Another crunchy battle between two top political figures in Imo State is about to be witnessed as the bye- election to get a member for Ngor Okpala State Constituency comes up this weekend.
The Imo State House of Assembly under Speaker Kennedy Ibeh had sent the member who represented the state constituency in the state legislature, Tochi Okereke packing when his position was declared vacant few months ago.
According to the Speaker, the position of the PDP member had to be declared vacant after he violated the House of Assembly rules on absence from the assembly business which he was elected and under oath to adhere to. The affirmation of his removal for absence saw the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declare Saturday, February 26 day for the bye election since nature abhors vacuum.
Going by the activities heralding the election, Trumpeta can say that the Ngor Okpala contest will be a continuation of the supremacy battle between the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma and former Deputy Speaker of the House Of Representatives, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
While Uzodinma is of the APC, Ihedioha leads the rival PDP. APGA is also taking part in the election through the emergence of Chris Nwaiwu, Trumpeta can state that APC and PDP have two strong contenders; Blyden Amajirionwu and Jeff Emeka Nwachukwu respectively as permutations rate them higher to grap the position. The candidates have been involved in aggressive campaigns to secure votes of the constituents in the run up to the election.
Beyond the facade of the quest to produce the winner is the renewed superiority warfare between Uzodinma and Ihedioha over who is more popular and gathers more support to swing election victory to his side. More so, the outcome will be a yardstick to measure the shape next year’s general elections will take in the state for APC and PDP.
Despite that both are not from Ngor Okpala State constituency, the centre of action, the battle is an ego war if the verbal exchanges witnessed so far are anything to be taking serious.
Recall also that after seven months as governor courtesy of the INEC who declared Ihedioha winner, Uzodinma became his successor via a Supreme Court judgment.
UZODINMA’S CASE
The Imo state Governor would want to use this election to prove a point. Trumpeta wasn’t surprised that he vowed to deliver the APC candidate and prove his capacity as a political generalissimo in the state.
Uzodinma told APC stakeholders in Imo at a meeting early in the week that he places premium on the outcome of the election hence he would consider the poll like a presidential contest.
Initially, the PDP, through the Campaign Chairman of the party for the bye election, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi of Owerri zone had sent warning signals to Uzodinma to keep away from the LGA, warning that the umbrella party would resist any form of rigging.
Apparently aware of the consequences of the result should his party loses out after the election, the governor has come in strongly to plot victory prospects for Amajirionwu who is his former Special Adviser.
Trumpeta learnt that based on Uzodinma’s interest to deliver the APC candidate, millions of naira have been raised by the party members from outside the state constituency to ensure victory is a fait accompli for Amajirionwu. Uzodinma is fighting to subdue Ihedioha’s PDP as a mark to show that the extra votes Supreme Court handed to him to out- score his opponents that made him the eventual winner was no fluke.
WHY IHEDIOHA IS IN NGOR OKPALA
The campaign team of Jeff Nwachukwu, the PDP flag bearer can be said to be propelled by Ihedioha despite the gathering of the party’s heavyweights. Trumpeta reveals that the former Deputy Speaker House of Reps is not a newcomer to the politics of Ngor Okpala and as such will prove his mettle as one who has not lost an election in the area since he began partisan politics.
Apart from Ngor Okpala being his mother’s maiden home, Ihedioha has won every election he contested in Ngor Okpala. On three occasions, he won as House Of Reps Member for his Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency. Ihedioha also won the 2019 governorship contest as announced by the INEC before the Supreme Court upturned the record.
Ihedioha’s Aboh Mbaise proximity to Ngor Okpala is another fertilizer that would incense him to fight to finish to ensure his party member emerges victorious.
As a member of the House of Reps and Deputy Speaker, this newspaper learnt Ihedioha endowed Ngor Okpala certain signature projects that would make him have the face to return and canvass for votes for the PDP candidate. His popularity in the area is another big plus to rely on in the battle against APC for Saturday’s House of Assembly election.
Based on the heavy war chest of Uzodinma, there is no gainsaying the fact that to give APC a run for their money, PDP has expanded the roll call of their leaders involved in the battle by including governors of PDP extraction from other states including top shots of the party in the state.
UNRELENTING APGA
The cross fire between APC and PDP has dwarfed the interest of APGA in the contest. The candidate and leadership of the party are optimistic that Nwaiwu has potentials and support from the electorates to emerge winners. They have been moving from one location to another in the attempt to emerge victorious.
Actors Is Watch
Apart from the two principal persons involved in the battle; Governor Hope Uzodinma and Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, there are other actors to watch out for whose actions would also influence the outcome.
TOE EKECHI
This election would be an acid test for a seasoned politician, Dr (Chief) TOE Ekechi. The celebrated media man from Imierienwe area heads the local campaign council. A strategist with enough respect beyond party divides, Ekechi would bring his verse knowledge of Ngor Okpala politics to work. The former information commissioner during Okorocha era would also want to use the opportunity to prove his claim of APC apex leadership in the council. He is seriously working for the party’s candidate Amajirionwu.
BEDE EKE:
The House of Reps member of the PDP family has an uphill task to deliver his party’s candidate in Saturday’s election. The two time lawmaker would muscle all resources within his reach to ensure the PDP candidate wins. Eke who is from Nguru is expected to mobilize his structures that spread across the LGA and beyond to garner support for the PDP candidate.
EMMA NWOGU: The story of PDP in Ngor Okpala cannot be written without Chief Emma Nwogu’s name mentioned. Nwogu has held several political positions in the past as Commissioner, executive chairman and federal positions. He will be a match for his kinsman, TOE Ekechi at Imierienwe ward, Chief Nwogu will rekindles his magic wand to give PDP victory.
CAJETAN DUKE:
In a contest of this magnitude, a state officer, Cajetan Duke can’t be ruled out as one of the actors to watch. The APC spokesman who is from Nguru would want to whittle down Bede Eke’s influence in the area. He will also go ahead and prove he is not a push over in the politics of Ngor Okpala.
HENRY EKPE:
The celebral journalist is a grounded grassroots politician who would show reasons why he is a Chieftain of the PDP in the state. A former Chief Press Secretary to governor of Imo State and recently a PDP national officer before the new exco was formed, will join other leaders to plot the way to deliver Nwachukwu.
THE OKERE’S OF UMUOWA:
It will be an interesting scene to watch the Okere’s of Umuowa part of Ngor Okpala go to battle on different divides. The elder Dr Ethelbert Okere who is of the APC and serving in Uzodinma’s government is an appointee incharge of Imo Orientation Agency, while his younger brother, Cornelus Okere is PDP Auditor. Both have the mandate of their parties to deliver their wards.
MARTINS OPARA:
A strong PDP member and very active in the political scene. From Logara part of the council, the Director General of Uche Onyeagocha senate campaign council for 2023 and President of Olu Owerri will also use the bye-election to also prove that he is a conqueror in the political field.
THE OBIANGWU POLITICAL WARLORDS
Aside from Umuowa, Obiangwu will be another battle field as the political gladiators from the ward test might. Former governorship aspirant, Prof Jude Njoku, of the PDP, perennial House of Reps contestant, Attorney Mathew Nwaoguala of the APC and PDPs Ken Agbirogwu will definitely make the polling units in the area a must watch for election observers.
OTHERS INVOLVED:
The list of actors to watch remain endless but it is important to note that voting exercises will be witnessed in the three clans that make up the political structure of Ngor Okpala; Okwe, Obike and Mbaisii. The APC candidate who is from Mbaisi will have opponents like PDP LGA chapter chairman, Chief Morrison Njoku and APC Interim Management Committee Chairman of the LGA, Major. Also Uzodinma’s commissioner for Technology, Prof B.B Nwogu is from same locality.
Similarly, PDP zonal secretary and former spokesman of the party, Hon Kizito Onuoha former TC Chairman, Chidi Eke will also be in the both to deliver the candidates of their parties in Okwe clan.
In Obike clan, it will be a straight fight between Charles Abara former TC chairman and strong PDP member, Casmir Okoroafor on one side against another TC chairman of the past Blacky who will work for APC.
Meanwhile, The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has observed a plot by the APC-led administration to disrupt voting in polling units across Ngor-Okpala, by stationing ten hoodlums per pooling unit, to perfect their plans of rigging the election. Also exposed is APC’s plan to arrest and whisk away notable PDP leaders in the local government area just to ensure no one stands on their way to rigging the state constituency bye-election slated for Saturday in Ngor Okpala.
The APC in Imo, realizing how unpopular it is and that it cannot win any peacefully conducted election, has now resorted to violence. The party candidate on Monday, 21st February, 2022 unleashed havoc on PDP supporters using hoodlums and militiamen and dispersed a PDP rally in Ntu community in Ngor-Okpala. They threatened to maim anybody who dares to attend the rally. But of course, Ntu people resisted them and came out in their hundreds.
The PDP notes with dismay the desperate move by Uzodinma to give ten bags of rice to each polling unit to entice the voters. We therefore condemn vote buying and undue inducement of voters in Ngor Okpala. It is unfortunate that the APC government which has brought untold hardship to Imo people, is trying to use food as a bait to catch votes. Ngor Okpala people are proud and hardworking, so their conscience cannot be bought with mere rice.
Imo PDP therefore, wishes to use this medium to alert the security agencies in the state of the atrocities the APC plans to perpetuate in Ngor-Okpala and calls on them to move in and ensure a hitch-free election and the security of lives and property of the people.
The PDP also uses this medium to call on the international community, civil society organizations and all lovers of peace and democracy to be at alert as APC plans to subvert the wishes of Ngor-Okpala people on Saturday, 26th February, 2022.
The PDP, though a peace loving political party, will resist all forms of intimidation on her leaders and teaming supporters in the coming days ahead, during and after the bye-election as no one has the monopoly of violence.
We call on Ngor-Okpala electorate to come out en masse on the day of election to collect their rice and money which are proceeds from our common patrimony, but vote PDP.
Similarly, INEC has said the commission is ready to organize the election. Innocent Osuoha reports that, all is now set for the Ngor Okpala Assembly bye-election just as the contesting political parties are putting finishing touches to their preparations.
The parties are the African Democratic Congress, African Democratic Party, APC, APGA, PDP and All Peoples Movement.
Others are Labour Party, New Nigeria People Party, National Rescue Movement, Social Democratic Party Zenith Labour Party.
The Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Chukwuemeka Ezeonu disclosed this while fielding questions from Journalists in Owerri.
He said Ngor Okpala LGA has eleven registration areas, 148 polling Units, 25 voting points with a total of 94,060 registered voters as at 2019.
On the availability of electoral materials, the Imo REC said all have arrived the State adding that while all non-sensitive materials have been supplied to Ngor Okpala LGA, the sensitive ones which are already in the Central Bank will be collected and deployed today (24/2/2022) according to the operational order provided.
Professor Ezeonu hinted that polling would start at 8.30am and end at 2.30pm provided that all such persons are on the queue before the closure of the voting line at 2.30pm
According to him Voters are to report at the Polling stations where they voted during the 2019 general election just as accreditation of voters will be done using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and only voters who have been accredited by BVAS will be allowed to vote.
He went further to reveal that all polling unit election results will be published and displayed at the polling unit premises using Form EC60E while the Form EC8A will be transmitted electronically to the INEC Election result portal.
He warned that only accredited Party polling agents will be allowed at the Polling Units adding that during the election, INEC situation Room will be alive to receive reports and complaints via phone lines and social media accounts.
He gave the numbers as (MTN)0703448991, 081431494998 and 07030986818 for PWDs only.
The GLO line is 08116432737 while WhatsApp is 08068653743,08126066428 and 07033718937 for PWDs only.
In the area of security, Prof Ezeonu warned people who have nothing to do with the election to steer clear from the areas.
