Senator Christy Anyanwu can be said to be a true Amazon if her current political profile is anything to go by. The Senator representing Owerri zone braced all olds to be Owerri Zone eye at the National Assembly a record second time. The circumstances leading to her emergence as party flag bearer and eventual winner is dramatic.
With relatively unknown political pedigree, Senator Anyanwu emerged from the blues and bounced into limelight by grabbing PDP ticket for Owerri zone in 2007. After political schisms within PDP ranks denied her a second chance in 2011, Anyanwu grabbed APGA ticket for one of the greatest political showdown of the last general election, which she however won.
The meteoric rise of the Senator representing Owerri Zone seems to be the tonic needed by freshers to replace her in 2015. In this regard, some persons who have never vied for Owerri Zone Senatorial position in the past want to toe the line of the one time former Commissioner for Information in Imo state and a TV newscaster.
Having observed a second missionary journey, Senator Anyanwu may encounter unprecedented obstacles if she attempts a third chance for Senate. Even as she has not made her next desire public, the bus conveying those willing to succeed her is gradually picking passengers.
Inspite of sten warning from INEC against jumping the gun for 2015 election, interest bidders for Owerri Zone Senate are beginning to unfold. Leading the pack is the member representing Ikeduru State Constituency, Hon Sam Daddy Anyanwu. In my earlier commentary about the next political destinations of present Imo lawmakers, I did mention Anyanwu as one of the State Assembly members seeking a limp to the national level. I gave reasons for the analysis. My views this week will give further clarifications about the ambition of Amaimo Ikeduru born lawmaker.
It is no longer news that Sam Daddy has resuscitated his political structures and continued to expand it beyond Ikeduru frontiers. Most of his political allies within Ikeduru area have begun to expand their tentacles in Owerri zone for the purposes of recruiting would be coordinators from ward and zonal levels. It was also learnt that Hon Sam Daddy is exploring all avenues to create an impact in Owerri Zone 2015 race. The lawmaker is not leaving any stone unturned in his quest to be a federal lawmaker. It is for this that rumours making the round in the state indicate that the ranking lawmaker elected under PDP platform may not be bothered with the party to run with. The rosy relationship between the Honourbale members and the APGA controlled state government is too close for comfort. With the APC wave sweeping across Imo state courtesy of Owelle Rochas, most of the Lawmakers think APC irrespective of past party lineage. Anyanwu’s strategy is his reported Senate ambition is to align with a Governorship aspirant from Mbaise clan to partner in the Senatorial ambition. Since Owerri zone has four blocks namely; Mbaise, Mbaike, Owerri Fed Const and Ngor Okpala, the lawmaker feels he would have an advantage pushing for a Governor from another bloc while his Mbaike clan gets the Senatorial position.
Joining Anyanwu to seek Owerri Zone people’s mandate for the Senate seat is former Federal University of Technology (FU|TO) Vice-Chancellor, Prof Jude Njoku. Since he left the ivory towers some years ago, Prof Njoku has managed politics with academics. He began his political journey to stardom towards the twilight of Achike Udenwa regime until he was made a Commissioner during the Ohakim era. Having cut his teeth in partisan politics, the Professor of Agricultural Economics wants to play big time politics at the national level, hence his desire to vie for the Senate Seat. Though he has not made public his intention, but consultations and caucus meetings going on within his political enclave suggest that he is one of the new faces that would slug it out with others for the Owerri Zone seat. Recently, egg heads in Owerri zone had interactive sessions with him while strategists and campaigners are being mobilized for the task ahead. The former Commissioner in Imo State have also engaged in publicity stunts to further shore his glowing image. In a recent lecture at FUTO, Prof Njoku used the opportunity to send media signals in order to catch the fancy of the masses. More so, the fact that he is from Ngor Okpala believed to be the weeping child of Owerri Zone in terms of political representation could be Prof Njoku’s morale booster that his area could be considered to produce a Senator.
The deprivation of Ngor Okpala from political representations in Owerri Zone may have also informed another prospective aspirant and vibrant politician from the LGA, Chief Theodore Ekechi to dream a Senatorial position come 2015. Popularly known as TOE in political and social circle, the entrepreneur and media marketing guru has been a constituent force in Ngor Okpala polities and never failed to represent the interest of the area since our nascent democracy debuted.
Since 2003, he has persistently requested to represent Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala people in the House of Representative, but succumbed to the superior fire power of the incumbent and Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
But desirous to make his political dreams become reality, TOE will run for an elective post in the next two years. In a chat I had with him with few media Chiefs, TOE disclosed that by the special grace of God, he would run for an elective post in 2015, adding that it is the resolve of Ngor Okpala people to go for something in 2015 having been marginalized in the past. Competent sources revealed that TOE may not return to the Federal House of Reps seat he sought for three times, rather the Lagos based business man would seek a higher ladder for favour. And that ladder is the Senatorial seat. Despite loosing the bid to represent Aboh/Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Fed Constituency in the past, TOE is said to be enjoying acceptability and worthy political records to be assigned a Senatorial responsibility. Signs that the seasoned politician has wider acceptability to vie for the Senate emerged when he buried his late father last year. Crème de la crème in Imo politics and stakeholders of Owerri zone emptied into TOE’s Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala country home for the burial. The “big and family” became the business man’s foundation for a political structure. Apart from commanding strong followership from politicians in Ngor Okpala, TOE enjoys acceptability from all stakeholders’ irrespective of party background.
The next in line for those wanting to represent Owerri zone is former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Kelechi Nwagwu. A political war horse that has not been too steady with a particular platform since he left the House as a PDP Lawmaker, Nwagwu is reported to be eyeing the Owerri Zone Senate Seat and is willing to make a political statement. Though Nwagwu seems to have been in political hibernation, sources close to the former Speaker who is from Ikembara Ikeduru, reveal that he is making wider consultations within Owerri Zone fold and beyond on the Senatorial race while trying to find the right political platform to run the race. At a time, Nwagwu ran under Labour Party for the Mbaitolu/Ikeduru Federal Constituency seat after romancing and loosing ACN ticket in 2011. Sometime last year, he was spotted at a state Governor’s birthday event even as reports have it that he is back to PDP. By the time his flyers and posters adorn the streets a clearer picture of what KK wants and party would emerge.
Agwodinuju
