– Provides Template For The Two Zones In Quest For Douglas House
Chief Mike Nwachukwu, accomplished serial entrepreneur and frontline politician from Owerri zone has charged Owerri and Okigwe zones of Imo state to unite, form a formidable structure and produce a credible candidate who has the resources and networked across the length and breadth of the 305 electoral wards of Imo State.
Nwachukwu stated this while addressing newsmen in Owerri on January 15th, 2025, where he insisted that the Imo Charter of Equity will not be the vehicle to drive home the desire of Owerri/Okigwe zones to produce a successor to His Excellency, Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma, stressing that the charter is dead and will soon be forgotten in the run up to the Imo 2027 off-circuit governorship election.
According to him, the idea of the Imo Charter of Equity is a very good one, considering the need for balance and fairness among contending political interests and forces.
His words, “In my previous writings on the subject, I had expressed my support for the Charter of Equity and had called on Orlu Zone to set aside whatever ambitions they may be harbouring to succeed their kinsman. I also had observed that since both Owerri zone and Okigwe zone are each laying a “strong” claim to being the immediate beneficiary of the Charter in this current dispensation, the leadership of the two zones should engage themselves in a frank discussion with a view to resolving their differences and being on the same page. I provided the two zones a template which they could latch up on and either adapt or modify. Sadly, from all indications, it would appear that there is no structured engagement going on amongst the two zones yet. In the meantime, nobody has faulted that template.
“While Owerri Zone is busy mobilizing their kith and kin across the One Hundred & Four (104) Electoral Wards to support the venture (as if they do not buy into the idea of producing a successor to the present Governor and have to be edged on) through their various pan-Owerri Zone Organisations such as Owerri Zonal Political Forum (OZOPOLF), Imo Harmony Group (IHP), Owerri Zone Peoples Mandate (OWZOPEM), the leaders of Okigwe Zone are having their own consultations in and amongst themselves.
“There has not been any serious, structured and coordinated effort by the two zones to talk to themselves at a serious political leadership level geared towards having a meeting of minds. This could well be the undoing of the two zones in the march towards the 2027 Governorship elections. I say this with all sense of seriousness and responsibility informed by my understanding of the emergent political dynamics that may yet see Imo State having a Governor of Orlu extraction in 2027.
“It would be illusory to believe that Orlu is all out for the implementation of the Imo Charter of Equity. In any case, the zone has produced two governors that were not products of the Charter of Equity. The only semblance of an Orlu zone Governor coming from a gentleman agreement was Achike Udenwa. Rochas Okorocha was in total violation of it and the incumbent, Hope Uzodimma, iced the cake. The likelihood that the zone may opt to do it the same way in 2027 is not ruled out.
“What most of us do not yet understand and take into our psyche is that the Imo Charter of Equity which we are largely hinging the Governorship ambitions of the two zones come 2027 is DEAD!
It died during the last LGA (s)elections when all those championing it could not raise their voices against the Charter of (In)equity that ran riot through the length and breadth of the 27 LGAs and 305 Wards in Imo State. We had a taste of that (in)equity in my Owerri North LGA where the position of the Chairman of the Local Government was supposed to go to Emekuku / Emii Bloc with Emii Community producing same by some internal arrangement with their folks from Emekuku. Sadly, the position was assigned to Uratta Bloc. It was also driven home in my Obube / Agbala / Ulakwo Electoral Ward where Agbala Community was supposed to produce the Councilor but lost the position to Ulakwo.
“This was the situation across the length and breadth of the twenty-seven (27) Local Government Areas and Three Hundred and Five (305) electoral wards in Imo State. Unfortunately, not one political leader in the state in the ruling APC Party – be he Apex, Operational or Ordinary Leader in Imo State raised a voice of dissent during or after the so-called Local Government Area (s)Election which witnessed the wholesale distortion of the power sharing arrangements across the length and breadth of the Twenty-Seven (27) Local Government Areas and Three Hundred & Five (305) Electoral Wards in Imo State. Each leader you ask, you’ll get the same answer. If they don’t tell you, it’s His Excellency, they will tell you it’s what His Excellency wants. As if His Excellency personally knows each of the Councilors in each of the three hundred & five (305) electoral wards and twenty-seven (27) Local Government Areas Chairmen in Imo State. If that be the case, it means that none of them that pride themselves as being leaders had the guts to properly advise His Excellency on the dangers of throwing overboard the local power sharing arrangements prevalent in each of the Twenty-Seven (27) Local Government Areas and Three Hundred & Five (305) Electoral Wards of Imo State.
Worse still is the fact that all these organizations – OZOPOLF, IHP, OWZOPEM and their Okigwe counterparts championing Owerri zone for governor, Okigwe zone for governor could not raise a voice of caution against the distortion of local power sharing arrangement before or after the (s)election. Today, they have all come out championing the Imo Charter of Equity for the Governorship position come 2027. Their proxies have started inundating us with articles both in the Old and New Media.
“While The Imo Charter of Equity means nothing at the local level and therefore requires no attention or commentary, it means everything at the governorship level. What arrant duplicity that forgets that all politics is local. It will certainly be naive for anybody to imagine that after the washout of the Local Power Sharing Arrangements across the 27 LGAs and 305 Electoral Wards during the last LGA (s)election, the Imo Charter of Equity will hold water during the 2027 Governorship Election?.
The same forces that destroyed the Power Sharing Arrangements across the 27 LGAs and 305 Electoral Wards during the last LGA (s)election will bury the Charter in the 2027 Governorship election.
“Yes! Nde Owerri want to produce the Governor of Imo State come 2027. We have paid our dues and deserve it. But it will not come by way of The Charter of Equity because the Charter has been killed and whatever remains of it will be laid to rest in the 2027 governorship election. It will only come by Owerri doing their homework and bringing out somebody who not only has the capacity but also is very well networked across the length and breadth of the 305 Electoral Wards of Imo State. If you have the wherewithal but don’t have the network, you will fail. If you have the network and you don’t have the resources to prosecute the venture, you will fail. The prospective candidate must have the two (Resources & Network) as the appropriate combination to make a serious headway.
“We must engage Okigwe Zone and do all we can for “we and them” to be in the same corner. If we keep speaking grammar and shouting “it is our turn”, “it is out turn” and Okigwe and Orlu aligns,6 then the game is over. If that alliance holds out firm in 2027, then Owerri Zone may forever say “bye-bye” to producing a Governor for Imo State for a very long time to come. As I noted in my previous outings, my people in Owerri zone should desist from the habit of seeing the 2027 governorship as a fait accompli in their favor. There is nothing like that. I have also frowned at the market place approach being adopted in pursuit of the objective in question. There seems to be a lot of grand standing. We need to understand that Okigwe Zone is also working hard – very, very hard indeed – but without making any noise.
“In summary, for Owerri Zone to produce the Governor of Imo State in 2027, it must do three things:
Discountenance The Imo Charter of Equity because “they” will lay its remains to rest in the run up to the 2027 Governorship Election. There are very clear signals from Orlu Zone that they will fight for the position once again with everything in their arsenal!
Shop for a candidate who has an optimal combination of Political Network / Reach across the 305 Electoral Wards in Imo State to be able to prosecute the quest. Notice that I did not talk about Local Government Area. The key is that the network must permeate the State via the 305 Electoral Wards.
ENGAGE, ENGAGE AND ENGAGE Okigwe Zone with a view to being in the same corner with them. If Okigwe Zone aligns with Orlu Zone in the emerging political permutation, then the game is over and will be for a long time to come.
To effectively see through this engagement in a structured manner, I take the liberty to reproduce the template I had developed and published previously, several months ago as follows:
“After exploring the issues surrounding the Charter of Equity and putting it in its proper historical perspective and context, I came to the conclusion that the way forward would be for very credible stakeholders from Owerri Zone and Okigwe Zone in equal numbers, regardless of the number of Local Government Areas each Zone has, to come together, rub minds, politic amongst themselves, even fight amongst themselves, present their respective arguments and positions and come with a common position on which of the zones will take the first shot.
“I argued that it therefore behooves on the key players in Owerri Zone and Okigwe Zone to come together, lock themselves up in a room, advance all the arguments they can, and come up with a unified position and formula for working together whilst carrying the leadership of Orlu Zone along.
This must be done without further delay. Waiting for signals from the governor or any other quarters whatsoever or backing of the governor for his so called political promise to any, would serve the death kernel of the collective aspiration of the people of both zones.
“Between the two Zones, I proposed the convocation of Bi-Partisan 30 Wise Men & Women to x-ray the issues, examine the arguments and prospects of each zone and come up with a position as follows:
Each of the six LGAs of Okigwe Zone will send in two delegates making a total of twelve delegates.
Each of the nine LGAs of Owerri Zone will send in one delegate making a total of nine delegates.
The Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala federal constituency will send in one additional delegate. Since the three LGAs of Mbaise already have one delegate each, it is recommended that the additional delegate should come from Ngor- Okpala, Owerri Federal Constituency will send in one additional delegate Mbaike Federal Constituency will send in one additional delegate.
There shall be three members of the Clergy from Okigwe Zone (One Catholic) One Anglican/One Pentecostal).
There shall be two members of the Clergy from Owerri Zone (One Catholic, One Anglican, One Pentecostal)
“The total number of delegates from the above configuration will be thirty (30).
It would be noticed that regardless of the fact that Okigwe Zone has six LGAs, it will have equal representation with Owerri Zone in the Committee of Wise Men and Women. This is very deliberate and is intended to engender a feeling of inclusiveness and adequate level playing ground between the two zones.
After exhaustive discussions on the key question of which zone goes first, they will if need be put the question to vote. I do not expect a unanimity of position but the majority will have the day. To protect the integrity of the process, voting will be by secret ballot and will be organized and supervised by the members of Clergy there present who will not vote.
In the event that there is a tie (12-12) they will try again and again and again until there is a majority. If after four sessions there is still a tie, we may avail the sitting Governor the benefit of casting the tie-breaker after each group would have exhaustively presented their arguments to the Governor. At the end of the exercise, the 30 Wise Men and Women will engage our compatriots from Orlu Zone and relay them formally on behalf of the two Zones, which Zone between Owerri and Okigwe is taking the turn to occupy our revered Douglas House come 2027”.
