By Sunny Ndukwu
Each time former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and sacked governor of Imo State, Hon Emeka Ihedioha appears in any political event in the state to brandish or showcase his guber aspiration, there are always people who would oppose him to drop his ambition and allow Imo PDP field in a fresh Governorship candidate since he had earlier featured in two consecutive periods (2015 and 2019) as guber candidate of the party.
By implication, this scenario conveys the obvious that the party supporters as well as political watchers in the State no longer see him as a force to reckon if truly PDP is ready to return to Douglas House. It is like a popular gingle aired on Bizzibody Radio FM ( in Igbo dialect) "enye ya nke mbo ya daa, enye ya nke abuo ya daa, enye kwa nu ya nke ato, oga da daa" ( English interpretation): "he was given opportunity as guber candidate of the party in 2015 and was defeated. Again in 2019, he emerged as governorship candidate for the second time and he was booted out from office within a period of seven months; if we risk giving him the guber ticket for the third time, he won't also fly".
In my earlier article published in several media platforms titled: “Ihedioha Not Destined To Be Governor; Bewitched With Political Okro Hand* where I made references to opportunities within his (Ihedioha's) reach to steer the leadership of Imo State as executive governor but he failed to utilize it and allowed his strength of character to destroy his agelong political fortune as a result of his vindictiveness, greed, political treachery and bitterness.
His seven months short-lived administration as governor of Imo State exposed his true identity as an “emperor” and with penchant for material things.
All who genuinely put resources together to actualise his Governorship ambition were relegated and abandoned, many who allegedly donated funds to his guber ambition in 2019 are now bankrupt.
Ihedioha carries on his shoulders a status of considerable notable party leader. In Imo State he enjoys the standing of an ex governor and nationally as a one time “Principal Officer” of the National Assembly where he once served as a deputy speaker, House of Representatives; he is one of the Board of Trustees members of PDP alive today.
So why should Ihedioha's political aspiration which ordinarily ought to be widely accepted without any opposition whatsoever generate much misgivings about him and his intent?
Having read some news report and incisive statement published in several media outfit accusing him of influencing the sharp division in Imo PDP coupled with allegations relating to his grand conspiracy and plot which led to the nullification of the PDP primaries in Imo West senatorial district by the apex Court, like many other Imolites, I am inclined to agree with the assertion that the crisis in Imo PDP is hurtling dangerously towards the precipice and not healthy for the party at this time. More poignantly, the party's ever fragile fault lines of disunity is widening alarmingly.
A growing number of party faithful from the three geopolitical zones in the State are questioning the continued domineering and hijack of the party structure owing to the divide and rule leadership by Engr Charles Ugwu led State Working Committee might spell doom for the party ahead of the forthcoming general election.
The very fact that we are told by the national leadership of PDP to play down on the Governorship election in Imo should tell us that the NWC are aware of Imo guber palavar.
In 2015 while serving as the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ihedioha contested for governor and was almost pulling the rug from the elephantine feet of Gov Rochas Okorocha, the then sitting governor of Imo who wrestled him and was declared winner of the election. Again, in 2019, Ihedioha re-contested for Governorship and was declared winner by INEC in error but was sacked seven months after by the apex Court on grounds that he did not ganner two-third majority votes in comformity with the Electoral Act as amended.
Ihedioha's diminishing value in Imo politics is gradually building up like wild fire across the geopolitical zones in the state.
The festering crisis in Imo PDP which assumed a new dimension last Friday following the Supreme Court Judgement nullifying the Imo West PDP senatorial primary started some months back after Rt Hon Jones Onyereri emerged as Candidate of the party in the forthcoming Imo West senatorial election.
According to news report in some local tabloids in Owerri, the widening gulf has now pitted the Elders Committee of Imo PDP led by Sir Ambrose Ejiogu, predominantly from Owerri and Orlu zones against Ihedioha's guber re-election bid.
An investigave report listed some notable leaders of the party such as Chief Eze Duruiheoma, SAN, Chief Peter Mgbenwelu, Dum-Dum, Chief Osita Nwaneri, Amb Kema Chikwe as unwilling to support Ihedioha's reelection bid.
Amongst the nine (9) LGAs in Imo East Senatorial District (Owerri Zone), Ihedioha has lost grip of six (6) LGAs due to political treachery, power play and arm-twisting that played out in the May, 2022 Imo PDP primaries where some aspirants were robbed of their mandate ranging from the House of Assembly to the National Assembly primaries resulting to mass exodus in the party as some aggrieved members of the party decided to pitch tent with Labour Party to pursue their aspiration while others decided to remain in the party to pay back on the injustice metted on them.
In Imo North, leaders and supporters of the party in the zone are spoiling for war and all accusing fingers pointing at Ihedioha. Critical stakeholders of the party from Imo North (Okigwe Zone) are not left out as they are not comfortable with Emeka Ihedioha's meddlesomeness as regards the BoT membership slot which was expected to have been zoned to Imo North since Imo East already had two BoT membership slots in their kitty but rather was desperately interested in hijacking the slot that should have been exclusively reserved for Imo North since as at the time of nomination of BoT position, his then running mate as governor, Engr Gerald Irona is from Imo West.
Coming to Orlu zone ( Imo West), the mention of the name Emeka Ihedioha ever since the nullification of the Imo West senatorial primary is perceived to be a taboo. The sack of Rt Hon Jones Onyereri by the apex Court is not going down well with the people of the zone across party line.
The grand conspiracy and plot against Jones Onyereri orchestrated by what I describe as foreign elements who are not from the zone remain fresh in their memory.
Will Chief Emeka Ihedioha survive this bumpy trap he created for himself, time shall tell.
Sunny Ndukwu, KSM,writes from Owerri
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