Battle For Okorocha’s Seat Unsettles Imo PDP

Reports had it that the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s silence on zoning of the party’s flag bearer ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial   race is raising tension and threatening the peace of the party. Unarguably, the relative peace being enjoyed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in Imo State may be short lived if the leadership of the party does not move fast to address the contentious issue of which senatorial zone will produce the next flag bearer of the party . There is palpable fear among the party’s leadership over how to handle the litany of credible aspirants that have put themselves out to represent the party in next year’s election. The party parades the highest number of aspirants to the office of the governor. According to our investigation, about 24 persons across the three senatorial zones are jostling for the party’s ticket, a situation political observers say may tear the party apart if not well handled.Continue...
The battle to unseat Okorocha within the PDP fold appears to be caused by the clamour for the number one seat to be narrowed down to the Okigwe and Owerri zones. Orlu zone, they argue, should be left out of the equation as they are currently occupying the seat. The two zones are said to be feel short-changed in the political equation of the state as they have lost political relevance over the years. In the bid to secure the party’s endorsement of its zone to produce the party flag bearer for next year’s gubernatorial election, the Owerri zone, which only had the privilege of producing the governor of the state once under Chief Evans Enwerem, which was short lived because of the military incursion of late General Sani Abacha in 1993, had pushed for the implementation of the Imo Charter of Equity which is a document purportedly entered into by the Imo people on how to rotate power in the state among the three senatorial zones. A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and national chairman , Imo State Stakeholders Forum , Nze Elvis Agukwe, who incidentally hails from Orlu zone, is leading the group clamouring for power rotation. He insists that power should rotate in line with the Imo State Charter of Equity. Agukwe, who is also a member of the Federal Radio corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) board, told our correspondent that the only way the party can win the 2015 gubernatorial election is by zoning the party ticket to Owerri Zone. According to him, that will give the zone a sense of belonging since Orlu and Okigwe have taken their turn. “We insist that the governorship ticket of the party in 2015 be given to Owerri Zone, I think so because since 1999, other two zones have had the opportunity to produce governor of the state, we believe that by doing that we have opened up the political space.
“Every zone should be given equal opportunity to govern the state. In terms of the large number of aspirants, we don’t believe in printing posters, after every aspirant has picked forms with N10,000,000 we will subject them to primary and a candidate will emerge. I don’t believe in consensus,” he said. The zone has the highest number of aspirants which includes deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Chris Ayanwu, Humphery Anumudu, who won the party ticket in 1999, Chief Mike Ahamba, president Pan-African Parliament, Hon Bethel Amadi, Professor Jude Njoku, among others. But critics of Agukwe’s Charter of Equity argue that the principle of rotation and zoning was no longer fashionable and adhered to as previous governors like Achike Udewnwa and Ikedi Ohakim contested with other people outside their zone. Special assistant to Senator Uzodinma, representing Imo West in the National Assembly, Hon. Emelu Mba insists that there was no such document like the Imo Charter of Equity as canvassed by Nze Agukwe, saying he was promoting propaganda. He noted that the best candidate has always emerged among the contestants. He dismissed the clamour for implementation of the Imo charter of Equity, describing proponents as cowards who are afraid of standing the party’s primary election. The Okigwe zone is not left out in the common chorus of “ it is our turn to produce governor.” The zone ,which incidentally has six local government areas and produced the first civilian governor in the state, Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe (1979-1983) and Chief Ikedi Ohakim (2007-2011) has come up with the agitation that it be given a chance to complete their tenure that was abridged as a result of the removal of Ohakim in 2011 by Governor Rochas Okorocha. The zone has lined up and array of prominent aspirants which include Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who won the party’s ticket in the 2007 gubernatorial election , former governor Ohakim who is staging a comeback, Sir Ike Ibe, Chief Ebere Udeagu, former deputy governor, Chief Tony Chukwu, among others. But Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanu, a BoT member of the national PDP, while allaying the fears of members, said that the party was working hard to resolve the controversy. Iwuanyanwu, who spoke to our correspondent, said there was no cause for alarm as the party will overcome it. “There is no alarm on this issue; the PDP will handle its affairs very well and come out strong to win back Imo State for the development of the people and the state in general”, he said.