political platforms in the years past.
Why Uzodinma went for APC is a decision which only he can give answer to. But it had predicted earlier that if eventually Uzodinma decides to leave PDP, he will go for All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
But the Omuma born politician shocked many when he pitched tent with APC. The surprise is not far-fetched, because already the orgonagram of Imo APC shows that two major individuals now control the soul of the party, who are already in the trenches for a supremacy war.
Therefore, for a Senator Hope Uzodinma to join APC now is an indication that either he jumps into the raging fight or be caught by the cross-fires.
Take or leave it, Imo APC is split into two Heavy camps. One is headed by the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, while the other is the “reactionaries” with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the point man.
The “Okorocha faction” is made up of Okorocha’s appointees, who are gunning for elections in 2019, and strongly believe that the only way for them to capture APC tickets is to remain absolutely and sheepishly loyal to Okorocha.
The role call includes Engr Emma Ojinere, Prof Nnamdi Obiaraeri, Hon Nnanna Igbokwe, Hon Chike Okafor, Hon Ogbonna Ozuruigbo, Sir George Eche, Chief Kingsley Uju, Dr Paschal Obi, Hon Acho Ihim, Chief Uche Nwosu, Hon Henry Ezediaro etc.
These people who are mostly Government appointees rally round Okorocha for their political survival and therefore are not ready to jump Ship now, except they lose face with their principal anytime in the future.
Then, the “Araraume Team” is made up of disgruntled and angry lot, who may have suffered one ignominy or the other in the hands of Okorocha, who mistakenly, as a leader, openly identified with some of followers, abandoning others to their fate.
Therefore, this Group justifiably have reason(s) to fight Okorocha with the last pint of their bloods, knowing that staying aloof would only attract them more calamity from their politically morbid ex-principal.
And unfortunately for Okorocha, this Group has war tested veterans, who comfortable in their own right and can mop of funds at any time for Battle.
They include Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Benji Uwajumogu, Senator Osita Izunaso, Okorocha’s Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, Chief Jude Ejiogu, Hon Emeka Nwajiuba, Chief Okey Ikoro, Chief Kingsley Ufere, Chief Best Mbanaso, Dr TOE Ekechi, Chief Val Okere, Dr Vitalis Ajumbe, Bar Kingsley Ononuju, Chief Uzoma Obiyo, etc.
These people have suffered one socio-political injury or the other in the hands of Okorocha, and they know him too well, which will be of help to them in the near future when the Imo political situation will change from shove to push.
Most of them were Okorocha’s Commissioners, Special Advisers or Business and political partners. They all have one story of disappointed to say about Okorocha, and are poised for a pound of flesh.
Therefore it is an APC in this shape of disarray in Imo State that Senator Hope Uzodinma has plunged into.
Already, the assumed leader of APC in Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has given Uzodinma the first shocker, when he said that he is not aware if the Senator has joined APC yet.
This statement is an indication that Uzodinma is not only welcome, but now accommodated with hostility. It shows that the House Uzodinma is running into is already infested with ruddents and scorpions that will give him sleepless nights.
It therefore follows that for Uzodinma to gain a foothold in his new found abode, he needs to form his own “Army”, but from where would he find the recruits?
It seems to me that Okorocha and Araraume Groups had already mopped up whatever remained of APC members in Imo State. You rather belong to one of the groups or you are floating.
Under this circumstance, can Hope Uzodinma be able to entrench his followers, who are also moving into APC with him as new entrance, within the old APC already under the grip of Araraume and Okorocha’s camps?
It gets even tougher for the Senator, when we realize the fact that both Araraume and Okorocha are also interested in what Uzodinma maybe angling for whenever he settles down in APC.
In the first place, Uzodinma has ambition to be governor some day, and may declare that intension soon. He is already a Senator and may try to go back to Abuja as Senator.
Now, if Uzodinma tries to encroach into Imo Governorship now, Araraume will do everything to shut him out of the APC, at least the Group he is charge of, because the Isiala Mbano born Business Mogul sees the 2019 Imo Governorship seat as may be his last, since age is approaching steadily.
Then Okorocha who has already given himself the APC Orlu Senate ticket after a mock primary which only he was the contestant and participant.
So, Uzodinma dare not mention Orlu Senate in Imo APC where Okorocha is.
And seriously, the most important election to Okorocha in 2019 is that of his son inlaw, Chief Uche Nwosu. It is even more important to Okorocha than his Senatorial race. Reason is that with what Okorocha has done in office in the last seven years, he knows that what will spare him from the hands of political opponents and a section of Imo populace is to plant a successor who can protect him out of office. And that person is Uche Nwosu.
It does not matter to Okorocha whether Nwosu has administrative and political experience. Therefore, should Hope Uzodinma dare delve into the issue of Imo Governorship, Okorocha will give Uzodinma what legendary AfroBeat Icon, Fela calls “Roforofo Fight”.
Under the described scenario, what would be the place of Senator Hope Uzodinma in the Imo APC setup?
Coming to the PDP which Uzodinma abandoned for APC, there is tumultuous jubilation as the party said it is good riddance to a man who was no asset to the party, based on his productivity during elections, which ought to be the bases to measure political leaders.
The allegation was that in 2011, Hope Uzodinma won his Senatorial seat in the same booth, where PDP candidates lost the same day.
In 2015, his LGA, Oru West one of the Areas where a supplementary election took place, and as a sitting Senator, his former Party, PDP lost to APC, even in his own Booth.
This, it was learnt, is why many PDP Leaders in Imo State are not crying over Uzodinma’s defection to APC, but rather clicking Champaign glasses.
Next week, we look at what “pushed” Uzodinma out of PDP.
