As the race for 2019 general elections races closer with speed, some aspirants with different political aspirations have started getting ready. Although, PDP which is the major opposition party in the Country and in Imo stateĀ is still intractably engrossed in intra party leadership warfare with Markarfi and Sheriff together with their teaming supporters getting soaked in their political blood like the proverbial dog and Babbon (Apology to Buhari).
However, the interesting thing about the 2019 election particularly in I mo state is that the eventual outcome of that election cannot be predicted as we talk. I think for the very first time since the start of the present democratic outing, the state is mostly likely going to have about four major political parties with almost equal strength contesting the forth-coming 2019Ā election.Ā Again, both APCĀ and PDP including APGA all have their fair share of crisis within their fold
In APC which is the ruling party presently in the state, the party can best be described as a disaster waiting to happen. Although, the party has the advantage of being in power but that advantage is almost turning to a big albatross for the party. The leader of the party and Governor of Imo state Rochas Okorocha is gradually but systematically deeming the chances of the party as he has so much pushed everybody that is anybody in the party out of reckoning. He has now become the generalissimo of APC in Imo state. There appears to be a deep rooted anger and bitterness amongst the party elites and party officers over what many saw as a sole administrator- like management of the party in the state by the Governor.
The Governor does not call meeting of leaders of the party neither does he allows the party executives from ward to state level free hand to operate. In fact, he is said to be a man who does not believe in the party or rather who believes that he is synonymous with the party. He has succeeded in instilling fear and sheepish obeisanceĀ in the minds of Hillary Eke led state working Committee with many of them now having divided loyalty to him and to other leaders of the party like Senators Araraume and Izunaso.
The Governor has been working at a cross road with many of the elites and he has also openly shown his disdain towards the alleged Gubernatorial ambition of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume who is no doubt a strong force in the party and in return Sen Araraume is getting ready to show the governor a bit of his real and characteristic self in the primary of the party and of course, he is not alone as he has so many elites and party faithful who have lined up behind him preparatory for the battle roayale.
Okorocha is rumored to be nursing the ambition of foisting his son-in- lawĀ as the likely APC flag bearer, an ambition that other elites have vowed to resist at all cost.
So, all these make APC a part that is sitting precariously on a keg of inflammable gun powder as the party stands the chance of dividing among itself thereby weakening their base.
As for PDP, the party is currently in a make or mar battle. The party appears to be on a mission to the land of the spirits with each warring groups blocking their ears to the beating from the drums of the sprits warning them of an impending death that awaits them if they donāt take precaution.
The division in the party is a major obstacle towards their desire to reclaim the Imo seat of power. Leaders are so much sharply divided as much as their followers with the party parading so many camps. Beneath the crisis bedeviling the party is 2019 political interest of some leaders and egocentrism. Curiously, the crisis has defiled all the known and unknown, orthodox and unorthodox , conventional and unconstitutional methods adopted towards solving it by many people.
This has left the party smelting in bitter rivalry to the point that the future of the party is patently cloudy and unclear. As the 2019 election is approaching, if care is not taken PDP, a once darling party of Nigerians will be a ghost of itself. Unfortunately, there are still people, out of their skewed and selfish interest and nonsensical ego who still want to push the party into repeating the 2015 mistake without bordering to ask if the factors that made the party to lose in 2015 has been changed on not. It is only a foolish Couch that will go to a match with the same players that lost the first match.
Outside the crisis in PDP, I think with the obvious failure of the APC, many people still look up to the party for a remedy to the present anomaly particularly in Imo state. At the appropriate time, we will come out and tell the party the kind of Guber Candidate that the party needs in the prosecution of the election in 2019.
Now as for APGA, the party is struggling to rediscover itself in the mists of bitter leadership rivalry within the party. No doubt, the party has Igbo appeal and will soon receive prominent Igbo sons and daughters including a former Governor in their fold, many of whom are those who have been disenchanted with the present state of affairs in both PDP and APC. And when that happens, the party will wear an attractive look before 2019 elections and could pose a surprise in the election.
But as it is presently constituted, APGA as a party is at best a glorified village union with little or no life in it. But by and large the party can still come up and become a party to beat in 2019.
I do not want to dwell so much on the much talked about mega party with the name ADP. For me, there is nothing mega in a party that is yet to take off or that is yet to secure its registration.Ā Ā Clearly, the only hope and prayer of the so called mega party is for the crisis in PDP and APC to fester and never to be resolved amicably so that the aggrieved group could join the mega party when registered. I am yet to see any state Governor or prominent leader that has openly identified with the so called mega party unlike during the formative years of APC when Governors, former ministers and prominent individuals openly come out to be counted as being behind the party. You donāt form a political party by hiding your identity and you call that mega. What is mega in a party that has no mega people in it?
Anyway, if the mega party eventually comes on stream, it will be a salutary development in our political and democratic journey in the country and in the state.
In all, 2019 election could go in the way of any political party since all the parties have injuries inflicted on their body by themselves. They have things working for and against them. So let the scheming starts now.
It is at this point that I shall pause. Until next week when we meet again, please be reminded that we are still Apostles of Truth. Truth is our only basement and we profess it uncontaminated and it is only the same Truth that will continue to set us free.
Truthfully Yours, Nwamkpa Modestus.
