By Ogu Bundu Nwadike
Political intrigues, brigandage and subterfuge notwithstanding, Nigeria in general, with Southeast geo-political zone in particular, is a territorially homestead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The outcomes of most recent bye-elections in the country are testimonies of the foothold that PDP has in Nigeria and the Southeast.
The Party technically won the bye-election for Imo North (Okigwe Zone) Senatorial District that was conducted on Saturday, December 5, 2020. It won also the Saturday, March 26, 2021 bye-election in Abia State. We congratulate our great Party for maintaining it’s lead in the political championship of Nigeria since 1999. Power to the People!!
In this short essay, we’re focusing on Imo State, where in spite of bad politics characterized by electoral banditry, fraud and forgery, irregularities and malpractices, PDP has remained the popular choice party of Imo people and Nigerians.
Across Imo State, in the 27 LGAs, throughout the 305 electoral Wards, the leaders, stakeholders, members and supporters of PDP are dictating the pace of democratic politics, political engineering and the attendant much desired good governance.
That system has been established as a daily experience in the State with PDP galvanizing the physical social environment with genuine political interface and interactions.
The Party holds regular meetings at all levels and by different committees, councils and groups, including chapter meetings, ward meetings, LGA meetings, leadership/stakeholders meetings, State Working Committee meetings, State Executive Committee meetings, State Elders Council meetings, women leaders, youth leaders meetings, support/volunteer group meetings, youth meetings, babes meetings, special citizens meetings, and various other forms of meetings.
No day passes without reports of one activity or another by PDP. They’re new every morning, with all hands on deck, leaving no stone unturned.
That was the secret of the resounding victory of PDP in the 2019 general election where it won the presidential, the governorship, the National Assembly and the state assembly elections with wide margins of votes.
On November 7, 2020 the Party kick-started the first of its kind “Imo PDP Youths Football Championship”, with the State Chairman Engr. Charles C. Ugwuh, OON personally performing the kick-off, amid other members of the State Working Committee that were present.
They include Sir Martin Ejiogu, State Deputy Chairman; Hon. Nze Ray Emeaña, State Secretary; Barr. Josiah Eze, State Treasurer; Barr. Chibuisi Obido, Asst. State Chairman (Orlu Zone); Chief Pascal Uzoh, Asst. State Chairman (Owerri Zone); Sir Chidi Dike Asst State Chairman (Okigwe Zone); Nze Law Biaduo, State Organizing Secretary; Hon. Mrs. Maria Mbakwe, State Women Leader; Barr. Bede Ojimadu, State Financial Secretary; Barr. Kissinger Ikeokwu, State Legal Adviser; Hon. Greg Nwadike GOC State Youth Leader, and Ogubundu Nwadike, State Publicity Secretary.
The championship, which has now reached the final stage, has become a reference point for human capital development by Imo PDP.
The aims of providing positive engagement of Imo youths, entertainment of the people, and identification of latent football talents are being steadily achieved in the championship.
Since the turn of 2021, the Party, through the vision of the State Chairman Engr. Charles Ugwuh, has initiated an agriculture planting season programme, through which high yield seedlings were distributed to commercial and subsistence farmers in the 2021 farming season.
Plans are in top gear to organize healthcare screening clinics across the State through the intervention of the Support/Volunteer Group, courtesy of medical and healthcare professionals in the Party.
Imo women are steadily being harmonized, galvanized and mobilized for good conduct in the society through the Office of State Women Leader, led by Hon. Chief Mrs. Maria Mbakwe, with her Zonal Assistants, Hon. Dr. Mrs. Obianuju Evarista Ihejiagwa (Orlu), Hon. Mrs. Esther Aguwamba (Owerri), and Hon. Mrs. Ruth Nwokeocha (Okigwe), respectively.
In PDP women meetings, discussions, information, enlightenment, education etcetera on the roles of women in engendering a sustainably peaceful and progressive society form a significant agendum in the agenda.
The Office of State Youth Leader, led by Hon. Greg Nwadike GOC, regularly holds strategy meetings of the Party’s youths. The much applauded “Imo PDP Youth Football Championship 2020” is the creation of the Party through the State Youth Leader, Hon. Greg Nwadike GOC.
The PDP youths through their positive boisterous vivacity impact positively on the wider spectrum of Imo youths across party lines, leading by example and pursuing the good life.
The emergence of “Coalition of Imo Young Leaders” group led by Hon. Engr. Rex Okoro, Special Assistant to Governor Emeka Ihedioha on Youth Affairs, is very significant as they’re poised to chart a new course in the empowerment of Imo youths.
The current State Working Committee that’s led by Engr. Charles Ugwuh had its first election assignment in the December 5, 2020 bye-election in Imo North (Okigwe Zone) Senatorial District.
And PDP performed creditably well and won technically in spite of the gang up, with two Court disqualified aspirants, by assorted anti-people external and internal godfathers and godsons in Okigwe Zone, who garnered only 35,000 by hook and crook, as against the 31,000 real votes cast for PDP by the good people of Okigwe Zone.
As it is now, PDP daily looks better to be officially declared winner of the Okigwe Zone bye-election, which result has sadly lingered inconclusive for months after the bye-election. That’s good and earns the Engr. Ugwuh-led State Working Committee a well-deserved kudos and bravo!
It’s significant that the Party has successfully conducted its post-congress reconciliation programme and got aggrieved leaders on to the same page with the Party.
Peace and unity now reigns overtly in the Party, paving way for good progress of the Party and repeat in 2023 of the victory in the 2019 general elections.
It’s the sum of all the well-organized, reasonable, responsible, and democratic ways and manners that PDP in Imo State runs its activities that has encouraged reputable pundits to conclude that PDP is doing very well as the Shadow Government in the State.
And that’s very true considering that in critical sectors of the State, viz employment, education, skills acquisition training and empowerment, agriculture, healthcare, public utilities, physical infrastructure, youths and sports, women and gender affairs, special citizens, etcetera, PDP has played tremendous remarkable roles through its current elected lawmakers in whom the Party is well pleased.
They include Distinguished Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, Hon. Bede Eke, and Hon. Engr. Ikenna Elezianya, all in the Senate and House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In Imo State House of Assembly, the PDP elected lawmakers include Hon. Barr. Okey Onyekanma, Hon. Barr. Anyadike Nwosu, Hon. Barr. Frank Ugboma, Hon. Philip Ejiogu, Hon. Solomon Anukam, Hon. Toochukwu Okereke, and Hon. Pascal Okoli.
In their various ways and manners, these lawmakers have appropriately been delivering people-oriented constituency programmes and projects, thereby making good interventions in many areas that the clueless, inept and incompetent Uzodimma regime in the State is lacking and lagging.
Thus, it’s no wonder that PDP still dictates the pace of politics and politicking in the State. Imo people still see the good of the State and the people in the hands of PDP.
The magic has been traced to the observable provision by PDP of alternative good governance to the established bad governance of the illegitimate Uzodimma regime in the State.
Indeed, when assessed historically, the good conduct of PDP should be concluded as being in the character of PDP, its leaders, stakeholders and members.
Therefore, let nobody be deceived. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Imo State, Southeast zone, and entire Nigeria remain a PDP homestead. PDP loves Imo State and Nigeria, Imo people and Nigerians, just as Imo people and Nigerians have shown so much love and solidarity over the past 23 years when PDP emerged as a political party.
The love Imo people showed PDP with their massive votes in the 2019 general elections speaks volumes about the very cordial relationship that exists between the State, the people, and the Party. The Party will eternally remain ever thankful and grateful to Imo people!
And for that mutuality and cordiality between Imo State, Imo people, and Imo PDP, the Party steadily stands in defence and protection of the interest rights and overall welfare and well-being of Imo people. That’s PDP, the great Party, for you!
Nwadike is the Imo state PDP publicity secretary. He writes from Owerri
