Stemming from their annual gathering, where they reviewed the recent publications in Imo State, especially the recent publication in the Guardian Newspaper on March 15, 2024, where it was reported that political Chieftains and community leaders Mount Pressure on Ihedioha to Dumb PDP.
The Diaspora Leaders expressed disappointment regarding the treatment of Ihedioha by the PDP, a party he invested so much and sacrificed so much political capital.
One major area they found nauseating was the insistent of the PDP to conduct a primary election against Ihedioha, who should have been positioned like an incumbent governor, considering that his mandate was stolen and he still remained the candidate of the party in pursuit to reclaim the stolen mandate.
Said they, “Allowing Senator Samuel Anyanwu to orchestrate the derailment of a smooth and promising prospect shows that the current national leadership of PDP does not value or understand the importance of Ihedioha in Imo State politics.
“Recall that it was in defense of the PDP brand and the effort to market the presidential candidate of the party that Ihedioha took a heavy public pushback for daring to promote the PDP against all odds.
“In the end, what did he get back in return? A forced primary election with a sitting National Secretary of the party who should have rather focused on his assignment as National Secretary. The PDP NWC and NEC did not see the wisdom in calling Senator Samuel Anyanwu to order and he was allowed to practically disintegrate the normally well structured PDP and ushered in a radioactive plutonium of crisis and internal rifts”.
The Diaspora Leaders echoed the sentiment shared by Mr Columbus Akalonu in his writeup that “In 2020 when the Supreme Court sacked Ihedioha as governor of Imo State in a manner that has continued to hunt the judiciary till date, the unceremonious removal of Ihedioha took him to the International limelight and since then, Ihedioha has remained a reoccurring decimal in our national politics”.
He further shared that “One of the things that distinguished Ihedioha is his high respect and dependence on the wishes and will of the people. He is a student of Abraham Lincoln’s philosophy that democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. That is his magic, and the more reason the masses are always with him day and night. The reason his name echoes thunders in the eyes of enemies of democracy and the more reason he will rule Imo again one day.”
The Diaspora Leaders agreed that the PDP has been ungrateful and unfair to Ihedioha and that the time is now for him to pitch his tent elsewhere. They also affirmed that wherever Ihedioha goes, the majority of Imo State citizens who tasted his Prudent and promising 7 months in office as Governor will certainly be beside him, shoulder to shoulder; and he can count on the Imo Diaspora Community as a cornerstone.
