For the member representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Henry Nwawuba, this is not the best of times, as the youthful National Lawmaker is facing the political battle of his life.
According to impeccable sources, the Orodo, Mbaitoli native, is facing uphill task is his bid to return to the Federal House for a second term and become a ranking member.
Sources said that strong forces in the federal constituency are bent on frustrating his second term, not because of poor performance, but because of the 2019 Imo Governorship interests in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
Trumpeta learnt that the Governorship ambitions of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, (Sam Daddy) and Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha is the major plank that is threatening Nwawuba’s second term that ought to have been smooth, following attestation from constituents who swore he has done well in office.
However, in politics, two plus two can come to six. But despite the situation, sources said that the Mbaike clan has resolved to settle the issue by its own mechanism.
Trumpeta was told that Nwawuba who comes from Mbaitoli is not supporting Senator Sam Daddy Anyanwu’s Governorship ambition, but rather has pitched his tent with Emeka Ihedioha.
It was learnt that Anyanwu had hoped that naturally, Nwawuba should have endorsed his Governorship project since both of them come from the same federal constituency, because Anyanwu hails from Amaimo, in Ikeduru LGA, making them brothers of the same political clan of Mbaike.
However, Trumpeta learnt that Nwawuba himself had told his brother Anyanwu, that he would support him for any other position, but not Governorship, since Ihedioha had earlier intimated him of his ambition, before his brother Anyanwu dived into the guber waters for 2019 election.
This, sources said, may not have gone down well with Senator Anyanwu, who has since declined to continue with his Owerri Senatorial Seat beyond 2018.
Looking back, Anyanwu was said to have remembered, how Hon Ezenwa Onyewuchi representing Owerri Federal Constituency, and an Ihedioha Ally had jumped into the Owerri Senatorial race, despite earlier agreement that Anyanwu’s to be allowed to complete a second term on that seat.
It has been said by political pundits, that it was Onyewuchi’s interest in the Owerri Senate race that led Anyanwu to throw his hat into the ring for the Governorship slot, where he is now battling it out with his friend, Emeka Ihedioha.
Trumpeta learnt that now, Nwawuba is facing a stumbling block in the person of Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor, Special Adviser (SA) in the office of Senator Anyanwu, who has been thrown into the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal race under the platform of PDP to challenge Nwawuba.
This latest development, sources say, has changed the equation in the race for the ticket of PDP for Ikeduru/Mbaitoli Federal Constituency as Nwawuba who hitherto would have gotten the ticket on a platter, will now sweat for it, as a punishment for jettisoning Anyanwu for Ihedioha in the 2019 Imo Governorship project.
But the Henry Nwawuba Campaign Organization said it is not losing sleep over the Ijeoma Nwafor matter, saying that democracy is all about the minority having its say, while the majority has its way.
But Nwawuba people have said that it is important that Ikeduru has realized that it spent twelve years on the seat through Hon Bethel Amadi, hence the coast is left for Mbaitoli to produce the candidate again.
“We thank Ikeduru for the sense of judgment, based on equity and justice. On the issue of Ijeoma Nwafor and Nwawuba, the matter will settle itself when the time comes” Trumpeta was told.
However, a source from the Nwafor camp told Trumpeta “we are happy they are under rating us. Let them continue. After the primary we shall see who laughs and who cries”.
