Who occupies IMO STATE 'Douglas House' in 2015?

Emeka Ibemere

Caution should be exercise among the political gladiators in Imo State as the race for the Imo State Government House, popularly known as Douglas House, reaches its boiling point with few months into the election year.

Already, tempers are at all time high. Real and imaginary allegations are also flying at high crescendo in an attempt to discredit one politician or the other. Politicking is now at the centre stage in Imo State.

At the centre of the political altercation, is the incumbent governor of the State, Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha, whose seat is going to be keenly contested by the madding crowd of aspirants from the hue and cry of political parties existing in the state.

At the moment, are the array of political ‘heavyweights’ from the state’s zones that made up of the state’s political structure, who have directly or indirectly declared their ambition to occupy Imo Government House.

The governorship aspirants in People’s Democratic Party alone are close to 15, including Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Hon. Bethel Amadi, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Jude Agbaso, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Hope Uzodinma, Mr. Ken Ojiri, Barrister Ken Njemanze, Engr. Emma Ojinere, and Professor Jude Njoku. In the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), it is expected that the party would go head to head with the APC candidate who happens to be the incumbent governor, Okorocha.

The party is likely going to future two kinsmen: Chief Martin Agbaso and Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho. Aside, other dark horses in the other silent parties are also rearing up to contest the 2015, election with or without resources.

Be that as it may, political activities, including consultations, contacts, declaring of intentions, nocturnal meetings, politicking and other paraphernalia associated with political moves to win votes are ongoing. The aspirants of various political parties both pretenders and potential ones are losing sleeps working on consultations with various stakeholders ahead of the 2015 general elections.

It’s necessary to look at the calibre of the electorate and Imo State being educationally advantaged state, it’s expected that their political education and awareness is all time high and any aspirant who is able to win their expectations eligible to enter the Douglas House, come 2015.

But PDP in the state, with realignment of the political class going on, among the politicians, it is expected that the party would put their forces together, having the grassroots presence and structures in the state, the coast may be clear if a reliable candidate emerges in their primary election.

But because PDP seems to be suffering a somewhat spell in not been able to conduct a smooth-free primaries in the state, since the inception of the new democratic dispensation, may suffer another bad experience if care was not taken.

The primaries that brought out Chief Achike Udenwa, the former governor of the state and the one that nullifies the Ifeanyi Ararume’s candidacy and gave Ikedi Ohakim, an unmerited favour to occupy the Douglas House have not been may rear its ugly head again as the heavyweights contesting the next election are yet to settle on consensus.

 Aside, it is expected that the PDP should do quite well in the coming general elections. Armed with the alleged disaffection by the Imo people on the way the incumbent governor is running the state, the PDP may likely pull a surprise to unseat the incumbent in the gubernatorial election slated for 2015. Since the return to democracy in Nigeria, only Udenwa has enjoyed two-term tenure. While Ohakim lost the grace to return for second term on the grounds of error of political omission and commission, the late Chief Sam Mbakwe was on the verge of going for the second term until the military junta of 1983 botch. Again, Evan Enwerem didn’t last long before the annulment of the June election and Okorocha?

“The electorate in Imo state is predominantly youthful, with an above average educational level. Thus the implication is that they will more likely align with a candidate that is clearly and undoubtedly educated”, Engr. Nobert Okey Osonwa, a political analyst based in Owerri, Imo State, capital wrote.

“Most of the recklessness displayed by Rochas in governance arose as a result of his poor and questionable educational background. Hence; the electorate will be hesitant about any candidate whose educational qualifications are obscure or shrouded in secrecy. Though, the minimum academic qualifications required by the constitution for the governorship is Senior School Certificate, a state like Imo that has two thirds of voters parading at least a National Diploma, or are currently enrolled in an institution of higher learning, will naturally tilt towards a well educated governor”.

According to him, the second quality the Imo electorate would look out for was freedom from past corruption stains, nepotism, treacherous dispositions and lack of clear direction of governance.

“This is important because only a stupid fellow will entrust his purse to a person of questionable integrity. Unfortunately some of the aspirants in the PDP do not rank well in this parameter. With the exception of Mr. Ken Ojiri and possibly Barristers Ken Njemanze and Humphrey Anumudu, Engr. Emma Ojinere, no other aspirant of the PDP can walk with his head high without having a taint to deal with somewhere in his political resume”, the Engineer added.

 

“A third but equally important quality being watched out for by the electorate is youthfulness. The Imo electorate is predominantly youthful by up to 75%. Thus it will be a welcome development if a candidate that already meets the above two qualities, is as well youthful. Although experience is very important for excellent leadership, most of the innovative ideas that are needed to turn our non functional economy are unlikely to be found with older generation politicians”.

“Thus The PDP has all it takes to win the governorship election in 2015, provided they look beyond mere political clout or heavyweight ideology. The Imo electorate simply want a leader they can believe in”.

Nnamdi Cos –Ukwuoma, another student of Imo State politics and an analyst on national issues expresses optimism that with the return of the former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has greater opportunity to sack Okorocha out of Douglas House. According to him, the party enjoys greater population of the people of Imo State and that it’s a healthy development in the polity.

“The people’s position, it has been learnt, stemmed from strategic view of prevailing party politics and governance approaches. Their position is also informed by the need for the state to march towards a new era; a new era of civility, respect for the rule of law, sincerity and transparency, due process, accountability, good and affordable healthcare and wealth creation capped with qualitative education”, he said.

 “Every well-meaning politician in Imo State will always remember with nostalgia how the foundation and pillars that bonded PDP in the state were pushed out of this formidable party, leading to its very poor outing in the last elections. It is our hope that necessary lessons have been learnt by the principal actors”.

 

He disclosed how the PDP lost her bearing in the state due to the failure of the party leaders to settle for consensus.

“It will be recalled that these articulate great politicians, with formidable grassroots base left with their vast electoral values, including massive number of loyal, experienced and dependable followers. But all this has become history since these gladiators returned to their root to bring the party back to the good old days when party politics in the state was dynamic, enjoyable and a great fun”, he added. “When winning elections was no big deal for the party, owing to its formidably organized structure that recognized and respected human persons irrespective of their political, social or economic status”.

“Given the current state of affairs in the state, it is undoubtedly clear that the majority of the people of the state directly need a change of political leadership. The reason for this cannot be far-fetched. Therefore, he will play greater role of retrieving the baton from Okorocha and his APC folks and wayfarers. Redemption Organization is the Political machinery of Chief Udenwa with which he won governorship elections twice. It still remains the most formidable structure with large followership that cannot be compared to any other in the state, now or before”, Ukwuoma quipped

 “Beside the 2015 election victory, which his return will undoubtedly achieve for the PDP at all levels as they relate to Imo state, there is the expectation that Udenwa will assist in stabilizing the Party during governorship primaries which over the years had torn the party into pieces”.

 According to Ukwuoma, Udenwa was instrumental to the election victory of the incumbent and his predecessor. “Over the two previous governorship elections, experience has shown that Udenwa is a positive influence and adds value to any political party he belongs to. He ensured that Ohakim succeed him in 2007. He also ensured that Okorocha emerged victorious in 2011, when the stakes became too high”.

The gang-up against the APC led Okorocha is strong. The opposition is doing everything possible to disarm the incumbent governor, who was accused of joining a party the region was not comfortable with. PDP on paper is a strong and viable opposition in the state; and its extending her hands of fellowship to other political parties in the state in sympathy to sack the incumbent government and take back power.

With the desperation of the aspirants, political mudslinging, pull-him-down, blackmailing and cheap political antagonism has been flying in the state. Currently, the blackmailing and counter blackmailing of the aspirants are disheartening and annoying. The subtle moves and dreadful antics, according to reliable sources going on in the state could heat up the polity and make Imo State, one of the boiling states in 2015.

Political analysts called for caution so that Imo state would not be the next Thomas Hobbes Leviathan- Yobe, Adamawa and Borno States where life has become brutish and lawlessness.

The foregoing facts make it fundamentally pertinent that the aspirants should play down their dangerous antics and make the Imo gubernatorial election violence free. The stakeholders, as a matter of urgency should come together to sort out pressing issues starring at the state.

Essentially, as men of honour and conscience the all the aspirants and stakeholders are expected to ensure that political power shifts discussion is settled.

 Owerri zone already is itching to go head to head with the Okigwe Zone whose tenure was cut short by sheer power reckless of Ohakim while Orlu zone who are occupying the throne should by political morality ascent to the cry of Owerri zone, having drop their ambition in 2011 to allow Okorocha, in order to defeat Ohakim. Owerri zone; however seems to have lost the chance after the unholy impeachment of Jude Agbaso, deputy governor to Okorocha on bizarre allegations.

 “But we are all aware that power is taken, not given. As such the number of aspirants of Owerri extraction declaring interest in occupying the Douglas House in 2015 is alarming. This will surely play against the interest of the Zone. Hence, it becomes pertinent that they should counsel themselves, come together and prone the number by themselves. If this madness continues till the primaries, the Zone may unwittingly be giving advantage to those of other zones who do not feel the same way”, Ukwuoma reasoned.

Meanwhile, serious political altercation is going on between Okorocha and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who was quoted in the media to have accused the governor of corruption. The attack came as part of his body language intention to run for the governor of Imo State with regard to the 2015 governorship race in the state.

In the reports too, the Mbaise-born Deputy Speaker also accused the State Government of selling the Imo Transport Corporation (ITC) and Adapalm.

Against the backdrop of all these, the state government saw the allegation as a cheap blackmail.

Reacting on the allegations, the state government, through Sam Onwuemeodo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, said Hon. Ihedioha did not say anything strange or new. According to him, Ihedioha was also not alone on his claims. “Other aspirants in all the political parties have continued to make the same claim on how they will defeat Governor Okorocha in 2015. And for the more than 15 guber aspirants in the state to be talking about how they would defeat one man in the state shows how powerful Governor Okorocha is”, he added. “He has become the man to beat. And the truth of the matter is that Ihedioha or any other aspirant in Imo cannot beat Okorocha in 2015”.

“These aspirants including Ihedioha were also together in 2011 including the incumbent Governor then and Okorocha came and subdued all of them to emerge triumphantly. If they could not scratch Okorocha in 2011, when they had the ‘Yam and the Knife’ concerning Imo governorship, is it in 2015 when Okorocha must have taken delivery of all the ‘political knives and yams’ in Imo politics, he queried.

He disclosed that Hon. Ihedioha is an aspirant at the moment and not yet a candidate and therefore was not in a position to defeat Okorocha. He stated that Ihedioha should first of all claimed that he would defeat the other governorship aspirants in his party, including Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Hon. Bethel Amadi, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Jude Agbaso and others, in the PDP primary, before talking about who he would defeat in the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.

“In one of the reports, he boasted that he would knock out the Imo Governor in 2015. The Deputy Speaker should have known that the phrase ‘Knock-out’ is alien to democracy. Democracy is not a boxing or wrestling contest, but a civil exercise that warrants going to the poll to vote in a free and fair election. The PDP and its chieftains should begin to delete certain undemocratic vocabularies in their psyche, knowing full well that the nation’s democracy is growing”, Onwuemeodo said.

“Again, Okorocha has neither sold ITC nor Adapalm. For 12 years of the PDP administration, in the state Adapalm and ITC could not work, which resulted to the workers owed arrears of salary for years and with the companies not making a dime for the state Government. But today, the government had taken some steps to make the two companies work and for the first time in several years, Adapalm could earn billions of Naira for the state Government and the workers paid regularly”.

“If the two companies had been sold, the Government would not have constituted Boards to oversee the activities of both the management and staff of the companies. Restructuring the management of the two companies including bringing experts, to make them work efficiently and gainfully in the overall interest of Imo people does not mean selling them. We challenge Hon. Ihedioha to produce evidence to back his claim since he could easily lay hand on the documents by virtue of his position”.

Not done with that, the media expert further explained that it has become very imperative to inform the governorship aspirants in the state that labouring to scratch the overwhelming popularity of Governor Okorocha among Imo people would not work. He stated that it would end up being efforts in futility.

“It is also no longer advisable and fashionable to make Okorocha their individual ‘manifestoes’. They should tell Imo people why in 2015, Imo people will come out to elect their governor. Frivolous propaganda has become obsolete in Imo politics. Imo people have overgrown such gimmicks. And they will have the final say on who becomes their governor in 2015. And there is nothing anybody can do about that”.

Charles Anike, Eastern Union, National Coordinator in Lagos State, told Daily Newswatch Correspondent that what Imo people need was someone trustworthy enough to earn the trust and confidence of the people. According to him, the state needs a seasoned administrator with human face. “Imo people need someone who can create revive the local economy, someone who can create wealth, jobs, and opportunities, give security and education.  A governor that youths will forever remember like the late Sam Mbakwe”, Anike stated.