– Sets Up Committees, Plans Negotiation With Okigwe Political Groups
Sequel to the ongoing alignments and realignments by political gladiators as regards which zone will produce the next Governor of Imo State come 2027, a new political group, Owerri Zone Peoples Mandate, piloted by Prof Orikeze Ajumbe, Captain (Dr) David Mbamara and Chief Mike Nwachukwu (Mpi Dike) emerged over the weekend.
In their separate speeches at the group’s inaugural meeting in Owerri on Saturday, Prof Ajumbe and Dr Mbamara designated, Convener and Chairman respectively categorically stated that the interest of the group with membership across the 103 electoral wards in the 9 Local government areas of Owerri zone, is to fashion out modalities and the best ways to ensure that Owerri zone produces a Governor in the shortest possible time, without stress, rancor and acrimony, considering the fact that Okigwe and Orlu zones have fully occupied the exalted position for over 8 years and 20 years respectively, while Owerri zone has regrettably not been on the seat for four consecutive years.
The group, in a communiqué issued at the end of their first meeting at the Owerri residence of Prof Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, noted that, “though, equity, justice and fairness make it imperative that Owerri zone should produce the next Governor of the state, but the body language of the other zones shows that they may want to exercise their unfettered constitutional right to contest. Hence, it is better to discuss, negotiate and agree with them on the modalities with a view to making the exercise smoother, less chaotic, stressful and cumbersome”.
The communiqué jointly signed by Prof Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, retired Captain (Dr) David Mbamara and Chief Mike Nwachukwu (Mpi Dike) on behalf of all present reads, “Owerri Zone Peoples Mandate is an Association of nde Owerri Zone drawn from the One Hundred and Four (1 04) Electoral Wards in the Nine (9) Local Government Areas of the Zone. The objective of the association is to aggregate, articulate and further the interest of Owerri Zone towards producing the successor to our sitting Governor Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma as the 2027 Governorship Election’s politics beckons.
In doing this, we recognize that Okigwe Zone is also interested in producing the successor to the sitting Governor and has deployed various public fora and electronic / print media to advance their cause. We are conscious of the fact that in the run up to the previous Governorship Election in Imo State which was handsomely won by H.E. Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma which ushered in his second term. The Imo Elders Council passed a RESOLUTION in which RESOLUTION they re-enacted the Imo Charter of Equity which was first deployed by our political leaders in the run up to the 1999 General Election, which was truncated in the 2011 Governorship Election following the election of the Owelle Rochas Okorocha. His election cut short the tenure of office of the then sitting Governor, H.E. Chief Ikedi Ohakim to one term. The truncation of the 1999 Imo Charter of Equity ushered in a free for all contest by various political actors from the three Senatorial Zones of the state in the 2019 General Elections.
When we all thought that the truncation of the Imo Charter of Equity had been reset by the result of the 2019 Governorship Election as announced by INEC which was said to have been won by a candidate from Owerri Zone, the Supreme Court in their judgment of January 14, 2020 declared the sitting Governor the rightful winner of the Election. Power thus went back to Orlu Zone after the combined sixteen (16) years of Chief Achike Udenwa and Owelle Rochas Okorocha. And so we very well understand that the intention of the Imo State Council of Elders in re-enacting the Imo Charter of Equity is to ensure a seamless inter – Zonal rotation of power between the three Senatorial Zones of Imo Sate so that no one Zone will dominate the office of the Governor of Imo State as Orlu Zone has successfully done since the coming of this present political dispensation in 1999.
We recognize the fact that regardless of the adoption of Owerri Zone as the preferred Zone to produce the next Governor of Imo State by some members of the Imo State Elders Council, Okigwe Zone as we had earlier noted has been insistent to the effect that the truncation of the Imo Charter of Equity in 2011 denied them the opportunity of being on the Seat of Power for two terms and have therefore argued that it will only be equitable that they be allowed to complete that second term by producing the successor to the sitting Governor come the 2027 Governorship Election. Conscious of the fact that it will be counter – productive to the interest of Owerri and Okigwe Zones to go into the 2027 Governorship Election as political adversaries with each of the two Zones fielding numerous aspirants / candidates in the Primaries of the mainstream Political Parties with a potential and unpleasant consequence of the possible emergence of another Orlu Zone person as Governor.
We, the Owerri Zone Peoples Mandate rising from our meeting of June 29, 2024 hereby pass the following Resolutions:
To Communicate as soon as possible to those championing the cause of Okigwe Zone, particularly, the Okigwe Global Elders Forum led by HRM Eze (Dr.) Oliver Ohanwe, our intention to meet with them as partners in progress towards the potential resolution of the obvious and apparent CLASH of interest of Owerri & Okigwe Zones in their respective quests to produce the next Governor of Imo State.
To set up a High-Powered Committee of Men &Women of integrity and good standing in society who will initiate discussions with the Okigwe Global Elders Forum with the intent of agreeing on an appropriate platform to hear out each Zone with a view to coming to a resolution of our differences and come out with a unified position on which Zone should take the first shot under the re-enacted Imo Charter of Equity. Such a quid pro quo agreement between Okigwe and Owerri zones is a win-win situation.
To engage Orlu Zone through their apex political organization-Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (OPOCA) with the intent of carrying them along on our engagement and eventual agreement with Okigwe Zone.
To write to the Ohaji/Egbema political bloc of Orlu Zone, commending them on their decision to remain in Imo State following the agitation by some well-meaning Orlu sons in the National Assembly for the creation of Orlu State.
To write a letter of commendation to our Governor, H.E. Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma on the good works he is doing in Imo State and for Imo State”.
Some of the committees set up at the meeting are strategy, Contact and Mobilization and Media, Publicity and Protocol Chief Mike Nwachukwu (Mpi Dike) is Chairman of the Strategy Committee, while Poly Samez is the Secretary.
Other members of the Strategy Committee are, (Dr) Captain David Mbamara (rtd), Prof Vitalis Ajumbe, Prince Vincon Uwandu, Prince Oby Uwandu, Engr Amadi, Prince Ozuzu, Dr Joe Nwachukwu, D Ukaegbu, a former Member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Mrs Eucharia Ogu, among others.
A frontline Journalist and Media Consultant, Chief Innocent Ezihe, emerged as the Publicity Secretary of the group and Head, Media, Publicity and Protocol Committee, while Innocent Onyechukwu from Owerri Municipal Council was chosen as Secretary Chibuike Opara, from Ahiazu Mbaise emerged as the Youth Leader, with Henry Ikpe as Secretary of the Youth wing
It was also resolved at the meeting that a WhatsApp group be created for easy and effective communication.
