Uzodimma Planning Coronation of LG Council Bosses, Not Election, Says Labour Party

Tony Icheku in Owerri

The Imo State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) yesterday  described the Imo State Local Government Council elections scheduled for September 21, 2024 as coronation of selected persons to man the 27  Local Government Councils in the State and not an election

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY in  Owerri, the Imo LP State Chairman, Mr. Callistus Ihejiagwa, maintained that LP chose to boycott the LG elections as it refuses to lend itself to be used to endorse the  shenanigan and coronation of cronies of Governor Hope Uzodimma to man the LG Councils 

“Imo State LP has no confidence in the democratic credentials of Governor Hope Uzodimma and we do not see the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, (ISIEC) as completely independent. Go and find out, the word on the streets is that Gov Uzodimma and the Imo APC have already compiled a list of those who would be announced as winners in the so called election. The LP refuses to be part of such coronation. The party will not lend itself to endorse such shenanigans”, Ihejiagwa affirmed.

The LP state chairman described the electoral process as flawed from the beginning even as he argued that Uzodimma has an agenda for scheduling the LG elections so early in his second term, stressing that in his first four years the Imo governor refused to hold any LG elections. 

In a related development, the Coordinator of the Rebuild Imo Movement, comprising former governor Emeka Ihedioha’s loyalists that pulled out from the PDP, Dr Vin Udokwu,  has also ruled out the participation of the movement in the LG elections which he described as being programmed to produce a predicted outcome.

Udokwu,  who is a former Chief of Staff to former Governor Achike Udenwa, maintained that it is an established tradition for LG elections conducted in the states are won by members of the ruling party in such state.

“The parties which field candidates in these elections fully understand the game and they only use the elections for sensitisation and mobilisation of members, at worst a very popular party may win one or two Councillors, but definitely not the chairmanship,” he said. 

In a related development, the Imo APC appear overwhelmed by the large number of aspirants for the LG as it has twice rescheduled, primaries for the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.

While announcing Thursday August 22, 2024 as the new date for the primaries, the State Chairman, Dr Macdonald Ebere, said the new date was to enable aspirants to campaign very well in their various local government councils and wards 

He  urged the  aspirants to reach out to their people and  not rely on the endorsement of political leaders as everybody would be given a level playing ground.

The APC chairman added that those who  will win  eventually in the primaries should see themselves as winners, while losers should see it as a sacrifice.

Commenting on the primaries, the State Organising Secretary of the party, Hon Ikechukwu Umeh, said everything had been put in place for the exercise on Thursday , adding that all aspirants should go to the field and test their popularity.

 The party has refuted  allegations that the Gov  Uzodinma has already endorsed certain candidates ahead the September 21 council polls, describing the allegations as false and misleading.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Electronic Media, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu stated:  “We want to categorically state that this claim is false and misleading. Governor Uzodimma has not endorsed any aspirant for the elections, neither privately nor publicly.

“There is no list of endorsed aspirants existing anywhere, and the Governor has not made any statements to that effect and will not make,” he stated.