The latest crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State chapter has attracted the attention of Elders in Owerri Zone, who have decided to wade into the issue concerning two of their sons, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Samuel (Sam Daddy) Anyanwu over the Imo Governorship Seat.
It would be recalled that on October1, 2018, PDP conducted its Governorship election held at Kanu Nwankwo Sport Complex located along Imo State University Road Owerri, where the name of Emeka Ihedioha was announced as the winner of the hotly contested exercise.
To the satisfaction and happiness of followers of both Ihedioha and Anyanwu, the Senator rose to embrace Ihedioha, while Ihedioha declared the exercise a winner-no-loser contest.
However, Eight days later, Senator Anyanwu went to a federal High Court in Owerri challenging the PDP primary with the allegations that the counted votes were more than the accraditated voters, therefore praying the Court to cancel the entire process and conduct a fresh primary.
In the last outing at the court, the Judge declared a status-quo ante on the matter, and adjourned the case to November 19,2018 for another hearing.
But despite this situation, which may leave the Imo PDP Governorship fate in the hands of the Court, the Elders in Owerri political zone, where both Ihedioha and Anyanwu hail from have decided that allowing Court to have a final say on the matter may create bad blood that may linger for years.
The Elders, Trumpeta learnt, argued that should the matter be left to end with a court pronouncement, it means that either the Governorship primary is cancelled, which may not sit well with Ihedioha, or the case end in favour of Ihedioha which also may leave open wounds on both sides,
Trumpeta learnt that the Elders who have been having late night meetings agreed in unison that anything that tampers with Owerri Governorship project, which seems to leave PDP as the best only realizable option now for Owerri zone would not be acceptable by the entire zone.
This Newspaper unveiled that the Elders maintained that a squabble between Ihedioha and Anyanwu will only create opportunity for another zone to grab the Governorship chance, as against the general feeling that since Okigwe and Orlu zones have ruled Imo State for too long, 2019 should be the turn of Owerri Zone.
Therefore, the Elders have resolved, Trumpeta learnt, to appeal to Anyanwu to sheath his sword for the general good of all Owerri people.
It said that the Elders have decided to approach Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who is seen as one of the major backers of Anyanwu.
Trumpeta learnt that within the next few days the Elders will visit Iwuanyanwu, who has been a proponent of Owerri Governorship to have a rethink and ask Anyanwu to accept the Olive branch being dangled at him by these Owerri sages.
However, sources said that Anyanwu’s anger was that he was denied the Senatorial slot as a fall-back cushion for the Governorship seat which he lost.
But most of those who spoke to Trumpeta said that Anyanwu should have taken the entire exercise with decorum as a sports man, and moved on as opportunities still abound for him in the coming dispensation.
On why Ihedioha has not approached Anyanwu for reconciliation, a source from Ihedioha Campaign Organization told Trumpeta that while Ihedioha was still trying to follow-up his candidature in Abuja, Anyanwu ran to court, without even giving Ihedioha the chance for fence-mending after he had embraced him as the winner.
Meanwhile, as it stands now, the matter is left for Owerri Elders to either resolve the issue between Ihedioha and Anyanwu for the sake of Owerri people, or be left in the hands of the Court for the final verdict on the case.
