Former Imo State Commissioner for Information, and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Chairman, ELVIS AGUKWE, speaks with Assistant Editor (South East), CHRISTIAN NWOKOCHA, on the state’s politics and chances of PDP governorship candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, in the April 11 poll.
Chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning Imo
The truth remains that Imo State belongs to PDP. Members of Imo State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate from Imo State, all emerged from PDP. It was only the 2011 political accident, due to PDP internal misunderstanding, that led to the emergence of Imo governor from another political party.
Members of the political party wanted to take their pound of flesh against the former governor, Ikedi Ohakim, which was indeed a huge sabotage.
All the former governors, deputy governors, senators, Reps, Imo Assembly former speakers and their deputies and all important personalities in Imo are now in PDP.
With this, you can see that our chances of winning are very bright.
Araraume and Ohakim court cases affecting PDP chances
I don’t think so, because Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has become a serial governorship aspirant loser. He has the penchant of going to court each time he loses election. The primary election he is contesting in court was very clear and the most transparent primary election ever conducted by PDP.
However, I have not heard or seen him wishing that PDP fails this election, so his case in the court has not really caused any damage to PDP.
On the side of Ohakim, the only way you can understand me is to describe him as a sad man. If you know what Ohakim has passed through, you will then appreciate why I described him as a sad man. When he decided to make late entry in the 2015 governorship race, I told him that we would not accept his late entry into a decided political game plan. At times, ambition without independent survey will always drag people to the abyss. When we organised Imo Political Summit, Ohakim was not happy. Again, he came stating that Imo charter of equity would start with him. I gave him the history of abridged tenures. Former governors of Imo State, Sam Mbakwe and Evan Enwerem (both of blessed memory) were not called back to complete their respective tenures. Ohakim allowed himself to be misled by political jobbers who were out to extort money from him.
PDP is not indebted to Ohakim.
Our decision now is that power must move to Owerri zone. We lost in 2011 because of Araraume and Ohakim. Two of them are also in court over 2015 PDP primaries in Imo. They are in court for selfish reasons and not in the people’s interest.
Senator Hope Uzodinma’s perceived role against PDP
Well, Uzodinma is in a contest for a second tenure, and I am sure he wouldn’t want to lose that election. When it was like a move to go for governor, I said no, the governorship position is not for Orlu zone because the 21st century politics must be inclusive, properly organised, and we must be willing to open a decent political space for ourselves and our children. I don’t believe that ‘might is right’ or because we come from Orlu zone with 12 local government areas, we decide to govern the rest of Imo for life. If we are three geo-political zones, then the office of the governor must rotate within the three zones. It will amount to political and economic greed, if Orlu man governs Imo for 12 years and wants to go again when other zones are yet to get one. I come from Orlu zone and I want to tell you that it amounts to injustice for any other person to come from Orlu zone after 12 years in power as governor.
Uzodinma was one of those who wanted to obstruct the well-designed transfer of power to Owerri zone. Emeka Ihedioha is supporting Uzodinma, even when he did not support him during the governorship primaries. Ihedioha is a good party man because what he wants is the party to win.
PDP winning in Orlu where Okorocha comes from
We know that the governorship position is not for Orlu people. Okorocha emerged by accident. His style of administration is unacceptable and he has been rejected by the Orlu people because he is self-centred. We have had governors, deputy governors, ministers and other top politicians from Orlu. Okorocha treats them with a wave of hands. He is not a team player.
Leadership style expected
Imo people will be expecting a young man who has risen in the ranks, served the nation, won elections from his federal constituency and excelled at the National Assembly. Today, he is the number six citizen of Nigeria who has seen it all. He has been a presiding officer who understands administration of men and materials. He is articulate, humble and patient. He places high value on his name and fights for anything that can uplift Imo people. For 12 years in the House of Representatives, you cannot hear anything about him related to corrupt practices. He is a due process man who wouldn’t want to take all the contracts to himself and family. He is educated. Nobody can compare his sense of organisation with that of Okorocha who sees himself solely as a businessman. Ihedioha has the capacity to rebuild Imo, restore good governance and rule of law. With Ihedioha, democracy will be at work in Imo. We will again occupy the enviable position in education.
Ihedioha’s stay in the House of Reps and Imo
I was in the Executive Council of Imo State government as Commissioner for Information when Ohakim was thinking of how to link Imo to Port Harcourt through Elele Road. Ohakim then wanted to dualise the road, but there was no money. When the Niger Delta development Commission (NDDC) wanted to go for regional projects, Ihedioha, who was then a Chief Whip, moved in and urged the federal government to include Imo in the regional projects since it is one of the oil producing states. He made them to understand that the only road that connects the East West Road from Imo is the Owerri-Port Harcourt Road.
Some part of the road has been completed, while work is on-going in the other side of the road close to Rivers State. In Onicha at Ihitte-Uboma, the roads were bad, and Ihedioha got a federal contractor that handled the roads, costing the federal government N13 billion. In Okwuagbala in Orlu, the federal government has brought cassava processing plant. The industry has been built and we are now waiting for the installation of the machines. These cassava plants were replicated in all the three senatorial zones in Imo. For the first time, his governorship bid was supported by all House of Representatives of Imo extraction. It is an indication that he is a team player.
Onitsha and Aba rallies
Imo people live in Aba and Onitsha in large numbers. These are the industrial hubs of the South East and Nigeria. Visiting them gives you an idea of how we intend to move with our people, irrespective of where they live. Though they do their businesses in these cities, they also come home to develop their communities as leaders in their own rights.
It is a good strategy that we meet with them and market our candidate. They all agreed with us that Okorocha should go.