A Low Point in Okorocha’s Political Career

The scheming out of the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, during the recent congresses of the All Progressives Congress marks a very low point in his political career, writes Amby Uneze

It is no longer news that the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has lost out in a superior power game that ensued in the state since the beginning of the congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC). To many, this could be one of the ‘jokes’ of the year, if someone had told them that the man who claimed to be face of the party in the South-east zone could be so humbled. But where one man attempts to assume the role of God, He always has a way of manifesting Himself to such persons.

Okorocha’s Albatross
Before the APC leadership mooted the idea of leadership change, Okorocha remained one of the most vocal and pompous governors, who once claimed to be the only way to the success of the party in the zone. Rightly, as the only governor of the party in the South-east zone, he didn’t hide his desire to conquer the zone come the 2019 general election. As such, he was feared, dreaded and most often given his right of way.

The boisterous governor had on several occasions declared how he had retired forcefully all the known politicians in Imo State, including Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senators Arthur Nzeribe, Hope Uzodinma, Chris Anyanwu, Ifeanyi Araraume, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, former governors Achike Udenwa and Ikedi Ohakim, insisting that those people could not match him in politics.
Sooner, the gadfly was caught napping even before he perfected his game plan on how to outwit the other leaders of his party to become the only ‘iroko’ in the forest. Okorocha started with the warning to other party leaders that no one else other than his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu would succeed him as governor in 2019.

He therefore boosted that he had finalised the political arrangement for 2019, whereby he becomes the Senator for Orlu zone, his son-in-law takes over from him as the governor, his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere should abandoned his governorship ambition and take over as the Senator for Owerri zone, while Chike Okafor continues in the House of Representatives to represent Okigwe South federal constituency.

Coalition That Pulled It Off
This positions no doubt did not go down well with other leaders of the party, who are also interested in elective positions, including Madumere, who had made it clear to all and sundry that he was contesting the governorship of the state.
Such party leaders like the former Secretary to the State Government, Jude Ejiogu, Senator Osita Izunaso, who is also the National Organizing Secretary of the party, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, whom he had planned to replace, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, whom he swore could never be governor, former Commissioner, Thoedore Ekechi, including the newly joined Senator Hope Uzodinma, felt it would be an insult on them to allow the governor have his way and retire them politically as he had ferociously claimed.
The APC coalition has in its fold, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Ifeanyi Araraume, Ben Uwajimogu and Osita Izunaso, who is also the National Organizing Secretary of APC. Others are former Secretary to the Imo State Government, Sir Jude Ejiogu, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, Chief Felix Idiga, Dr. Vitalis Ajumba and Dr. Theodore Ekechi amongst others.

Paving the Path to the Congresses
Sequel to the ward, local government and state congresses of the party, the governor had planned to outwit the other stakeholders of the party who are opposing his choice for the governorship. But unknown to him, other members of the party, who are now referred to as “the Coalition” had also perfected their game to ‘teach the governor some bitter lesson’.

While the governor had planned to whisk away the ward congress committee members that were arriving from Abuja enroute Awka, Anambra State, the coalition had at the same time planned to change some members from the committee knowing the sinister motive of the governor. This, they succeeded while the governor’s moves were thwarted, because he had only met with ‘fake’ congress members.

When he realised that he had lost out, the congress had concluded in the various wards of the state, which made him to rush to the house of Izunaso in company of the State Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike. Of course, it was obvious he was at the wrong place searching for the Chairman of the congress committee and sensitive materials.

Aware that he had lost the ward congress, he directed the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Chris Ezike, to arrest and to prosecute Mr. Ini Okorie and other members of the Congress Committee, whom he linked to the ‘missing’ materials without further delay.
The local government congress also went in favour of the Coalition group while the governor’s group lost out. In the same manner, the party held a successful State Congress and returned the former state chairman, Dr. Hillary Eke. The congress, which attracted delegates from 27 local government areas of the state, was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.

The exercise conducted by the Musa Umar-led Congress Committee and took place at the Federal NDDC Youth Skill Acquisition Center, Umueze in Ehime Local Government Area of the state following the torching of the party secretariat a week earlier, witnessed delegates electing candidates of their choice.

Hon. Ugochukwu Nzekwe emerged the Vice Chairman as well as other new executive members from the three zones of the State. Commenting on the election, Madumere commended the party faithful for conducting themselves peacefully during and after the congress, saying with the outcome the party was set to move forward and better equipped to face other critical challenges.

In his contribution, Chairman of APC Disciplinary Committee, Kingsley Ononuju said the congress was a great success and showed that people were determined to take back their party.

Uwajumogu’s Resignation
The development in Imo soon led to the sudden resignation of the secretary of the national convention planning committee, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, who disclosed that he took the decision to attend to family matters and not because of any case of fraud.
Even though he denied not being aware that Governor Okorocha had allegedly spent some weeks in Abuja plotting to have him removed from the committee, with threats that he would leave the party if Uwajumogu was not replaced, he did not deny the fact that he had been having a running battle with the governor over the recently conducted congresses, hence the governor wanted to implicate him at all cost.

“I want to announce to you that yesterday, I tendered my resignation as the Secretary of the APC Convention Planning Committee and the resignation was accepted last night by the national chairman of the party.”

On his relationship with Okorocha, he said “my relationship with him is not a personal thing. It is something that all of us in Imo State are opposed to the way government in Imo State is being run.

“Our opposition to that is something that is based on principle; based on the fact that 95 per cent of Imo citizens and indeed south easterners are not happy with what is happening in Imo State. South-east citizens are ashamed, that the only state we, APC, have in the region is being run the way it is in the past three years and for me, I did not have a choice than to detach myself from that government,” he explained.

The Oyegun Factor
Okorocha believed that his treatment in Imo was caused by the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, whom he accused of working against him because of his opposition to tenure elongation.

“I am being persecuted because I stoutly opposed the elongation of the tenure of Chief John Oyegun, the National Chairman of the party for another 4 years and he (Oyegun) decided to take a pound of flesh on me by supporting the dissidents, who met and organised kangaroo congresses, wrote results and forwarded same to Abuja for ratification. We are still in charge of APC in the state and we have not lost the party structures in this state.”

He, however, said “all will be sorted out when former Governor, Adams Oshiomhole assumes office as the National Chairman of the party”, adding that “once Oshiomhole comes in, everything will be sorted out. Hilary Eke’s term has finished, so he can’t even be Chairman until he is elected. There are court orders stopping the supposed congress. So, their congress does not even exist. The only one that exists is the one we have put up”, he maintained.

The Consequences
Like Nebuchadnezzar, Okorocha started a plan to perpetuate himself in power by boasting that his son-in-law would succeed him. But that was not his only albatross. It was the way and manner he went about the project, which angered and awakened the consciousness of the Imo elite and political gladiators to the fact that Okorocha was building a political Tower of Babel that accommodated only his family.

Today, the table has turned against this demi god. Imo people that sought for a hero in every unknown face have learnt the hard way, and become wiser. The hunter has become the hunted. Like Job, he has joined the wailers. In his mundane and myopic feelings, he thought he could outwit the predominantly sophisticated elite in the state, a state that can boast of the best brains in Nigeria. But Imo people have demonstrated that money and power have their limits.

The manner in which Okorocha was rubbished in the last APC congress in the state unmasked his humanity and pointed to the fetid things on the way. The APC will hold its National Convention next month to elect new officers, but Okorocha would go as a featherweight politician without influence, because the party structure in his state has been hijacked by people smarter than him.

However, Okorocha’s downfall in the politics of Imo State should serve as a lesson to our political leaders in Nigeria. He was deserted by friends and foes, spurned by his admirers and betrayed by his party at the state and national levels in the past congresses. Even his god at the villa swore like Peter that he knew him not. He ran to Oyegun and repined but got no answer. It was then that the scales began to fall off his eyes that there was no way – he has just been trapped.

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