The result of the last Delegate Congress and Election in all the LGAs is a determinant of the Guber Primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for this later part of the year hence the bitter struggle by the more than one dozen aspirants to outsmart each other. Especially so whosoever installs the highest number of delegates, such a lucky Governorship Aspirant is certain of having the governorship Primary Election in his favour.
It was for this reason that reports trailing that exercise which held on Saturday November 1, 2014, in all the Local Government Areas were characterized with chaos, confusion and irregularities. Some stalwarts narrowly escaped lynching. Some had engaged in physical combats while others were marred by high profile intrigues. Prior to the exercise, high profile Senator Ifeanyi Araraume had been assured of a walk-over with his men at the State Party Headquarters which include the Party Secretary, Sir George Egu and the Organising Secretary both of who put things in motion to ensure that he gains an upper hand in the expected results.
The trio had allegedly almost succeeded in rigging the exercise in favour of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume when information from Mrs. Rubby Emele, former Association Chairman of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON) in Ohakim’s regime, signaled Chief Ohakim who was already on his way to Owerri forcing him to rush back to foil the nearly concluded plans.
However, Chief Ohakim, backed by one of the notable Senators in the party, prevented the two state officers from carrying out their deal, rather a harmonization exercise which carried more of Ohakim’s men was adopted and the list eventually approved. Instead of the earlier arranged result of the congress, the harmonized list which favoured Ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim was adopted and forwarded to Abuja which according to our source has as at press time endorsed and adopted same as the authentic delegate list in favour of Ikedi Ohakim.
This new development did not go down well with Ex-Governor Achike Udenwa, who unconfirmed sources alleged had an eye on the Senate seat with an executive nod from his former collegue of ex-PDP governors and the current National Chairman Alhaji Adamu Muazu. In other not to lose out completely sources close to Orlu indicates that since this new shift, Chief Udenwa has gone all out to ensure that his crony and strongman of his regime in Imo, Eze Mayor Chukwudi Eze gets a shot at the National Assembly. He is alleged to be working strenuously to ensure he succeeds, for wherever Mayor Eze, is there is Udenwa.
For Emeka Ihedioha, his colleagues at the House of Representatives and the Presidency seem to have lost confidence in him as a result of his recent role in the imbroglio that is rocking the National Assembly where he was accused by the House Majority Leader Mrs. Adeola Akande, to have conspired with the defected Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to adjourn the House sitting sine-die thus, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty as to where he belongs. It stated that the Presidency is no longer comfortable with the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha but rather favours the association of the former governor whose loyalty has been tested before.
At the time of this report, Senator Araraume and Chief Bethel Amadi have relocated to Abuja where they intend to use their old allies and godfathers to upturn the table before the primaries proper. While Chief Ohakim is at home criss-crossing the state boasting and bragging on how he would unseat the Senior Advocate of the Masses, Chief Rochas Okorocha, to regain his kingdom inspite of his dwindled popularity in the state.
It was learnt also that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha realizing that once he dominates the delegates list with his cronies, it will be near impossible for anyone including the Presidency to alter it, did everything humanly possible to hijack the list. He was accused of diverting the flight which brought the National Officers coming from Abuja to Calabar where they were induced to perfect the list in his favour. He had earlier through one Clement Nwaigwe diverted the delegate election of Ngor Okpala LGA where in collaboration with Chief Emma Nwogu, Hon. Kizito Onuoha, they doctored the list before the trio of Prof. Jude Njoku, Prince Henry Ekpe and Col. Lambert Iheanacho accosted them and nearly brutalized them before Ihedioha’s security details intervened.
According to Chief Henry Ekpe who fronts for Ikedi Ohakim, the said Clement Nwaigwe purporting as Ngor Okpala LGA Chairman which post he was nominated by Prof. Jude Njoku, had submitted a list of delegates without any of Prof. Jude Njoku’s supporters in exchange for the several Millions of Naira offered him for the exercise by Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. A source close to Senator Ifeanyi Araraume is bitter with Hon. Mrs. Rubi Emele for invading the PDP State Secretariat to expose the attempt by Araraume’s men to endorse his preferred list. She was accused of desecrating the widowhood since it is not yet a month since she buried her husband and started junketing from one political meeting to the other as if she does not want the soul of her husband to rest in peace.
No wonder Owelle Rochas Okorocha who was a victim of the high handedness unleashed by Ikedi Ohakim which resulted to the emergence of Rubi Emele as candidate in the council election of 2009 has since becoming the Governor of Imo State discarded the pack of handpicked PDP candidates elected as council Chairmen. Not even their resorts to a legal fireworks could save the situation hence Mrs Rubi Emele’s desperate Political moves to stage a comeback with Ohakim.
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Courtesy: Community Watchdog Newspaper
