By Samuel Arinze,
Political Pundit, Lagos Nigeria.
On Nov 1st 2024 one of the most influential Igbo citizen to emerge from Imo State, Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu will be laid to rest in his hometown Atta Ikeduru , and all the political stakeholders in Imo state, the southeast and beyond are expected to grace the event.
His funeral will be an ample opportunity for all the gladiators aspiring for the apex seat at the Douglass House , to meet, exchange pleasantries and size each other out in preparation for the mother of all political contest in Imo come 2027 , as clock ticks towards the end of Sen. Uzodinma’s time as Imo Governor.
Imo is not in short supply of statesmen, elites, technocrats and vibrant entrepreneurs, most of them have been polishing their leadership skills and preparing themselves for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Imo people if given an opportunity to govern the state, and have started consultations, sampling opinions of king makers, power brokers, community leaders, towards realizing their ambitions.
The major spectrum of power play in Imo State
In Imo state, there are three geo-political zones, namely: Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe zones. And it’s a fact that the population and economic strength of the State is tipped towards Orlu Zone , as it is gifted with more Local Government Areas (12) in total against (9) LGA’s in Owerri Zone and Okigwe Zone with (6) LGA’s, thereby cementing its numeric strength, as politics is a game of numbers.
Owerri Zone and the Zoning Question
The biggest factor that will tip the balance of the next gubernatorial election of Imo State to Owerri zone is the written zoning agreement in APC which is not binding to PDP, APGA, LP and other political parties in the State, but the zoning of gubernatorial election to a zone is not constitutionally binding.
In Imo State politics , the sentiment of zoning still persists even though there seems to be no general agreement on the basis of equity that political power should rotate among the zones in the State . And there are school of thought who believes that zoning of electoral leadership position, enable mediocres to rise to seats of leadership, thereby shortchanging the people.
Nevertheless the zoning argument favours Owerri zone and the personalities alleged to be interested in the Douglass house Job from the zone seems endless, the likes of Sen. Sam Anyanwu who contested in the last guber election, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha who governed Imo State for barely 7 months before losing in court , Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi representing Owerri zone at the national assembly are believed to be poised for the next guber election.
Prince Alex Mbata (PAM) an enigmatic philanthropist, Chief Martin Agbaso, a heavy weight and consistent power player in Imo guber politics, and Rt. Hon. Bede Eke a former lawmaker and current commissioner in Sen. Hope Uzodimma’s administration are expected in the contest.
Other political stalwarts like Prince Charles Amadi ,Chief Marcon Nlemigbo , Dr. Uzoma Obiyo, Rt Hon Engr. Ikenna Elezianya former law maker, Mr. Stanley Amuchie a finance expert with impressive multi- functional work experience in corporate governance, and Chief Henry Njoku, a successful industrialist are alleged to be weighing their options.
Orlu Zone and the challenge of a successor
In recent times, it has been a strong challenge for any governor in Imo State to anoint a successor, and the politicians emerging from Orlu zone has the wherewithal to gun for the seat at the Douglas House without assistance of the Governor.
It will be a herculean task for the next governor of Imo State to emerge from Orlu Zone, but the quality of aspirants that have emerged from the zone is startling. Power is not given but taken and it’s going to be a daunting task for anyone to win election against the likes of Senator Osita Izunaso and Hon/Chief Charles Orie.
Senator Osita Izunaso is a veteran politician who has been at the forefront of the political rumble in Imo and Orlu zone for over 2decades now. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 and first became a senator in 2007 before returning to the national assembly in 2023 election.
Hon/Chief Charles Orie is a seasoned politician, philanthropist and kingmaker who recently showcased his innovative economic administrating prowess, with his significant strides during his time as MD/CEO of ISOPADEC and is a tough nut to crack.
Its an oversight to ignore the capacity of Hon/Chief Sir Uche Nwosu, son in law of former governor of Imo State and Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie the present Chief of Staff to Imo State Governor, a vibrant politician and son of the famous honourable Chief Anyaehie from Nkwerre.
Okigwe Zone’s Dilemma
With Okigwe Zone comprising of only 6LGA’s, the next Imo state governor to emerge from there will have a huge influence that cuts across the State zones , as well as a magnanimous persona , and it’s not by chance that the 3 leading names emanating from that zone, are big enough to influence positive voting outcome across the zones of the State as they are political assets themselves, with amazing profiles that beats the imagination.
The Okigwe Zones contingent includes former Governor Ikedi Ohakim who is constitutionally eligible for a single term of 4years, Sen. Athan Achonu an agronomist and detribalized Nigerian, and seasoned economist, law maker and ranking member at the national assembly Hon. Chike Okafor.
As Imo Mourns the exit of Ahaejiagamba, all eyes will be on the aforementioned gladiators at the momentous gathering of his funeral, as political pundits and power brokers will be studying their body language for signals of truth in this their alleged intentions.
