IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

A close associate of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ibrahim Masari, have confirmed that he met with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and some Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party to strategise for victory in the 2023 general elections.

Speaking to BBC Hausa, Masari, who was a placeholder running mate to Tinubu, said the PDP Governors “will support APC to win the 2023 elections, especially Nyesom Wike.”

Some of the Governors reported to have met with Tinubu include Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Ikpeazu Okezie of Abia State. The meeting comes as the rift between Wike and presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar deepens.

Atiku is said to have flown to the United Kingdom, perhaps as parts of efforts to reconcile with Wike.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned Nigerians not to travel to Northern Cyprus.

Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Dabiri-Erewa said there is little the Federal Government can do to diplomatically resolve issues in the territory because Northern Cyprus is not recognised by the international community except Turkey.

The warning comes amid reports many Nigerian are being killed in Northern Cyprus. Dabiri-Erewa also urged Nigerians in Diaspora not to be afraid to invest in the country because of insecurity.

While admitting that the country’s insecurity challenge is a source of concern, she said it is only temporary because of stiff measures currently employed by the Federal Government to tackle the situation.

She said the commission recorded over $20 billion in daispora remittances for 2021.

Liverpool and Rangers will meet in the Champions League group stage, while Manchester City's Erling Haaland is set to face his old club Borussia Dortmund. Scottish champions Celtic are in the same group as holders Real Madrid and Chelsea face AC Milan.

Eintracht Frankfurt, who are making their group stage debut, are in the same group as Tottenham. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan have been drawn in the same group.

Group stage draw in full

Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers

Group B: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Bruges

Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen

Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon, Marseille

Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb

Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic

Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, FC Copenhagen

Group H: Paris St-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

Matches will take place between 6 September and 2 November.

This season's Champions League final will take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on 10 June 2023.

By Ejikeme Chukwu

There is that saying that when you keep doing things one way without success, it becomes important that you try doing that thing differently and definitely, you'll get a different result. 

The same can be said for the Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. 

In 2015, the popularity and acceptance of the party in Imo State won us the General Elections, despite what INEC declared. 

Unfortunately, the Imo State PDP didn't even get a chance at the tribunal to argue our case because of something less than N500.

Hoping that we have learnt from that carelessness, we tried again in 2019 and again, after spending eight months in office, the Imo State PDP would lose out again due to the carelessness of those we sent to represent us. 

When carelessness costs you something as big as the Imo State governorship for the first and second time, it beholds on any right thinking person to go back to the drawing board and ask some very important questions. 

The most important question we should as ourselves as a party is the question of the “Jonah” in our midst.

Twice we have tried and despite winning both times, the “Jonah” have denied us victory because clearly, this was not what God has planned for him.

Don’t you think it is time to try another hand?

Senator Samuel Anyanwu since the inception of democracy in 1999, is one person who because of his acceptance by his people, has never lost an election for the party. 

He is also that man who understands the game others play and can match them at their game.

A two times local government Chairman, the people of Ikeduru threw their support behind him for excellent performance and sent him to the State Assembly where he stood firm on the side of the people and despite the tsunami of 2011 that cost the party a lot of seats, the people of Ikeduru returned him to the State Assembly when others lost out. 

Despite the pull to defect to “greener pastures”, Senator Samuel Anyanwu who believes strongly in standing for the people, remained steadfast and kept the Okorocha administration on its toes with constant threats of impeachment until he left the State Assembly.

His steadfastness and performance made Owerri people send him to the Senate where he has remained on record to have performed better than those before and after him, despite spending only four years in office.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu is on record to be the first senator since 2015, to give Buhari notice of impeachment.

His love for his people led him to spearhead the call for a South East Development Commission to address the neglect since the Civil War.

In the run up to 2019 General Elections, Senator Samuel Anyanwu contested in one of the most controversial primaries the party have ever held.

A primaries the ad hoc delegates were shielded from him yet as an ad hoc delegates later confessed to, he won.

However the same tricks of 2015 was brought to bear and the party was denied of that man who would have gone to the polls, won the election and protect his mandate.

January 12 2020 wpuld never have happened were Senator Samuel Anyanwu the man PDP had sent.

Ndi Igbo shi na agbisi gba otula once o muru ihe. Ugbere ole ka agbisi ga agba Imo PDP? 

How long will it take us to realise that we will keep getting the same results when we keep doing the same thing?

It would still be another excuse tomorrow and another excuse after that.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the man PDP will send on a mission and will not be afraid of failure. He is also that man Ndi Imo will have at the helm of affairs and he will address all the problems plaguing our dear state ranging from insecurity to nonpayment of salaries and pensions, to address unemployment amongst the youths amongst others. 

It’s time we start doing things differently if we hope to get a different outcome.

By Eustace Okere, Abuja.

The Egbu declaration of 2021 which is summed up in the coinage, "mmegbu adighi mma", no doubt reverberates the call for equity, justice and fairness for all, especially in the Imo polity. This no doubt, is the reason for the sharp cracks and disaffections that have ravaged the Nigerian politics. 

With the above mantra, the three senatorial districts within the Imo political space are brought to the consciousness of allowing equity and inclusiveness to thrive in the different political parties; of which the pendulum swings in the interest of Owerri zone. 

But, the question is: do those involved; I mean the champions of the mantra, allow intra-zonal or micro zoning arrangements within the party structure and give sense of belonging to all? 

The above question will go a long way in addressing the cracks and sense of uninclusiveness that abound within the different political parties. The leadership of the parties must as a matter of equity and fairness meet to deliberate on how to give room for prevalence of internal democracy within the parties. All blocs within each zone must be carried along, if the "mmegbu adighi mma" mantra must have its real definition. 

To call for equity means one is practicing equity. Afterall, a legal lexicon stipulates that "he who comes to equity must come with clean hands". So, for a party like PDP to champion the course of equity, it must first look inwards and address the myriad of loopholes, rancour and bitterness that is prevalent in the party, as occasioned by supposed uninclusiveness and lack of equity, justice and fairness.

While the state leadership of the different political parties deliberate on the way to accommodate all zones and give them sense of belonging, with particular focus on Owerri zone; it is also important for the Owerri zonal leadership of the parties, especially the PDP, to look inwards and expand the need to give all blocs in the zone some level of inclusiveness vis-a-vis disallowing individual dominance of the party. 

Unfortunately, the Imo PDP seems to revolve around a particular individual, which negates equity, justice and fairness as well as contradict the "mmegbu adighi mma" mantra. 

It is therefore pertinent for the leadership of PDP within the state to outline roadmap on how to rectify this issue, if the party must record success in the next year's guber poll.

By Christian Akpunonu

As the hands of the clocks keep ticking forward to the next Imo State Governorship election come 2023, the major gladiators as well as the pristine debutants are gearing up gradually, strategizing and sensitizing the masses. As usual, this is not undermining the influence of the incumbent Governor Hope Uzodinma, whose thirst for the next turn of the second tenure should not be ruled out. Any way, that is for the general outlook outside the box of this essay which subject matter is strictly focused on the People's Democratic party PDP primaries.

Some people are of the opinion that Imo State is a PDP state, whereas the rest are persuaded that it is typical APGA state, especially from the dispensation of the former Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha.The APC in Imo State is a child of circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Imo State now being under the APC, albeit very circumstantial, is regarded for now as mostly the APC, whereas both the PDP and APGA sequentially are the major oppositions.Of course,sooner or later the hurricane OBIDIENT blowing gale from the newly feared Labour Party LP will definitely come to play. We should be getting the feelings.

However, the topic above intends to decipher why is it,that the PDP ticket appears to be the exclusive preserve of one person RT Hon Emeka Ihedioha, soon after the APGA was used to wrestle political power from the party in favour of the former Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Someone suggested that it is trite to accord the right of first refusal to Emeka Ihedioha as far as the PDP ticket is concerned in Imo State.

Those who shared the same thought line in the foregoing hinged on the claims; that Emeka Ihedioha has displayed unflinching and unmatched support for the Imo State PDP in her trial times. And so what? Consequently, the legislative icon and sacked Governor Emeka Ihedioha has over the years garnered so much support within the PDP, and even across party leanings, as to fit for the beautiful bride of any political party at all; enough to accede the flag bearer status to him. He has become so popular that his candidature could expressly translate to Victory for any political party which fields him. What a warped sense of logic! It is indeed a bum fluff of radicalism of thinking. It is neither true nor tenable.

The purveyors of such vacuity of unmerited and unwarranted eulogy, for obvious sycophantic myopic inclinations, may have to rethink. It is advisable to take such circumspect thinker dawn the memory lanes a little. Every traveler should know where actually to go (destination) from where the journey begins (port of embarkation). There is always a starting point and destination for any journey of life.Truism, is, that the man in question Emeka Ihedioha, did not come from the blues. In fact, it is an incontrovertible truth that Emeka Ihedioha began his political journey to this lofty heights recently through the vehicle of the PDP.

Of course, notwithstanding whatever experience gathered prior to the voyage of political discoveries driven in the vehicle of the PDP, Emeka Ihedioha was not as popular then as at today. Without sounding immodest and derogatory, one would infer that the PDP made Emeka Ihedioha from the political persona-nongrata to political bigwig or eagle of nowadays. From the scratch, the PDP copulated, conceived, birthed, breastfed, nurtured, groomed and sharpened Emeka Ihedioha till date. In fact, throughout the region of the Southwest, we can hardly count few other political entities of the PDP stocks that had benefited more than Emeka Ihedioha. In his Federal Constituency, none has benefited more than him from the PDP; he went to the federal house of representatives three (3) consecutive times and eventually emerged as the deputy speaker. In Imo State, you can verify it, nobody has benefited from the PDP more than him.; the PDP Guber Ticket was given to him twice which he frittered away twice. Is the PDP made for Emeka Ihedioha or Is Emeka Ihedioha made for the PDP? So, his contributions to the PDP is like giving back to the society, what the society gave to him.

Let's ponder a while.The PDP tickets launched Emeka Ihedioha to the green chambers, sustained him from the rookie stage to the pupal form, made him the deputy speaker (No 6 citizen).The same platform initiated the same man into the Governorship race,stood behind him steadfastly too from the first failed attempt to the second but botched successful statement. Is it not fastidious of anyone to think the way of abandoning the virtuous PDP ticket to the whims and caprices of just one man? If not so, then, where lies the sagacity or veracity of the popular refrain; "don't lay your eggs in one basket"? Also, the Igbo adage posited; "the arrow shot at first , missed the target, enters the hole, and the second attempt too, entered the same hole, does it mean that the arrow was carved, only for the hole? A word they say, is enough for the wise. It is apparently obvious that Emeka Ihedioha lacks the capacity to protect the PDP'S votes.

For many people of the Imo State PDP extraction, the time to look inwards is now as to not continue missing the target by making the same mistake repetitively. There is this popular American refrain; "It's not What America will do for you as a citizen, but, what you will do for America. This is the time for the minds of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and acolytes to begin to think of what they can do for the PDP and not what the PDP will always do for them.

Accepted, he has been committed to the party loyalty and honestly made some profound inputs to uphold the PDP in Imo State and beyond.

There is this other popular wisdom that goes thus; "wherever one works, is where one fixes "And, we all know that the PDP has done enough for him, made him what he is today. So, it is not out of order for Emeka Ihedioha to make or keep making profound inputs for the PDP in trial times and otherwise.This is not enough to mortgage the party to him for life, as if it his private enterprise.

The consolation at this juncture, is, the admission by the self avowed proponents of the Emeka Ihedioha's life ticket bearer of the PDP that the party reserves the right of the choices of its standard bearers. Nobody should hold the PDP to ransom. Although, many people, the PDP supporters in Imo State perceived the fielding of one person so far as disgustingly monotonous.

In terms of equity fairness and good conscience principle,the lot falls in the Owerri zone still to produce the next Governor of Imo State. Any political element from Orlu, even Okigwe is definitely playing to the gallery, and is bound to be a long lonely stroll. Of course, era of the supreme court victory is now history with the advent of new electoral law. Also, within the confines of the Owerri zone, at the moment, equity demands that it shifts to the other side of the zone that has not tasted or had a chunk. On two successive occasions, the side of the Emeka Ihedioha have been fronted, leaving out the other side like the Senator Sammuel Anyanwu's side of the Owerri zone. To this end, the argument for equity which was responsible for the consensus candidacy of the zone in 2019 is no longer tenable now, because the other side of the zone should be considered as well. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

The circumstances of the USA Republican and Democratic parties are light years far away from the Nigerian scenerio nay Imo State. Therefore, drawing from the experiences of the advanced democracy like the USA to compare with the Nigerian nay Imo State is tantamount to the errors of improper syllogism. The political, economic and social charisma of the former American President Donald Trump is equally a far cry as far as the sky is from the earth relative to the fame of Emeka Ihedioha in Imo State. Both political personalities are not comparables And America is very different from Nigeria.

The insinuations in the foregoing are that the PDP should not tie up her fortunes on one man Emeka Ihedioha as to be fielding him in every political parlance as the Guber hopeful. The PDP has done enough, even more than enough for Emeka Ihedioha irrespective of the acclaimed war chest gimmickry, manouvreies and counter-manouvreies. 

Time is now for the PDP to look inwards,turn a new leaf, if it must recover Imo State.The Owerri zone now enjoying the doctrines of equity should in turn strive to respect equity by trying the other parts of the zone, especially the Samdaddy's side of Owerri zone.

Without equivocation, it is wiser for the PDP to feature Sen Samdaddy Anyanwu this time around, as the candidate for the next Imo State Governorship election come 2023. He has what it takes to recover Imo State PDP, protect it's votes, and rescue the state generally.This is the desiderata.