Human beings survive to succeed in life endeavours. The success also, can be aborted, if the individual or group who survived cannot follow up the success due to fatal mistake or miscalculations that bother largely on misplacement of priorities.
This piece of advice culled from human philosophy has a lot to tell in the life and death of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the ruling political party in Imo State. Undoubtedly, the APC has survived the hurdle of existence as a political party that won the government of Nigeria both at the centre and inmost states.
The governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is indeed, one of the pioneer fathers of the party in Nigeria, as such warrants that the party needs to survive in the state.
As a party, the only one controlling government of one of the South Eastern States, Imo State, under the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha it needs no prophet to tell it how best to move forward in a succession plan ahead of post-2019 period elections in Imo State. The APC therefore, needs not to make any fatal mistake of misplaced priority, because, Prince Eze Madumere, the Deputy Governor of Imo State under the APC-Rescue Mission Government is readily available with the cognate experience.
Political analysts in Imo State have on several for a in the mass media, opined that the APC can only succeed in 2019 and beyond, if the humble deputy governor, Madumere is fielded for the governorship seat. This is a welcome idea, in that, the governor, Okorocha prefers a perfect successor, one who can do more achievements than himself in the same spirit to Rescue Imo People.
However, with the preparations by other political parties wishing to takeover government of the state in the anticipated 2019 general elections, the APC is also, expected to begin its homework now to out-smart these other parties including the trouble-soaked PDP, which seeks, at all cost, the position of Imo State Governor, since it lost to Gov. Okorocha in 2011.
In fact, 2019 election proves to be a defining moment in the history of Imo APC, even though, the party is a baby one in Imo State. The most important point to note in this regard is that Prince Eze Madumere has been with his boss, Governor, Okorocha. This also, explains that, for the APC to succeed, Prince Madumere is the solution to the 2019 confrontation.
Giving the state deputy governor the party ticket in 2019 to contest for the governorship should not be seen as a secret thing, because, there is no other means of the APC victory outside him, when finally his boss, Gov. Okorocha bows out of power in the year in 2019.
It is true that in politics there are lots of tricks. The three (3) zones in Imo State, Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe should note that, the survival of the APC is limited without a succession plan that is workable.
Also, considering the agitation that, Owerri zone has not in any form, produced governor of Imo State, since inception of democracy in Nigeria. Prince Madumere, with his wealth of experience, has yet another advantage of taking the lead in the post-2019 democratic dispensation, coming from Owerri zonal extraction.
All this does not mean that, the ticket should be given to Madumere on a platter, rather, the deputy governor is expected in his own way to ensure that, the party remains in focus. The cordial relationship between him and the governor, should transcend even beyond 2019, as part of efforts making sure that the APC get to rooted in the state, and by extension, the South east geopolitical zone.
To whom much task is given, much is also, expected of Prince Madumere, unlike any other deputy governor in the South east region. This is obvious because, the battle of 2019 still requires the mass popularity which Owelle Rochas Okorocha commands. Therefore, to allay the fear that, Orlu zone where the governor comes from, many rear heads again in 2019, the governor, Okorocha has some fatherly role to play, and of course, discourage the Orlu dominance in the race from any political party.
Like the biblical Moses and Joshua, Governor Okorocha’s continued encouragement of Prince Madumere’s ingenuity must see to the succees of the APC in 2019, unless this is proved otherwise. Therefore, the tasks ahead of Prince Madumere in the survival of the APC is to create room for a perfect succession plan.
The party’s framework and mindset should only focus on the need to present an able hand or one who knows the great ideologies of the governor, in whose wisdom the APC was adopted as party for the liberation of Imo State and ‘Ndi Igbo’ from the clogs of misrule. Prince Madumere, has no doubt, played a key role in the APC administration in Imo State. Understanding fully well that the APC is new in Imo State, perhaps, because the people have not fully accepted it, owing to the current economic war by the APC government at the centre, under President Muhammadu Buhari. The party is to ensure that, as a baby-one, it avoids unnecessary bickering in its leadership, as everything is expected to go by consensus.
Above all, giving Madumere the APC mantle for the governorship seat in Imo State in the 2019 election is the best thing to happen for the best interest of people of the state. The people have said that, they are going to allow for the first time a deputy governor to be elected governor, due to proven integrity, character and support to the governor.
Even though the APC government in Imo State inherited the dreaded economic down turn currently ravaging her citizenry, we should also, not forget that, the economic hardship facing the state will not last forever, we should as well, note that, the succession plan that existed between former USA President, Richard Nixon and his deputy, Gerald Ford yielded more of positive fruits to the socio-economic and political strength of country. Madumere’s succeeding a Gov. Okorocha in 2019 is the only way out of the planned onslaught by the PDP and other parties in the 2019 general elections.
