From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
As political activities gear up ahead of the 2023 general elections the political environment in Imo State has suddenly heated up as some key political players in the State are shifting political allegiances and changing camps, just to justify the political maxim that in politics, there’s no permanent friend, there’s no permanent enemy, the ultimate hinges on permanent interest.
This obvious interest seems to have resonated into an ongoing political alignment and realignment in the ever unpredictable political landscape of the state.
This political abracadabra is becoming worrisome as it’s coming barely few months to the 2023 general elections and 16 months to the next governorship election in the state.
As things stand now, it’s pertinent to x-ray these political moves within the four dominant political parties in the state, the All People’s Congress (APC), which is the ruling political party both in the state and at the Federal Level, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the major opposition political party both in the State and at the Federal level, Labour Party (LP) a minor opposition political party earlier without serious membership and structure but has overnight become a political party not to be neglected as the Obidient Movement with its mass acceptance is already causing ripples, and All Progressive Grande Alliance (APGA)
In the PDP, two major players in the party, former Gov. Emeka Ihedioha and PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, have begun early preparations to pick the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2024 governorship election.
Ihedioha, widely believed to be nursing ambition of launching himself back to Douglas House, after the integrity of his governorship position was questioned and scuttled by the Supreme Court on January 14th, 2020. He is now deeply in alliance with the PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as part of his strategies to achieve the ambition.
It’s important to recall that his long time political ally, Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, had played a crucial role to ensure Atiku’s emergence as PDP presidential candidate.
Definitely, the eleventh hour Tambuwal/Atiku alliance was the strategic became the technical knockout needed then for Atiku to subdue his closest rival, Governor Nysom Wike of Rivers State.
On the other hand, Sen. Anyanwu (Sam Daddy), the PDP National Secretary, is a known unrepentant political ally of Governor Wike, the strong man of Rivers State politics. It’s equally a gospel truth that the Rivers State Governor played a strategic role to ensure Anyanwu’s emergence as PDP National Secretary despite all the challenges.
It’s a known fact that Wike and Atiku are at cross roads at the moment over the former Vice President’s decision to dump the Rivers State Governor for his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his Running Mate even when the selection overwhelming endorsed Wike, the action oriented Governor.
Wike insists that Chief Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman must quit, as a basis for reconciliation with the former Vice President on the grounds that the Party’s presidential candidate and National Chairman cannot come from the North as noted by the party’s constitution.
Certainly, the political gymnastics in the PDP at the national level has serious implications for the Imo State chapter of the party because it shaped the political alignment of the two competing political actors in the party.
Sources said Sen. Anyanwu is currently favoured for the PDP National Chairmanship position if Ayu resigns as being agitated for, a position expected to give Senator Anyanwu the cutting edge over other contenders for Imo PDP gubernatorial ticket.
In a simple political arithmetic, with the party’s presidential candidate from the North and Vice Presidential candidate from the South, the South East is in strategic position to grab the National Chairmanship position of the major opposition political party if Ayu eventually goes.
In the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, some loyalists of Governor Hope Uzodimma have also changed political camp, while some have shifted allegiances.
A handful of them have joined Peter Obi’s Obidient movement in the Labour Party. They are Chief Martin Agbaso, two former Commissioners, Mr.Fabian Ihekweme and Barr Kingsley Onunuju.
Pictures of Agbaso and Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential candidate had surfaced online two months ago, giving credence to widely held belief that the Emekuku born politician has dumped the ruling party.
Also, those who lost party primaries in the APC and PDP in the State have realigned and shifted allegiance to other political parties, majority of them opting for Labour party.
Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi who lost the PDP Imo East Senatorial ticket to Hon Uche Onyeagocha, has crossed over to the Labour Party.
A former Majority Leader of Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Uche Ogbuagu dumped the APC for Labour party, where he is the candidate of the party for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency.
Hon Henry Nwauba, who is seeking a third term at the House of Representatives has joined the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, after losing the PDP ticket.
