..As Orlu, Okigwe, Owerri Fight Dirty
Even as the 2027 Imo Governorship election is three years away,the heath is on as the three Political Zones that make up Imo State engage each other in War of Words.
Presently Okigwe,Orlu and Owerri are literally at War.
The issue of who among the three Political Zones produces the next Governor dominates every gathering in the and outside the State ,in Newspapers,Social Media and every other Media space available.
The Incumbent Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma had made it clear that he will not hand over power back to Orlu, where he comes,which has set off the current battle among the Zones.
Owerri Zone who has not been on the seat of Imo Governorship much more than seven months since the current political dispensation in 1999,is laying claim to the Seat.
The Zone is backing her argument up with the assertion that the Govenor, Senator Hope Uzodimma,who wants a Charter of Equity to commence with his leaving office, had said he will hand over power to Owerri in 2027.
The Owerri People still maintain that they have least held power among the three Zones,citing Okigwe’s four years under Ikedi Ohakim,and Orlu’s marathon race of Udenwa’s Eight Years, Okorocha’s Eight,with Uzodimma’s Eight ending in 2027, making it a total of 24 years as the height of injustice to the Zone who owns the State Capital.
Okigwe on the other hand is insisting that it has the right to compete in 2027 and must participate.
The Zone even is not giving to the said Charter of Equity Story,even with the exercise commencing in Owerri Zone, saying that if the Governor ever said he will hand over to Owerri, Okigwe is not yet aware .
Following this situation, Owerri people last week dug out the recorded version of the Tape where the Governor while addressing Imo Council of Elders said he was to hand over power to Owerri.
However, this “evidence” has not in any way swayed Okigwe people who insist that the Tape may have been “Doctored”, swearing that the Governor never made such statement about Owerri.
Meanwhile,the Okigwe agitation may have been hit by another dimension following a Group demanding just for one term for Okigwe.
This Group in anchoring their quest on a former Governor of Imo State,His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, whom they say will do just one term and leave Office,by the stipulation of the Constitution,for Owerri Zone to take over in 2030.
Yet another Group from Okigwe maintains that Okigwe cannot go for Imo Governorship in 2027 just because of one man,and therefore in the race fo Eight Years of two terms.
Still, Orlu Zone who would have Governed Imo State for Twenty Four(24) years in 2027 when Uzodimma leaves,is saying that the Charter of Equity or not,the Zone still has the right the join the fray.
However,the clamour for the 2027 race in Orlu is not gaining much followership as majority believe that it is right to give other Zones a chance after 24 years on the saddle.
But some elements within the Zone are divided for Orlu and Okigwe Zones.
Under this Scenario,the Imo Charter of Equity is still under fierce Challenge from individual and Ground interests.
However, indications are that only the Governor, who is the progenitor of the Charter can make it work by throwing his weight into the matter and Walking his Talk by maintaining his stance on the Project.
Already some Government Appointees who are reading the body movement of their Principal are being careful noy to wrongly decipher his antenna, by completely shunning Political meetings called for the purpose of 2027 Imo Guber.
It happened in Okigwe Zone when all Government Appointees, including top Lawmakers stayed away from a meeting called in the Zone.
The reason is that it may pit them against their Boss who has in clear terms told Imo people in an Interdenominational Service that he will vacate Office peacefully by instituting a Charter of Equity that will guarantee rotation of power among the three Political Zones in Imo State,if after his own Administration.