By Sunny Ndukwu, Owerri
Many Pro Ihedioha loyalists are ready to go physical, sustaining the lies about why Emeka Ihedioha should be allowed to clinch the Imo PDP Guber ticket come April, 2023. None of them seems to know him wholly, except for a few who parted ways with him for reasons best known to them.
Maybe, the man ( Ihedioha) does not know himself too. Versions of assessment pasted on him peel off once a pointed question is asked. Everything is being done to stop any voice that opposes his age long Governorship aspirations. Having failed to cut off the opposing views towards his political ambition, Ihedioha's managers ( his political allies) and the Engr Charles Ugwu led Imo PDP State Working Committee, have made all types of rules and regulations to suit his (Ihedioha's) Entitlement mentality, sole convenience, ego and selfishness.
The current position by their estimation is that Ihedioha, who wants to govern Imo at all cost, even if it means destroying the party and will decide if and when he will speak to us (Imo PDP faithfuls), and most importantly, what to say, how to say it, and where he will speak.
His (Ihedioha's) desperation to be governor is not in doubt. His determination for the party to foreclose any other aspirant(s) from contesting the governorship primaries is even more obvious. His divisive motives, as well as purported suspension of party officers who opposed his aspiration must count among his sagacity.
Ihedioha does not fit the bill of Imo's governor. Most times, the wrong reasons are given to befuddle the Ihedioha menace. His media handlers in collusion with some of his associates present a different problem.
Their belief in Ihedioha, yes their right to choose subsists, is at best nauseating for the reasons they give. Greed and vindictiveness are least of his challenges.
His desperation is worse. His character strength, however named, affects his relationship with the political class. He humiliates his close allies each time he assumes any political position. Yet, those are minor matters about Ihedioha.
It is doubtful if Ihedioha is aware that he has become an embarrassment to the Imo PDP Guber ticket. His 2023 Governorship ambition is troubled. Each time he expresses his ambition, he makes that resoundingly clear. The challenges are too numerous to be recounted.
Where will you place a man who has been promoted by his cronies to a god they worship? They wave off his unrelenting vindictiveness.
Chief Emeka Ihedioha, an Mbutu Mbaise born politician. A former House of Representatives member, who represented Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency for twelve uninterrupted years sees himself as a political demy god. Has contested for governorship of the state for two consecutive periods under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and each time he contests for the guber election, he enjoys the support of PDP both at the National and even its followers in the state.
Ihedioha's Governorship aspiration tends to blackmail any Owerri zone aspirant or his Mbaise brothers, thereby portraying anyone who do not support his ambition as anti Owerri or Mbaise Agenda. One begins to wonder why an individual's ambition periodically creates confusion and bad blood amongst brothers from same political zone. Owerri zone parades array of quality governorship aspirants, who are capable of governing the state.
Aspirants from Owerri zone extraction are qualified to contest for the governorship position of the state, in comformity with the provisions of the law as encapsulated in the Electoral Act as amended.
This development unchecked has led to political displacement of Mbaise sons and daughters (Umu-Mbaise) eyeing the Senatorial seat from the Mbaise Bloc for over a decade. It is viewed by pro Ihedioha loyalists that senatorial aspiration of any Mbaise indigene might truncate the age long governorship ambition of the so called Mbaise demigod; hence, the dislodgement of any aspiring Mbaise indigene via political manuevering.
Ihedioha's clannish aspiration has really portrayed the highly revered Mbaise Clan as a divisive Political bloc in the state, emanating from the entitlement mentality of one man who sees himself as the only qualified Owerri Zone indigene that can govern the state. This can be traced to his desperation and petty political lifestyle observed over the years. No wonder he is relaxed and comfortable with the mass exodus recorded in Imo PDP between 2015-2019, where notable leaders such as Sen Ifeanyi Ararume, Sen Hope Uzodinma (incumbent governor of Imo State), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho, Sen Chris Anyanwu, Okenze S.I Obinna, Sir Basil Maduka, Sir Stanley Amuchie, Hon Godfrey Dikeocha, Sen Bright Nwanne, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Hon Nnanna Igbokwe, Chief Henry Njoku (Harritex), Prince Lemmy Akakem to mention but few, exited the party due to his vindictive political lifestyle.
Recall that in the wake up of the 2019 electioneering campaigns in the state, political leaders across the nine (9) LGAs of Owerri zone extraction reached out to leaders of thought in Imo West (Orlu zone) as well as Imo North (Okigwe zone) where they solicited support for Imo East (Owerri zone) to produce the next governor that would succeed Owelle Rochas Okorocha, so as to correct the political calculation and by extension reflect the Charter of Equity. This move was sealed at the Egbu Declaration, which held at the headquarters of the Anglican Church Cathedral, Egbu.
Ihedioha in his desperate bid hoodwinked his Mbaise brothers as he succeeded in convincing them to see him as the face of Owerri Zone Guber project. A Governorship project championed by an entire Political Zone suddenly became an "Mbaise Project" courtesy of one man.
For three election circles, Ihedioha has clinched the guber ticket of PDP for two consecutive periods, yet he is scheming to foreclose aspirants from the zone from contesting the party's ticket with him for a third time. And I make bold to ask, is Imo PDP Guber ticket an exclusive preserve of Emeka Ihedioha?
Owerri zone is made up of nine LGAs, comprising of four political blocs, namely: MBAIKE ( Mbaitoli and Ikeduru), Owerri bloc: (Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West), Ngor Okpala bloc and Mbaise bloc: (Ahiazu, Ezinihitte and Aboh-Mbaise).
Each time he (Ihedioha) expresses interest to contest for governor, he attempts to impose his ambition on the entire Mbaise clan even when most of them share a different political ideology with him.
His twelve years as a federal lawmaker displaced as well as retired several politicians from Mbaise clan, those who survived his humilation pitched their tent with the ruling APC government, while a section of aggrieved politicians joined the Labour Party.
Methinks, leaders of thought from the Mbaise clan should call for review as regards Ihedioha's political ambition and its imminent threat to the political understanding that exists amongst the nine (9) LGAs of Owerri zone. Who knows, their keeping mum might pose dire political consequences in the nearerest future.
With the way Ihedioha's desperation and entitlement mentality is viewed by political leaders from the six other LGAs namely: Owerri West, Ngor Okpala, Owerri North, Ikeduru, Owerri Municipal and Mbaitoli LGAs across political party divides, who are not comfortable with the manner in which Ihedioha continues to manipulate processes towards actualization of the Owerri zone Guber project, I foresee an adoption of a consensus Governorship candidate in pursuit of their collective agreement, if not for any reason but to cut the excesses of Ex- deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in their bid to produce an Owerri zone governor that would be acceptable across the 27 LGAs in the state come November 2023.
To be continued.......
Sunny Ndukwu, a Media Practitioner/Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Ngor Okpala LGA.
