2027 : Periscoping Owerri Zone’s Quest For Imo Governorship

By Gerald Obialor

To seek to govern a State in Nigeria as presently constituted, by any person or group of persons is never like a walk in the park. It requires strategic thinking and planning and not showmanship as some people in Owerri geopolitical zone are doing.

Nobody dashes anybody power. Power is taken. And,for you to take power,you must be articulate,meticulous, circumspect, and dynamic, both in tact and delivery.

The idea of running from pillar to post crying “is our turn, is our turn ” the way the multiplicity of sociopolitical groups in Owerri zone are doing, has become not only childish and nauseating, but also cacophonous. Who even told these town criers that it is Owerri zone’s turn? What are the parameters for this self-grandstanding and entitlement mentality? Which people have always truncated the Imo Charter of Equity by their actions since 1999 ?

For the records, I am from Owerri zone,Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area, to be precise. This identification or clarification is poignant in order to understand where I am coming from.

Yes,there is a rebirth of the Imo Charter of Equity by the Imo State Council of Elders, which Governor Hope Uzodinma,in fairness, has promised to implement. In making this promise, which, of course, has some provisos attached thereto,the governor never asked for Imo to be metamorphosed into an absurdist theatre of sort. He only sought for unity,peace, and progress of the State.

Gladly, the governor, unable to further stomach the rancourous nature of Owerri zone’s quest for 2027 Imo governorship,had to speak up. Obviously, they were choking him with their rumblings and heating up the polity unnecessarily.

At the said meeting, which is not in any way, the focus of this discourse, the governor spoke like a political leader. He was non-committal. He implored them to let Imo have peace, that he still has three more years to be on the saddle as governor. He told them that Imo people do not need these distractions now. The governor spoke like a diplomat.

Ironically, some of these people he spoke to,appeared lost as their actions thereafter tended to prove. After the meeting, they rushed to town, procuring media spaces to thank the governor for his imaginary favours done them. Press releases and uncordinated articles from these so-called Owerri zone leaders rented the social media highways.

Habaaaa! The desperation is too much. Chinua Achebe once said that “it is only a foolish man who does know when his kinsmen have settled a contentious issue with proverbs.” Could these misguided fellows from Owerri geopolitical zone who visited the governor last week epitomize Achebe’s wise words ?

To any discerning mind, the governor only gave them the yellow card. They are constituting nuisance to his administration by their desperation. They are frightening him. And it is very dangerous to give a man like Hope Uzodinma cause to worry about you in a State he is firmly in charge of. It is a big risk.

Now, let me address the issue of Owerri zone’s dysfunctional political aspiration. 80% of those pushing for Imo governor of Owerri zone extraction come 2027 are political gamblers and fifth columnists. They can never be trusted and abundant reasons to buttress these facts abound.

First of all, the advocates of Owerri zone governorship come 2027, are politically naive,else they should have done a self appraisal of themselves first, before jumping out in public to disturb the peace of Imo State. The present Imo Charter of Equity which they have been singing about is on a “second missionary journey.” It was first introduced in 1999 during the time of Echeruo and I.D.Nwoga.

Who frustrated Owerri zone from taking it through Humphrey Anumudu? A coalition of Owerri people did so. Yet,they kept pushing out Humphrey Anumudu every election year and milking him dry until God called him. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

After Governor Achike Udenwa from Orlu zone, 1999 – 2007,the mantle of governorship moved to Okigwe zone through former Governor Ikedi Ohakim. Ironically, by 2011,when Imo people believed that the Charter of Equity had been finally domesticated in Imo’s political arithmetic, Owerri zone,just like the military, struck again to push Imo and her democratic gains 30 years backwards.

The then Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev AJV Obinna from Emekuku in Owerri North LGA, in cohoot with Rev Father Gerald Njoku,his foot soldier even till date, and other notable politicians of Owerri zone extraction, mobilized the entire Catholic faithful in Nigeria against Ohakim, an innocent man. They recruited Rev Father Ejike Mbaka of the then famous Adoration Ministry in Enugu to perfect the hatchet job.

Like hurricane Rita,they struck, accusing Ohakim of mercilessly flogging a Catholic Rev Father. Black masses were held everywhere for Ohakim. His life, even as a sitting governor then,was put on the line by these political merchants from Owerri zone. Ohakim suffered severe emotional trauma because of an incident he knew nothing about, and which never happened. How wicked,callous,and desperate for political power can people be?

It took Rev Father Mbaka, who later discovered that the whole allegation was hollow,false,and primarily targeted at killing the Charter of Equity, to publicly confess and apologise to Ohakim.But then,power had gone back to Orlu zone again courtesy of the same Owerri zone. This scenario equally played out in 2011,2015,2019,and 2023.

Particularly, the 2023 governorship election in Imo is very instructive at this point. The Imo State Council of Elders toured round all zones,literally pleading that candidates of Owerri and Okigwe zones irrespective of their political parties, should respect the Charter of Equity, step down and allow Hope Uzodinma to seamlessly complete his Second Tenure in line with the tenets of the Charter to avoid destabilising his solid accomplishments. Was this appeal obliged. Of course,the answer is capital NO. Owerri zone ditto for Okigwe zone, urged their sons to pursue their governorship cases up to the Supreme Court, where they finally lost.

Assuming they had won at the Supreme Court, nko? Will they still be pontificating as they are doing now? They would have been jeering at Hope Uzodinma by now. Almost all the leaders of one of the most noisy groups in Owerri zone, Imo Harmony Project (IHP),contested against Governor Uzodinma in 2023 . These self acclaimed leaders from Owerri zone must be reminded that you can not eat your cake and have it back.

In politics,you don’t ever empower your enemy. If you do so,you will definitely regret it. Governor Uzodinma should be wary of all these political shenanigans hovering around him from Owerri zone. He should “beware of the ides of March.”

Again, let us appraise the political configuration of Owerri zone. I dare say that Owerri zone is the most confused, polarized,and unreliable of the three zones in Imo State. Here are the reasons.

Owerri zone is made up of four political blocs,and none of these blocs has mutual trust for one another. Each sees the other as a rival who must be out-witted at all costs.

From the Mbaike (Mbaitoli and Ikeduru)political bloc, there is the Owerri Zonal Political Forum (OZOPOLF) led by Prince Charls Amadi (Charlvon).From Owerri Federal Constituency bloc (Owerri Municipal, Owerri West and Owerri North),there is the Imo Harmony Project (IHP) led by Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho, Archbishop AJV Obinna, Amb Kema Chikwe and Co. Owerri North is the headquarters of this group. From the Mbaise political bloc (Ahiazu,Aboh and Ezinihitte),there is Owerri Zone Awareness Coalition (OZAC) led by High Chief Emmanuel Okwu. The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, is still keeping to his chest, his own political group, waiting for the right time to unvail it. For now, he is a sole ranger. Then,there is the rave of the moment, The Mazi Organization (TMO),from Ngor Okpala political bloc led by Chief Chima Amadi,whose primary agenda at the moment seems to scatter the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) no matter the cost.

As stated earlier, OZOPOLF leadership is fuming against the TMO group for daring to throw spanner in their game plan by their unbridled exhibition of showmanship. The TMO is struggling to dim every other group in Owerri zone as the most flamboyant of all,while IHP regards itself as the most sophisticated of all,which others must kow-tow to. OZAC, in turn, appear confused and short-changed and is crying onto the governor for back-up.

In a recent statement credited to its President, Chief Emmanuel Okwu, OZAC condemned its exclusion from the recent visit to Governor Uzodinma by the handpicked group from Owerri zone, who made the visit. We are yet to hear from Ihedioha and others who were also deliberately shut out from the meeting.

In the statement, OZAC,while commending the governor for believing in Imo Charter of Equity, however, pointed out that the governor’s call for reconciliation “underscores the presence of internal divisions and vested interests in Owerri zone that could undermine the zone.” He regretted that “it does appear that the Imo Charter of Equity is being manipulated to serve individual interests in Owerri zone,” adding that ” no arrangement can ever guarantee Owerri zone the governorship in 2027.” The OZAC president further cautioned Governor Uzodinma “to be wary of being stampeded into making hasty decisions against 2027 Imo governorship,” adding that ‘some desperate people in Owerri zone should stop the premature projection of candidates under the guise of advancing Owerri zone’s interests.”

The above excerpts from OZAC’s president, beyond argument, buttress the incontrovertible assertion that Owerri zone governorship apologists are very unreliable and not trust worthy. How can a kingdom divided against itself stand?

Governor Uzodinma should put on his thinking cap and beware of those who are willing to, not only prostrate before him on the streets of Imo State,but also even wash his plates in his kitchen, just to sway or manipulate his reasoning faculty because of 2027 governorship seat. They are the real enemies within.

They are not genuine. Their friendship and professed loyalty are hogwash,very fake.

Governor Hope Uzodinma, please “beware of the ides March.” Beware of friends in day time, but enemies at night.