By Henry Ekpe
Necessity is the mother of Invention. Since life itself is dynamic, Innovations come and go also. It makes the world busy without dull moments.
In politics, nothing is permanent, except the interests which rule the game.
At the behest of the 2019 election in Imo State, a political Group called Imo Coalition was born. And it was a splinter Group within the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State and former loyalists of then Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Although in politics every Group is formed in pursuance of political power, but the Coalition Group insisted that it came into being because of the prevailing circumstances in the State at that time, and was birthed to rescue Imo people, from an administration that tagged itself “Rescue Mission”.
How and why did Coalition Group emerge in Imo? When Governor Rochas Okorocha won the 2019 Imo Governorship election, it was not his first attempt on the seat.
Incredibly at a very young age, the Ideato South born business man in 1999 had arrived Imo State from Jos in the Middle Belt of Nigeria with a lot of money and influence to be made a Governor.
But then Peoples Democratic Party PDP Chieftains like Chief Innocent Nwoga, Dr Mrs Kema Chikwe, Senator Emeka Echeruo, Chief Charles Ugwu, and others took a look at the sharp debonair youth, and retorted that it would be dangerous to hand over political power to such a youth. And they decided to hand over Imo State to Chief Achike Udenwa, an Accountant and a more mature fellow, whom rather they agreed in unison could be tamed, even with political power.
But Okorocha did not relent in his political dreams as he attempted to be Senator but was stopped. And later he became an Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ironically, after eleven years he attempted to be governor in 1999, Okorocha who had traversed almost all the political parties in Nigeria within this period, moved to All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA, where he took a shot once more at the Imo Governorship and succeeded.
Indeed, it was as if Okorocha had drawn plan on how he will remain in Imo political system for a long time, even after leading the State for Eight years.
Immediately he assumed office, he systematically began to dislodge the existing Political Shrines in Imo, with their Oracles.
He demonised his successor, Dr Ikedi Ohakim and demolished most of his signature projects.
He used the media spice with propaganda to elevate himself to a position of Deity in the State, to the extent he could get away with any action, as he was completely left alone to do with Imo State how he pleased.
Okorocha, took total control and began to implement his agenda, which he held close to his chest. He orchestrated the removal of his Deputy, Chief Jude Agbaso.
That was a smart political move by him because the only person that appeared in Okorocha’s dreams was the Senior Agbaso, Chief Martin, who handed him the Imo APGA structure to execute the 2011 Governorship election.
There was an agreement to handover to Chief Martin Agbaso after he had completed his tenures. I have seen that document in black and white.
Okorocha had to play that card to get to Government House first. So, to remove himself from the prying eyes of Chief Martin Agbaso who planted his younger brother as his Deputy, Jude had to go. That was why he was impeached him.
Okorocha replaced Jude Agbaso with his core loyalist, a person that could be described as his shadow, Prince Eze Madumere. An erstwhile Chief of Staff to Okorocha, even when he was in private Business.
As the 2019 Governorship election approached, Okorocha who was doing his last term, and was to hand over to a successor, still could not find Madumere, his long term friend and ally fit to be handed over. And least a person that can protect his back when he leaves Douglas House.
As the election year began to diminish into months, Okorocha’s followers had expected the Governor to address them on how they would work on who to succeed him.
In the absence of Okorocha’s affirmation of his successor most of them began making their permutations, looking at Owerri Zone top politicians working closely with the Governor as the probable lucky Governors in waiting.
Their assumptions were that since Okorocha is from Orlu Zone which had previously done Eight years under Governor Achike Udenwa, therefore with Okorocha’s tenure making sixteen years for Orlu, obviously, there was no way the out-going Governor would look towards Orlu Zone again.
But Okorocha’s followers were shocked as they did not know that Okorocha wanted to be a super Godfather of Imo politics for many years to come.
But he miscalculated by thinking that with the war chest at his disposal, he could point at Heaven in dry season and thunder will strike.
Gradually, it began to filter out that Okorocha was not even planning to handover to Owerri zone, not even to Okigwe, but to his own zone, and his son inlaw Chief Uche Nwosu, husband to his first daughter.
It was intelligent report from those close to Okorocha that disclosed that he had concluded plans to retain power for another Eight years through his son inlaw.
James Hardley Chase wrote that “it is only when a man is full of confidence that he is out for the sucker punch”
Okorocha thought that he had cowed all his followers, and nobody among them, even his Deputy Madumere could challenge his orders.
Therefore, when it was confirmed that Okorocha had resolved to shun all his trusted Aides, and wants to dare Imo by planting a successor from Orlu zone that was just leaving power, nocturnal meetings commenced for him.
Those around him began to give information of the grand design by Okorocha to perpetuate himself in office, through a stooge and prodigee. Okorocha was put under surveillance by his close Aides who let out his plots.
One day, Imo people woke up to hear about an “insurrection” within the Okorocha camp, and in Imo APC, the party he solely brought to Imo State after dumping APGA through which he rode to power.
The coup shook Okorocha and distorted his scripted plans to take over Imo for good. And the insurrection was planned in Umuoye, Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala LGA, in the premises of his former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr TOE Ekechi. The historic event that commenced Okorocha’s ouster from the strangle hold of Imo patronimony was baptized the “Imerienwe Declaration”
Okorocha could not believe this. How did they plan this coup and he did not know? How come they assembled Media Houses, even some with correspondents in Government House, yet they did not bother to alert him?
The major worry became clearer when the entire episode went to public domain and Okorocha discovered that some of his closest Aides, from his own Orlu Zone were standing behind TOE Ekechi, looking into the camera as they Group read their communiqué, adding for effect that they disagree with Okorocha’s plan to handover to himself in the disguise of Chief Uche Nwosu.
The Group rose up and called is self the “Coalition”. Among those sighted that first outing include Ichie Best Mbanaso, Okorocha’s Commissioner for Works, and confident, Barrister Kingsley Ononuju, Chief Zeck Martins Nnadozie, Chief Val Okere, (Amadioha Ngor Okpala) Chief Alan B Onyemechiand others.
The rare confrontation by the Coalition on the Okorocha kingdom opened the gates for other opposition groups to muster courage to join the battle against Okorocha’s sit-tight plot.
The likes of Prince Madumere, who was “Inside” “outside” and emboldened enough to confront his Boss openly. Chief Uzoma Obiyor also joined with heavy fundings.
With this situation, Okorocha met heavy opposition to his script. At this juncture, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who had joined APC from PDP ran into the Coalition, who seemed confused on whom to call the Arrow Head and Leader.
At a point, the Coalition stuck on Owerri Zone Governorship, but when that became difficult, they embraced Uzodinma who pretended he was for Owerri Zone Governorship only to get a foothold on the Group, and negotiated for his own Governorship slot, which materialized through Chief Adams Oshimhole and Alhaji Gulak, leaving Ekechi and Obiyor deflated.
However, the Coalition seems to have gone into oblivion, because most of its members are now scattered into various political camps and other endeavours.
Their Leader, Dr TOE Ekechi has become a Federal Commissioner in the North East Development Commission, Bar Kingsley Ononuju has become a Commissioner in the Uzodinma Government, Ichie Best Mbanaso has gone underground, High Chief Zeck Martins is now on his own, Eze Madumere has since romanced with the Government in Imo State as a Stakeholder and Obiyor has returned to his business with occasional politicking.
Is this the end of the Imo Coalition? Has it achieved its major agenda, which was to stop Okorocha from foisting a successor in the person of his son inlaw, Uche Nwosu? Is the Coalition satisfied with how Gov Uzodinma is leading Imo State?
Is the Coalition waiting in the wings to strike again and correct such imbalances that prompted it during the Okorocha era? Or has the Coalition died a natural Death?
