Goddy Esom Obodo
Reasons have been adduced as to why the All Progressives Congress (APC) which was hither-to popular in Ohaji/ Egbema LGA eventually lost woefully to the PDP. Aggrieved party member who were sulking over their hose had surged into Government House Owerri, on Tuesday, 28 April to bemoan their fate.
Angered that they have being denied the opportunity of been part of the main stream politics in Imo State whereby PDP won both the House of Assembly seat and that of the Ohaji, Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency, the people of the area complained bitterly that it was a miscalculation on the part of the Governor and the party leadership to allow PDP steal their victory. While agitating for a better deal next time, the people regretted that rather than endorsing the former Mayor of Orlu and prince of the oil kingdom Dr. Goddy. Esom Obodo as Candidate of APC, the Government had preferred the Deputy speaker, Pharmacist Donatus Ozoemena, who was very unpopular, hence the defeat of APC at the polls. They also claimed that it was a political suicide for APC to have nominated Ozoemena who hails from the same Oru west LGA as Senator Osita Izunaso, who was running for the senate of Orlu zone at the same time. How on earth does the Governor think that such an arrangement which was obviously aimed at short changing Ohaji Egbema LGA, will work? they asked. They therefore accused the party and the Governor of deliberately denying the people of Ohaji, Egbema APC of an opportunity to enjoy effective representation at the Federal House of Representatives. They equally accused pharmacist Donatus Ozoemena of not wishing the party well for having positioned for his eventual defeat, if not why would he be allowed to appropriate the ticket of APC using his closeness to power and intimidation as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, to coerce the APC leadership into submissiveness.
The agitating people of Ohaji/ Egbema who were sighted at Government House, Owerri, on Tuesday April 28, 2015 while grumbling over the irreparable loss, complained that even when Oguta LGA through Gerald Irona and Nwauwa while Oru West LGA had through Osita Izunaso have previously represented the federal constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, the most reasonable thing to do is to pick a candidate from Ohaji/ Egbema LGA, preferably Dr Goddy Esom Obodo to counter the intimitading anger Goodluck Opiah of the PDP. They counseled that there is no way the LGA will ignore a party that gave the ticket to one of their own prominent sons even though of an unpopular pantry contention that Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has by so doing taken them backward from where they were placed when Ohaji/Egbema produced the speaker of the house of assembly and number 3 citizen of Imo state, in the person of Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah.
