By Peter Anosike
A frontline politician in Imo State and member of the Imo State Council of Elders, Evangelist Tony Okpe, has said that the greatest legacy the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, would leave in office is to zone the 2027 governorship slot to Owerri Zone.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday Sun, Okpe who was an aspirant for Senate under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2018, before joining the All Progressives Congress, said that among the three senatorial zones in Imo, Owerri is the only one that has been grossly marginalized with regard to the office of the governor of the state.
He was also of the view that the lingering insecurity in the state was the handiwork of some politicians who failed in elections and, therefore, decided to make the state ungovernorable for those who won.
He also spoke on other pertinent issues. Excerpt:
Why did you leave APGA to join APC in 2019?
Well, I like honesty and integrity. I am not always comfortable in any place that there is no transparency and people there are not upright. Before the 2019 general election, I was a senatorial aspirant under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Owerri zone, but the National Chairman of the party then, Victor Ike Oye, betrayed the trust of the aspirants and other stakeholders of the party in Imo State. I placed a curse on the party and defected to APC to support the governorship ambition of my very good friend, Hope Uzodimma and I want to tell you that up till now APGA in Imo State has not recovered from the curse. At the time I joined the Uzodimma campaign team in 2019, a lot of people in Imo did not believe in his candidacy. I was one of the very few notable men in Imo politics that strongly and openly supported him in 2019. In one of my interviews in 2019, I stated without mincing words that Senator Hope Uzodimma will be the governor of Imo State. I stated emphatically that Emeka Ihedioha was merely holding brief for Senator Uzodimma. The interview was during the period the tribunal was sitting in Owerri between Senator Uzodimma and the other candidates. The prophecy came to pass.
But how is it that Orlu Zone has dominated governorship of the state since the advent of democracy in 1999, to the extent that they are now calling themselves born to rule or the Fulanis of Imo State?
Well, that is not really good enough. But as a member of the Imo State Council of Elders, I was part of the personalities in the council of elders that took cognizance of the historical realities in the state, as well as the need for less rancorous governorship elections in the state and passed a resolution named, ’Charter of Equity’. Now, you may be wondering what is Charter of Equity? One of the would be greatest and enduring legacies of the Governor Uzodimma era is the articulation and adoption of the Charter of Equity which is designed to ensure the institutionalization of fairness and justice in the rotations of the governorship positions among the three sister zones in the state. The Charter of Equity resolution by the council of elders recommended that Owerri zone shall produce the next governor of Imo State in 2027 and our amiable and forward-looking governor accepted it whole-heartedly.
What does the acceptance of the resolution imply?
It is gratifying and assuring that in accepting the document from the council of elders, the governor affirmed his commitment towards it’s full implementation. The governor said among other things that the Charter of Equity would be used to ensure peace and unity in the state. The governor equally declared that his government’s readiness to use all legitimate means to ensure that the charter is put into the desired operation after his tenure. Somebody may also ask why did the charter recommend Owerri zone to kick off the rotation. The reason is because since 1999 that this political dispensation began, Owerri zone has only produced governor for seven months, while Orlu zone has produced governor for 20 years and Okigwe zone for four years. Imo State is the only state in the country that has failed to rotate its governorship position.
But I learnt that some people in Orlu and Okigwe zones are kicking against this Charter of Equity
Well, that is the nature of man. Even if you bring the best idea in the world that would be of benefit to all, some people would still kick against it. Jesus Christ who went about doing good, some people stood against him. However, I am urging Orlu and Owerri zone to support their brother zone, that is Owerri, to produce the governor of Imo State come 2027.That is what fairness and good conscience demand. But anyone or group that is exhibiting arrogance of a conqueror or boasting as it were on the political advantage of his zone over the other zones is not a good friend of Imo State.
Have associations started accepting the Charter of Equity?
The issue of Charter of Equity and Oweri zone producing the governor of Imo State in 2027 has been concluded a long time ago. After the council of elders passed the resolution, the chairman of Council of Elders, His Royal Highness, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya with selected members of the council took the document to the governor and he endorsed it. The governor took the document to the body of clergy and they prayed over it and lifted the document to God at Hero’s Square before Imolities. Afterwards, the Imo State House of Assembly went ahead to endorse it as a working document. That is the reason I am confidently saying that the issue of Charter of Equity has been resolved a long time ago.
So, why do you think it is the turn of Owerri zone to produce the governor in 2027 because there are some of your brothers from Owerri zone, who think otherwise, they rather favour the Okigwe zone?
The 2007 and 2011 elections were conceded to Okigwe zone. Almost 29 aspirants contested from the ruling party, PDP, and Ararume won, but the leadership of the party rejected his emergence as the candidate. Charles Ugwu, also from Okigwe zone, who came distant 22nd or so was chosen to replace him. Ararume defeated Ugwu and knocked him out in the court. The ruling party refused to reinstate Ararume. Rather they started shopping around for a replacement. Emeka Nwajiuba was considered, but of course, his opponents brought up factors that made them deny him the position. The leadership also refused to consider Nzeakor and Ike Ibe. All of them are from Okigwe zone. Martin Agbaso from APGA was then brought in to fill the gap. Apart from Agbaso’s problems with APGA and his election which PDP supported rather than have Ararume, PDP had zoned the governorship position to Okigwe and, therefore, didn’t consider anyone from Owerri in PDP, even though an Owerri zone person was among the first five in PDP primaries. Apart from the facts explained by Prof Maurice Iwu on this matter, the leader of the party also discovered that Agbaso is not from Okigwe zone, contrary to the document signed by Chief I.D. Nwoga and some other leaders of the PDP in Imo State that the governorship had been conceded to Okigwe zone. Ikedi Ohakim, a candidate of another party and from Okigwe zone was finally favoured. In 2011 again the governorship position was conceded to Okigwe zone in the person of Ohakim. If an incumbent governor couldn’t protect his position, is it not naive and weak argument to blame any individual or Owerri zone for failure in his second term bid? Okigwe got the zoning of governorship after Orlu in 2007 and 2011. The Ohakim governorship candidacy as projected in 2024 in a transactional manner sounds like a broken plate. The only reason Owerri zone is mobilizing to finally accomplish the principles of the Charter of Equity is because for the first time a governor has publicly taken a position. Owerri zone is acknowledging and complimenting his courage and integrity. The legacy of Governor Hope Uzodimma is premium in this matter because he has shown uncommon capacity in the development of Imo State. Imo State should not be thrown into chaos. Peace and stability are essential ingredients for rapid development which Governor Hope Uzodimma has instituted in Imo State. It is naive of anyone to think that Owerri zone is relaxing and relying only on the Charter of Equity. No way. Owerri zone is coming in full steam. Meanwhile, the transactional politics of recruiting one or two people from Owerri zone to write or post written scripts on behalf of His Excellency Ikedi Ohakim has been decoded. I sincerely hope that Mike Nwachukwu and Prince Bob Njemanze truly believe that they wield so much political influence on this matter. They are doing well for an aspirant who has not yet declared publicly by evoking political sentiments based on his previous loss of election in 2011. This same sentiment was evoked in 2015, 2019, 2024 they diverted to Senate and Minister. Governor Hope was too formidable to be confronted. The Ohakim sentimentalists have returned to work with new members. The old members have since realised that there are other political pursuits available.
You are part of 3R Government in Imo State, how did your governor perform in his first term in office?
That is a very good question and I am proud to say that my governor did well. You can recall that within six months of his inauguration in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began to ravage the world. The pandemic brought the world to its knees and while that was still going on, man-made insurgency by failed politicians also began to ravage the state. Imo State became like the Thomas Hobbes concept of state, a state where life is brutish and short. Governor Hope Uzodimma had his hands filled with challenges. If he is not the governor of Imo at that point in time, I strongly doubt if anyone else would have been able to withstand the onslaught. He stood firm in the face of the aggression. Ndi Imo should be very grateful to Senator Hope Uzodimma.
Now that the Charter of Equity is to start from your own zone, Owerri, will you be running for governorship in 2027?
No. I have no intention of running for the office of the governor and I don’t even have any person in mind. My plea is that sons and daughters of Owerri zone who have the capacity to run should come out and contest. Owerri zone is filled with capable people who can be governors. My interest has always been to go to the Senate and when the opportunity comes and it pleases Jehovah, I will surely be in the Red Chambers. I am interested in making laws for good governance of our people. However, I am not desperate for it. I wanted to run in 2019, but APGA frustrated my ambition. However, I strongly believe that when God decides that the time has come for me to go to the Senate, nobody will stand against it.
What do you think will be the best way to resolve the insecurity situation in Imo?
I have said it eearlier that the insecurity in Imo State was the handiwork of failed politicians. Those who wanted power to be rotating among the members of their families. It was them that introduced the ‘Unknown Gunmen’. However, before Imo State got to that stage, the other states in the Southeast and South-south were already deep into it. So, some of the ways of solving the insecurity challenge is good governance. There is a saying that a hungry man is an angry man. When people are hungry, they will definitely be angry. So, those in leadership positions in Southeast as a whole should try to be putting the people first. Leadership is about the people. What is the essence of looting all the money while you cannot sleep with your two eyes closed? That is never my philosophy of life.I have always stood for the people. I have always spoke truth to power and my desire has always been ensuring a better life for the people.