By Peter Uzoma
As political parties begin sell of nomination forms for various positions, one of them that would present an interesting scenario on how its candidates would emerge in Imo State is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Among the parties in the State, the PDP is star- studded with notable Leaders and figures who will no doubt shape the outcome of the contest.
The background of some of the Leaders, their reach out and enormous capacity to control the shape of voting cannot be ruled out in the internal party mechanism of the Imo State arm of the PDP.
Trumpeta can disclose that so far, five personalities will be contributed in shaping the manner the party primaries shall go. The persons include the Chairman of PDP Elders Council and a household name in the politics of the State, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a former Minister and Woman Leader of the party, Dr Mrs Kema Chikwe and the former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa.
Others are the State Party Chairman, Chief Charles Ezekwem, the Scribe, Nze Ray Emeana, former Deputy Governor, Ebere Udeagu and the State Organizing Secretary, Chief Law Biaduo.
Iwuanyanwu who wields enormous political clout commands enough respect in the umbrella party. The Septuagenarian who is finding it difficult to quit partisan politics had in the past showed his strength at ensuring his loyalists won the party structure. It is believed that the political gains the likes of Senator Sam Daddy Anyanwu of Owerri zone has recorded are traceable to Iwuanyanwu. As 2019 beckons, the former Presidential aspirant in the defunct National Republican Convention NRC with wide contacts in politics as a Statesman cannot be underestimated. Already, there is rumpus in his Ikeduru LGA where an interest group has already started raising the alarm and accusing him of trying to manipulate the process of producing the delegates.
Iwuanyanwu also has those who can be described as political “boys” beyond his Ikeduru and Owerri zone to make further inputs on who should emerge in some positions in other parts of the State.
Chief Udenwa may have left office as governor for over a decade now but his political machinery is still at work in the State. Most of his loyalists who have remained with him are found mainly in PDP. It is expected that “Onwa” as Udenwa is fondly called will utilize his structure to also make a bold statement on who gets what in PDP for 2019 election.
Despite not being a National Officer of PDP, the process of the political amazon called Dr Mrs Kema Chikwe cannot be ignored as PDP gets set for the primaries.
The woman politician fondly called Igolo has a clout to control who gets what especially in his Owerri North, Owerri Federal Constituency and Owerri zone in general. Same for Iwuanyanwu and Udenwa, Mrs Chikwe has a political structure and line up to dictate the pace. The former Ambassador is said to be sympathetic to Ihedioha.
Ezekwem as the State party chairman cannot also be overlooked. Despite the fact that he was a product of a political Leader who facilitated his emergeance, his position is vital in deciding who gets what. As head of the State Working Committee, SWC of PDP, Ezekwem can pull the strings to swing victory to any side.
The Secretary of the party, Nze Ray Emeana, is another powerful figure in the present PDP in Imo State that his strength cannot be undermined as the race to get the support of delegates get underway. Emeana, a former House of Assembly member for Owerri North has raised the position of the party’s scribe to be a force to reckon with.
In Okigwe zone, the force of former Deputy Governor, Engr Ebere Udeagu will come to play as party primaries come up. Udeagu is expected to dictate the pace in the zone in the absence of other strong hands calpable of going the party direction.
