Imo State is home to array of political stalwarts well versed in the
intricacies of politicking in the Nigerian political space. They come in divers
shades; each competent in his own right and ready to give as much he can take
in the political terrain.Imo is made up of three senatorial districts comprising Imo West, otherwise known as Orlu Zone with 12 council areas; Imo East, otherwise known as Owerri Zone with nine council areas and Imo North, also known as O k i g w e Z o n e with six counci l areas.
T h e prevailing agit a t i o n across t h e state is that of equity a n d f a i r – ness, same being r e a – s o n m o s t of the aspirants would willingly cite the unwritten Imo Charter of Equity as their ground for demanding even-handedness in the system.
Owerri people who are landlords to the Government House are the most agitated, they are actually the people who have sustained the call for equitable consideration of the three senatorial zones of the state with respect to the governorship of the state. Since the present democratic experiment started in 1999, a governor of Owerri extraction is yet to emerge.
As 2015 draws near, politicians from Owerri zone are putting ground works in place to ensure the seat of power does not elude them again, while Okigwe Zone of the state which had only done four years in the Douglas House, would also be angling to consummate their second term of four years which slipped off the hands of their son, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim in 2011.
Orlu Zone, which, with Governor Rochas Okorocha’s four years in office, would have governed Imo for a total of 12 years is not letting go of the governorship seat also have a smattering of candidates wanting to consolidate their hold on Douglas House.
With the foregoing, the stage is set in Imo for a big political s h owd own come 2015, with the unwritten Imo Charter of Equity becomi ng a viable l e ve r – age for ne gotiation of power. While some of the key political players bring robust debate to the political turf, others bring old scores that need settling, while yet some others have only one argument – zoning – driving their bid for political office in 2015.
While some even bring political glamour and fanfare to the table, others merely add to the numbers. In all, these political gladiators and actors contribute in their various ways to the shape of things to come in Imo 2015.
Rochas Okorocha
He is the incumbent governor of Imo State. He has given clear hints to his resolve to bid for a second term in office. Though there is an avalanche of governorship aspirants gunning for his seat, Okorocha is not a stranger to political contests and intrigues.
His influence and support base leans largely towards the artisans who are convinced that the governor is a large-hearted humanitarian.
In 2011, Okorocha demolished the perceived zoning arrangement in the state by emerging governor so soon after his kinsman, Chief Achike Udenwa had served as governor of the state for eight years. Both Okorocha and Udenwa are from the Orlu zone of the state, while the Owerri zone is yet to get a shot at the governorship seat of the state since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. With Okigwe zone kicking that they are yet to have a full share, zoning will definitely be an issue in the 2015 governorship election in Imo.
Though the governor has tried severally to dismiss zoning as fostering mediocrity, it is definitely one of his major disadvantages in the forthcoming governorship election in 2015. Okorocha has put some structures in place – whether qualitative or not; people-oriented or not; purpose-driven or ego-driven; futuristic or impulsive – there are some new infrastructure in place in Imo that people can point to Okorocha’s credit.
Much as some extol the governor for this, very many others would easily accuse the governor of indiscriminately erecting structures that bear little or no relevance to the welfare of the people.
Whatever is the case, Okorocha is in the 2015 Imo governorship race for good and it will take immense effort in mass mobilisation and strategic planning to unseat him. He has a lot going for him, and even a lot more going against him, but only a meticulous strategy can oust the Ogboko-born politician.
Eze Madumere
The chubby Imo State Deputy Governor would have been tailor-made for the seat of governor, if only his boss could quit seeing him in the light of pre-2011 – as his domestic staff. Madumere is gifted with a network of friends and allies transcending areas within the reach of his boss.
This is his strongest political capital and at every point of need, the present administration leverages on that which is why he is largely viewed in political circles as the governor’s trouble shooter.
With the internal political intrigue in the Imo government, which rather than building on the strength of the deputy governor, is strategically whittling it down, may render Madumere incapable of bringing his political advantage to bear, no matter what it is worth, in the 2015 election.
Madumere would have been expected to be a formidable aspirant in the 2015 elections, even if not for the governorship seat, but the way things are going, he neither falls into the category of a kingmaker or an aspirant and that is a gross disadvantage to his boss who is still eying the number one seat in Imo State.
Benjamin Uwajumogu
Uwajumogu is the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly. Before 2011, so very little was heard about Uwajumogu beside the fact that he comes from a wealthy family with flourishing interests in hotel business, relatively nothing of political importance was known about him.
He quickly became the centre of the state parliament as soon as he was elected Speaker of the Assembly ahead of ranking members who fell into the minority party. Uwajumogu is known to be aspiring for the Imo North (Okigwe Zone) senatorial seat in 2015, but he seems to have gathered more of financial clout than political clout within the last 35 months.
Be that as it may, Uwajumogu cannot entirely be taken for granted in 2015 without dire consequences as he can at least hold down his local government for his party in a worst case scenario. He had recently begun a process of reaching out to the electorate with empowerments and donations to the needs of the people and communities within his constituency.
This is a boost to his popularity, but if nothing is done about the prevailing perception among a section of the electorate that Uwajumogu is more of a contractor than a legislator, his acceptability may take a lethal knock even before 2015.
As the clock ticks towards 2015, the popularity or notoriety of Governor Okorocha, as the case may be, would definitely rub-off on the Speaker as he is widely viewed as the governor’s Man Friday.
Ikedi Ohakim
Like or hate him, the former governor of Imo State has charm and charisma to his advantage. Even as a former governor, Ohakim is street-wise and wields enormous social capital, vital in politics.
Ohakim who in 2011 was victim of a mass action by the Imo electorate, endorsed by an elite conspiracy is meticulously picking up the pieces of that experience, rebuilding bridges that were burnt and enhancing his acceptability both at home and at the national level. This, he has done very well.
Today, all you need to shut down traffic in Owerri is the appearance of Ohakim on the street. For every single error the Okorocha administration makes in Imo today, Ohakim gains even more prominence. Also for most people who have faulted Okorocha in any area of his administration, Ohakim becomes a better option.
It is however not always easy for the same people who rejected you at a point in politics to so quickly accept you again without letting the years bridge the gap. But it has been said that the Nigerian electorate have short memory and anything can happen in Nigerian politics.
This, however, does not in any way indicate that Ohakim has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2015 governorship battle. But whether he does or does not, it cannot diminish the fact that he is a key stakeholder in the politics of Imo State and a power broker in the politics of Imo North. Ohakim also would perfectly fit the bill if he decides to operate as a kingmaker in the 2015 elections.
The former governor has a string of loyal followers most of whom were former appointees during his days as the governor of Imo state. He brings some robust dynamism to politics. Ifeanyi Araraume From 1999 till date, Senator Araraume has been actively relevant in Imo politics.
Serving two uninterrupted terms as senator for Imo North from 1999 to 2007, Araraume has bidded for the governorship seat of Imo since 2007 till date. He is known to be the first politician in Imo State to have suffered a hydra-headed elite conspiracy. The episode brought to the fore, Araraume’s doggedness and staying power.
He beat the candidate of an incumbent governor in the person of Udenwa in the state party governorship primaries and humbled former President Olusegun Obasanjo in court for bluntly denying him the ticket he won.
However, the elite put words around that the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) no longer had a candidate for the Imo governorship at the time, thus abandoning Araraume to his own devices and embracing Ohakim of the then Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA).
Through it all, it is still common knowledge to political pundits that Araraume brings a lot of experience to the table.
His major strength is the die-hard attitude of his followers and his unflinching support and assistance to them in everything they do.
It is on record that in 2011, in spite of Araraume’s political misfortune, he still took time to broker a deal with the then governor to pave the way for one of his loyalists in the person of Matthew Omegara to emerge House of Representatives member for Okigwe North Federal Constituency.
He goes the extra mile for his loyalists. Ararume is also not a stranger to political adversity, stiff opposition or competition. In spite of all the expenses he had incured since 2007 till date without actualizing his governorship ambition, it is still widely believed that Araraume is coming into the 2015 governorship with a loaded war chest.
It is also a known fact that aspirants under his campaign organisation are often handsomely empowered to execute their aspiration, thus enhancing their capacities to deliver him in their areas.
Though Araraume enjoys an appreciable level of popularity and acceptability across the state, some sections of the state especially Owerri Zone, who are bidding to rule Imo for the first time since 1999, may want to view his dogged consistency in vying for the governorship seat as desperation.
Whatever be the case, Araraume who is expected to have learnt from past mistakes and made necessary corrections, would be bringing a lot of first-hand experience to bear in the run up to the 2015 governorship election in Imo state. Tony Chukwu He is a billionaire contractor and businessman who never fails to invest in popular governorship candidates.
He is not an experienced politician in the real sense, but with his fund, he is consulted on issues even good politicians are ignored. Chukwu plays a major role in every election year but his major flaw is his inconsistency.
He mostly favours any government in power with his enormous resources and once that government falls out of favour, he moves on to the next prospect. His brand of politics is largely believed to be predicated on primarily protecting his business interests. In the Okigwe Zone where he comes from, he has the capacity in some cases, to sway political balance with his fund and influence.
Most governors and governorship candidates pander to him to boost their financial muscles in his area whenever elections approach. He knows relatively little about political stratagem. Chris Anyanwu This two-term senator represents a brilliant de-parture from the previous all-men domination of the National Assembly slots in Imo.
With her sojourn in the Senate, she has proved that she is not merely filling-in a space in sympathy to a gender. In any case, Senator Chris Anyanwu cannot be considered a charity case, as she fought for her mandate every step of the way. She fell out of favour in the PDP, when the party’s ticket was served Kema Chikwe on a platter, after two controversial primary elections. She pulled out of the party and pitched tents with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and again had to contend with Chikwe in the election proper.
She beat Chikwe to a second place against all odds. So, it is unarguable that Anyanwu represents the strongest bid of the women folks for the Imo governorship seat since return to democracy. Having actively played politics at the highest level in the country, she comes with a lot more political dexterity, clout and experience than most of the aspirants in the race.
Anyanwu had always tried to play down on her gender in her politicking and had repeatedly urged the electorate to see her for who she is and the ideals she represents and not as a woman.
It is however believed that though she would make immense in-road for the female folks by her formidable bid for the highest office in Imo State, it is highly uncertain that the Imo electorate is yet prepared for a female governor bearing in mind their cultural inclination and predisposition to the men folk.
Be that as it may, Anyanwu has a lot of work to do and it is her responsibility to rise above chauvinistic misconceptions and plant a solid feminine presence in the Imo political landscape. Anyanwu cannot be taken for granted in Imo politics, as she does not in any way carry herself as one needing either sympathy or pity, but instead bidding her credibility and competence against even the very best the men-dominated governorship turf in Imo.
She cowers before no aspirant and this is the confidence that drives her followers from across the state.
Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu
Chief Iwuanyanwu is a kingmaker any day and has remained consistent in that role for the greater part of the last decade. There is no shade of sentiment or political antics in Imo politics that can faze Iwuanyanwu.
He has a formidable national presence in the politics of the country and a compelling presence in the politics of Imo State. Iwuanyanwu’s home is a political Mecca for many politicians in the state. Either they are coming to identify with the leader as he is often called or dutifully consulting with him on their ambitions or next political adventure.
As a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, the Ikeduru-born politician cannot be ignored in Imo politics especially with his uncanny ability to rally enormous support behind any candidate of his choice.
Presently, Iwuanyanwu is past contesting for any political office but remains one of those political variables that must be taken into account by every serious-minded politician running for political office.
Emeka Ihedioha
Ihedioha is the Deputy Speaker and one of the few third-term members of the House of Representatives. Nobody wins three successive federal constituency elections by chance without some strokes of ingenuity, experience and dexterity in the electioneering process.
A strong party man who was earlier perceived as not having any political structure outside his federal constituency, but have in recent times, rapidly raised structures across the 27 council areas of Imo State to the chagrin of his political rivals.
Ihedioha to his advantage has over the year instituted structures to empower members of his federal constituency and had sustained and spread same long before voicing his desire to govern Imo State.
He has leveraged on his position to impact on his constituency with various developmental projects.
A stabilizer of sort at the National Assembly but a rugged mobilizer at the party level. He is one of the frontrunners in the Imo governorship race with enormous political clout within the state and at the federal level. Ihedioha’s biggest threat is the fact that most of the over 18 governorship aspirants in the PDP view him as a major hurdle to their ambition and this may inadvertently create a cluster of anti-Ihedioha aspirants among the PDP fold.
This is one of such scenarios that pave the way for an elite gang-up against a particular aspirant. A political watcher once dismissed Ihedioha’s candidature with this remark, “Ihedioha is too powerful to win a governorship election in Imo State. He will fall by an elite conspiracy.”
He advanced the argument that the elite will gather and stop Ihedioha at all cost, enthroning another candidate who may seem more accessible and politically pliable. Another political analyst, Mr. F.C. Jones, who is apparently tilted towards Ihedioha differs, arguing that Imo is still living with the consequences of the elite conspiracies of the past. He is convinced that no politician would want to go that road again in 2015. Be that as it may, Ihedioha is a force to reckon with in the Imo 2015 elections and his impact from the primary election to the main election may be a pointer to the shape of things to come in 2015.
Achike Udenwa
Udenwa may be as gentle as he comes but has a way of staying dominantly relevant in the political calculations of Imo State. He remains the first Imo governor to have served out two tenures giving him the opportunity to build a massive network of followers.
His strength and size of his followership was showcased again when he dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP. Within a 48-hour interval over half a dozen of his loyalists in the Okorocha administration resigned their appointments to follow him back to the PDP.
Since then, his loyalists have been moving in droves out of the APC, and by so doing affirming the clout the former governor wields. Udenwa is more of a quiet storm, hardly ever bandying words or creating any form of political scenes.
Close to 70 per cent of the politicians relevant in the Imo political space can trace their rise to relevance to the Udenwa administration. It would also be recalled that his last minute declaration of support for Okorocha in 2011, against the shaky stands of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), was also instrumental in ensuring the emergence of the present administration.
It is not likely that Udenwa would be seeking any political office but would be one of the prominent kingmakers in the 2015 elections in Imo. With his political clout, Udenwa is not the kind of leader to be crossed or taken for granted by any aspiring politician in Imo. Desperation is not one of his strong points as he is widely respected across the state.
When duly consulted, it is a known fact that there are very few things Udenwa cannot concede to his loyalists and allies. Easy going, with enormous grassroot popularity, since Udenwa completed his tenure as governor in 2007, he had remained in Imo, except for the period of his stint as a minister. Udenwa is on ground in Imo with massive grassroots appeal.
Hope Uzodinma
Like or hate him, Senator Hope Uzodinma cannot be ignored in Imo politics. The fair-skinned federal legislator is not new in Imo politics, as he had actively made his input from 1999 till date. A former governorship candidate under the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2003 and the first runner up in the 2007 governorship primary of the PDP, Uzodinma is a first term Senator in the National Assembly and has abundantly left his imprint in the hallowed chambers. His strongest point is his generosity and goodwill.
He has diligently serviced and maintained his political structures. His poverty alleviation programme and empowerment projects is yet unrivalled in Imo State, not even by the state government.
Uzodinma is one of the few political leaders that have consistently been servicing the PDP structure in the state despite being in the opposition. His followers are near fanatical about him. Nearly all the strategic local government areas he had held sway in since 2007, have till date remained in his clutches simply because of his dutiful attention to the welfare of his followers making him a political brand of choice.
Large-hearted as he is, what Uzodinma may lack in his legislative representation, he compensates for through the massive goodwill he enjoys across the state particularly in the 12 council areas he represents in the Senate. Uzodinma is said to be gunning for the governorship seat of Imo against the zoning and equity calculation in the state.
This, however, may be a wellmade kite by the senator to re-launch his bid for a second term to the National Assembly. He is known to be a master of political strategies with the best hands handling every department of his political machinery, so it may not be off the mark to say that whatever Uzodinma eventually decides to run for, he would come into the race smoking hot.
A number of scandals are tearing at his image and integrity, but it needs no saying that majority of the Nigerian electorate, with the prevalent poverty level, cares very little about scandals or tainted reputations, as long as the aspirant has bread to offer.
It is safe to hazard the guess that if Uzodinma makes a return bid to the Senate, he would have a jolly ride to victory, having saturated the area with his benevolent impact. Kema Chikwe She is the PDP National Woman Leader, a former Minister and immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland. She has been in the Nigerian political space since 1999.
She has not been very successful in elective positions as she had lost both elections she stood for – House of Representatives and Senate – this however does not diminish her influence and political sagacity in Imo politics. She is known to be diligent in oiling her political structures and is looked up to by most women aspiring for a space in the Nigerian political landscape.
In the politics of Imo East (Owerri Zone), Chikwe cannot be ignored or taken for granted, as she is known to have enthroned notable politicians of the area to very high elective political offices. Chikwe may re-launch her senatorial bid in 2015 and being very strategically placed in the party; she may yet have her field day.
Martin Agbaso
In spite of his string political misfortunes, Agbaso remains a force in Imo politics. Having run for the Imo governorship seat since 2003, Agbaso has on more than one occasion been tipped as a governor in-waiting, especially in 2007 where it was widely believed that he won the election.
Most of these episodes went sour just at the last minute with the political calculation turning against him. His surprise support and backing of Okorocha in the 2011 governorship election, which turned a sordid misadventure, may after all take its toll on his political fortune in the Imo political landscape.
A section of Owerri politicians believe that Agbaso ceded the governorship seat due Owerri Zone to Okorocha from Orlu in 2011 and may not be inclined to give him another chance.
Intelligent and dexterous as he is, it may be an uphill task for Agbaso to make his usual groundswell impact in the 2015 election, but his force of presence would still be felt in the political landscape especially in APGA where he is the leader.
Emmanuel Iheanacho
The former Minister for Interior and shipping magnate did not miss the brief opportunity provided by his appointment as minister to warm himself into the heart of his people.
Iheanacho like none other before him, leveraged on his position as minister to gainfully employ scores, if not hundreds of Imo citizens and this cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
Since leaving office, he has sustained his empowerment programmes reaching out to his people and in the most unmistakeable term, conveying his empathy for their plights. Iheanacho may not be a regular politician but his humanitarian approach to politics has gained him large space and followership in the Imo political landscape.
Gunning for the governorship seat of the state for Iheanacho, is not a justifiable reason for over two dozen aspirants to swamp one political party when all that should matter is the credibility and competence of an aspirant. Having been a PDP member since 1999, Iheanacho was temperate enough to move out of the crowd and head to APGA to execute his ambition.
His followers even respected him more for the move than opting to go through the grind and intrigue of PDP primaries in pursuit of his ambition. Iheanacho is seen by a vast majority of the Imo electorate as an embodiment of integrity, credibility and purposeful leadership centred on the people.
He has kept his words and approach to his ambition temperate without any hint of desperation. Iheanacho is well able to fund his project without mortgaging the government, if he is voted in. It is believed that in a free and fair election in Imo, Iheanacho would be the man to beat come 2015.
Viola Onwuliri
She is a university professor-turned politician and largely believed to know relatively little about the intricacies of partisan politics. As a minister of the Federal Republic, it cannot be denied that Onwuliri wields quite some influence in the state. Her biggest political adventure has been emerging as the deputy governorship candidate in the failed second term bid of Ohakim before being appointed into the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan.
With her recent media confrontations of Governor Okorocha, it is believed that Onwuliri would deploy everything in her kitty to ensure that the incumbent is upstaged in 2015 and it follows that as a minister of the Federal Republic, she would definitely not play a passive role in the 2015 elections in Imo. It is yet unclear whether Onwuliri will be mounting the soap box to bid for any elective office but until then she remains a highly interested party in the outcome of the 2015 elections moreso when more than two of her Mbaise kinsmen are in the race for the governorship seat. Her contributions, no matter how little will shape the outcome of 2015 in the state.
Jerry Chukwueke
With his posters flooding the state and aggressively announcing his interest in the governorship seat, Jerry Chukwueke may be assiduously trying to work up a formidable political profile for himself.
One thing that seems to give him media visibility is his seeming fearlessness in engaging the system, and robustly arguing and condemning perceived disservices against the people. Chukwueke has become a voice in Imo politics but his previous antecedents may yet catch up with him. Much as the Germaine Group boss cannot be trifled with, he is perceived as a seasonal leader who remembers his responsibilities to his people only in an election year.
By far he cannot be said to be on ground, but his immense work rate is creating foot soldiers for him as there were hitherto none before. It is not clear how close he has been with the state party structure and leadership but for all his sojourn in partisan politics, his recent appointment as the Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation seems the highest party position and recognition he has attained since joining the PDP.
The last that was heard of him was in 2007, when he tried to establish a solid presence in the politics of Imo State. Thereafter, he disappeared from the political scene until recently when he became a regular voice in the electronic and print media. If he sustains his drive, and not conjure up another disappearing act, he may leave his imprint for all times in the Imo political space.
Ralph Uwazuruike
He is the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), a self-determination group known to be forceful when pushing a political position. The sheer size of the group intimidates any politician at cross purposes with MASSOB in Imo State.
This is the same reason Uwazuruike maintains that he gave Okorocha the APGA governorship ticket in 2011.
Prior to the 2011 general elections, Uwazurike’s home was a Mecca of sorts for aspiring politicians including the incumbent governor, Okorocha, who was a regular visitor at the time. Uwazuruike’s political clout is massive in Imo and in Nigeria, which is also why, even the presidency recognises his strategic role in the political stability of the region and Nigeria.
Uwazuruike has already taken a stand for Ndigbo insisting that Igbo should only aspire for the presidency only after President Jonathan. And over time, it seems to have become the adopted position by majority in the region.
To understand the size of Uwazuruike’s foot soldiers, one needs to know that 70 per cent of keke operators, taxi drivers, commercial motorcycle operators, artisans from the mechanic villages to the timber markets, motor parts markets and other craftsmen across the state have affinity with MASSOB.
Moreover, it is in the villages that you find hard-line MASSOB adherents who would take Uwazuruike’s every word as gospel.
Any politician worth his salt in Imo knows not to trifle with Uwazuruike and same goes for every state in South- East Nigeria and beyond. As 2015 approaches, Uwazuruike is believed to have scores to settle with the incumbent governor of Imo.
Though he had maintained a reticent attitude in this regard, their squabble remains an immutable fact which inevitably will prompt the MASSOB leader into the political fray in 2015, not as a contestant but as key player; pulling decisive strings in areas of critical political importance.
Humphrey Anumudu
Anumudu’s best outing had been in 1999. Though he had progressively lost steam, he still has a large chunk of followers especially among the crowd that recalls his exploit during his 1999 bid for the Imo governorship seat.
His large Mbaike federal constituency are totally rooting for him but his major challenge lies in the fact that he is perceived as often distancing himself from the electorate after every election year, only to reappear after four years.
Though his political reach has become doubtful, his genteel outlook to politics to some extent still makes him an impressionable aspirant. As he unfolds his roadmap for Imo, it is believed that his acceptability would soar and sustain his relevance and formidability in the Imo political space.
Bethel Amadi
Amadi is a third term legislator at the House of Representatives. His emergence at every point was hardfought and largely believed to have been facilitated by Iwuanyanwu against agitations Amadi was widely believed to be disconnected from his constituency, but until recently, when he put forward empowerment programmes that covered a vast area of his constituency and gave a little more visibility to his person. Through his Pan African Parliament where he presides,
Amadi has also left serious imprint in the area of advocacy for the media industry in Imo State and Nigeria, having empowered several practitioners with relevant experiences through educative exposures and networking with practitioners from different climes across the globe.
Even at that, Amadi brings some level of experience to the table having been actively involved in the politics of the state and at federal levels for more than one decade. The 2011 election, from the primary to the main election, showcased his field experience in the execution of elections; with street popularity and an unexpected grassroots appeal.
Amadi emerged candidate defying the plots of the state government at the time and the conspiracy of some political heavyweights. As 2015 approaches, Amadi is said to be bidding for the governorship of the state, but this time in a crowded political turf. Whatever is the case, his experience, sagacity, style and peculiar strategy would contribute in shaping the outcome of 2015.
Chuka Odom
Odom rose from being a Deputy Chief of Staff in the Abia State Government to being a Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. His intelligence and razor-sharp acumen easily stands him out in a crowd, but the Imo governorship is a different ball game altogether.
Odom has over the years shown a clear disconnect with the people. His intelligence and informed opinions are tucked away until every election year adding little or no value to the lives and situation of the people he aspires to govern, and this cannot go unnoticed by the people.
It is common knowledge that Odom is well connected and this also breeds suspicion that a government under Odom would be heavily influenced by external forces, most of whom he cannot resist. And nothing could make a government more rudderless than unbridled interference.
If however, Odom is supplied with adequate resources for his electioneering project, he could through his brilliance shine beyond expectation. Running for the governorship of Imo State, Odom will definitely strive to leave an imprint and obviously add his voice to the change that would come.
He is the type that no mid-way politician would want to cross in an election debate.
Matthew Nwagwu
He represents Imo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the PDP. A native of Obowo Local Government Area, Nwagwu was said to have emerged as senator in the first place in 2011 to hold forth for Ohakim, whose game plan then was to retrieve the ticket from him in 2015 if he (Ohakim) had been re-elected governor.
However, with Ohakim losing out in the 2011 governorship contest, the former ambassador is said to have seized the opportunity of his benefactor’s failure to strengthen his political machinery in Okigwe Zone, possibly to return to the Senate in 2015.
The ambition has pitched him against Ohakim who is also believed to have an eye on the Okigwe senatorial seat should his governorship ambition fail in 2015.
BY STEVE UZOESHI.
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