.As Godfatherism Takes Another Shape
Even as it has not been pronounced who Senator Hope Uzodimma would prefer as successor after his tenure in four years time, the governor of Imo State is said to be caught by the web of friction between the immediate past governor of Rivers State and Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and Simi Fubara, the incumbent governor, on who to mould for the position.
Despite the fact that the race for successor to who occupies Imo State Government House, Owerri, in 2027 is yet to be an issue of the moment in the political space, sources in the ruling APC which is the party of the governor revealed that Uzodimma is worried about who to project ahead as successor following developments in Rivers State.
Barely six months after Fubara took over from Wike as governor of Rivers State, altercation erupted between the two leading to discordant tunes that have made the politics of the State an interesting scenario to behold.
While Wike who was instrumental to the coming of Fubara as Governor has fallen out with his successor and plotting indirectly to remove him, the incumbent is battling to survive and firing on all cylinders to keep latter at bay.
Trumpeta learnt that Uzodimma, apparently alarmed by the development in Rivers is playing cool t o avoid the scenario the FCT Minister is witnessing in his state at the moment.
Uzodimma after informing leaders of thought from Owerri Zone of his intention to keep to the earlier promise of handing over power to an Owerri Zone person was said to have commenced underground process to get an acceptable candidate and market the person within the APC family in the state for the task ahead.
Though, names were branded as possible bait for the governor to chose for the task but recent information emanating from the seat of power in Owerri has it that Uzodimma has made a volte face about his earlier targets.
It was learnt that going by what Wike is doing with Fubara, which has become a surprise development to watchers of politics in Rivers State, Uzodimma has tactically recoiled and making reconsiderations about who to project for the next governorship race in Imo State.
Initially, names of some top shots in Owerri Zone chapter of the APC were brandished as being in the catchment spot of Uzodimma for consideration. But the recent incident in Rivers State politics has forced the Imo State Governor to think otherwise about backing a particular candidate as successor.
Recall that this newspaper had mentioned names of possible successors for 2027 following the pronouncement by the governor insisting that it is the turn of Owerri Zone for next tenure under the spirit of the Imo Charter of Equity.
