The former powerful Secretary to the Government of Imo State, SSG during the regime of Governor Achike Udenwa, Nze Ignatius Mba Obinze Umunna has decided to open up on some salient issues rocking the state, and told Trumpeta that Senator Ifeanyi Araraume won the 2007 Imo Governorship election, pointing out that the denial if that victory to the owner was the beginning of the rot in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State Chapter.
Speaking to the Trumpeta in an Exclusive interview in Owerri yesterday, the Oru West LGA born old political War Horse disclosed that the present Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha would not have been any where near Imo Government House, Owerri, if not for the Template model adopted by the PDP, during Dr Ikedi Ohakim administration in 2011.
He also said that unless the present leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led by Bar Eze Duruiheoma is butted out of office, the PDP cannot win any election in the state.
Tracing how Senator Araraume’s ordeal created a big division in the formerly knitted PDP family in the state, Nze Umunna maintained that Araraume won the 2007 election but was denied victory with the combination of the State and National Leadership of the PDP, which polarized the unity in the party in the state till date.
Umunna disclosed that PDP had no opposition in the state right from 1999 after Udenwa won Chief Ezikiel Izuogu, until the succession debacle of 2006, when the then Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa decided to renage on the earlier agreement that his successor would come from Okigwe Zone and the immediate contender was Senator Ifeanyi Araraume who supported Governor Udenwa’s administration till the last minute.
“We agreed on this, and when I came back from oversea medical treatment, I discovered that Governor Achike Udenwa had changed his mind without informing me and when I asked, no body gave me any reason, therefore I simply stayed away but continued to support Araraume as earlier agreed” Umunna maintained.
The Elder Statesman said that efforts to get at Araraume intensified even after he won the primaries and a Supreme Court battle, with Obasanjo coming to Imo to tell the electorate that PDP had no governorship candidate in the state, which tore the party to shreds, adding that uptill now the party is yet to recover fully from that blow.
“That was the beginning of the decay in Imo PDP. Those who came last became first and Araraume went up to the Supreme Court to recover the mandate, but the National Leadership supported by Obasanjo said PDP has no candidate in Imo Guber 2007 despite the Supreme Court judgment” He said.
Umunna maintained that Araraume won the main election in 2007 but was denied the victory by Agents of the system who wrote in APGA, but when they saw it was not palatable, brought a person who scored less than 20,000 earlier.
“Since then PDP has not won Imo State Governorship seat” he said. The former SSG hinted that the Template formula introduced by the Ikedi Ohakim regime in 2011, which led a few people to go inside a room to appoint those to man the party structure at Ward, LGA, and State levels ostracized a lot of people and created rancour and division which led a lot of disgruntled members of the PDP who felt neglected, to work against the party during the election, which helped produce a strange fellow, Rochas Okorocha as the Governor of Imo State today.
He however maintained that you cannot compare the administration of Ikedi Ohakim with that of Okorocha because it had focus, vision and blue print, which made it to construct some durable and lasting projects, unlike the Okorocha’s administrations which he said is based on “Nroism” (Dream), as he wakes up in the morning and embarks on meaningless projects, like the inferior roads that have collapsed under six months after construction.
Nze Umunna said the present Chairman of the Imo PDP, Bar Eze Duruiheoma lacks the capacity to lead the party to electoral victory, owing to the fact that he has no pedigree, focus and force to motivate members, even as he said that Duruiheoma and Gov Rochas Okorocha come from the same Local Government Area, therefore Duruiheoma is afraid of challenges that may come from the Government if he dares Okorocha.
“The Imo PDP Exco as presently constituted lost a very important election in 2011, and should have had a rethink. But instead it has not changed its attitude. Which election has it won? See what happened in Oguta LGA. We lost woefully in Owerri West LGA. That of Ezinihitte/Ahiazu Federal Constituency was won because Hon Emeka Ihedioha took charge personally. During the Oguta election, how much was released for the election? We had only one meeting before the election” Umunna disclosed.
He said that he is a foundation member of PDP, adding that no body can frustrate him out of PDP like they did to Araraume and Udenwa. Watch out for the full interview next Tuesday.
