The political romance that has been in force since late 2019 between the camps of Senator Hope Uzodinma, the governor of Imo state and his gubernatorial predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, who at present represents Imo west in the National Assembly appears to have come to a premature end.
Former Governor Rochas Okorocha
Their political friendship began after the two heavyweights saw a need to jointly fight Chief Emeka Ihedioha, the immediate past Governor, who was removed by the Supreme court on 14th January after just 6 months in office, came to an end as a result of accusation of sidelining of Okorocha’s supporters by Uzodinma from the scheme of things in the state.
This Is The Timeline On The Relationship Between Okorocha And Uzodinma.
Prior to the 2015 General election, there existed political rivalry between Okorocha and Uzodinma and the rivalry was fierce.
Okorocha, who as at that time was the governor of Imo state and running for second term in office, deployed all apparatchik of Imo state to throw his weight behind Senator Osita Izunazo of All Progressive Congress (APC) in order to stop Uzodinma, who as at then was the senator representing Imo West senatorial district (Orlu zone) and Peoples Democratic Party candidate at the 2015 Senatorial election from winning a second term.
Similarly, Uzodinma stood behind Ihedioha, the PDP’s 2015 gubernatorial candidate, in order to ensure that Okorocha loses his second term gubernatorial bid. But after the 2015 election, both political heavyweights failed to stop each other from winning their respective elections as they both won their respective election.
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In 2018 when political heavyweights were preparing for the 2019 poll, Okorocha anointed Chief Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, his son in-law and chief of staff, as his preferred successor and began preparations to see to his victory at the APC gubernatorial primary. Sen Uzodinma on the other hand defected to the APC and joined an a faction of the the party that was opposed to Chief Okorocha’s bid to install his son in-law as successor.
At the APC primary, Uzodinma emerged gubernatorial candidate of the anti Okorocha faction and was fielded by the national leadership of the party. However, Okorocha refused to acknowledge Uzodinma as APC candidate but vowed that Uzodinma will never enjoy his support to be governor.
He funded Nwosu, his son in-law to defect to Action Alliance, where he (Nwosu) emerged the (AA) gubernatorial candidate. Meanwhile, Okorocha remained in the APC and was the party’s senatorial candidate for Imo west district.
At the end of the 2019 gubernatorial shenanigans, both Nwosu, the preferred successor of Okorocha and Uzodinma lost to Ihedioha, the candidate of the PDP.
While Ihedioha came first, Nwosu emerged first runner-up, while Uzodinma came 4th behind Ararume of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA. But Okorocha was successful in his own bid to succeed senator Uzodinma as Senator representing Imo west.
After 2019 Poll: The Alliance Between Uzodinma, Okorocha/Nwosu And Ararume
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After the 2019 election, Ihedioha was sworn in as governor, while the trio of Chief Ugwumba Uche Nwosu (AA), Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (APGA) and Senator Hope Uzodinma (APC) approached the Imo state election petition tribunal with each claiming they won the election.
While they were at it, Ihedioha’s government was already launching offensive at Okorocha and his political dynasty; to the extent that Okorocha was declared wanted by Ihedioha’s government.
While Ihedioha government was ‘fighting’ Okorocha’s dynasty, he was still putting up legal defence against his gubernatorial challengers. Fortunately for him, he won all his challengers at the tribunal and further defeated them at the appellate court; but his challengers took the battle to the Supreme court for final showdown.
In addition to Ihedioha’s judicial victory at the lower courts, his major challenger and Okorocha son in-law, Nwosu was disqualified by the Supreme court from participating in the gubernatorial election through a different case brought against him by a faction of Action Alliance (the platform under which he sought election); the faction claimed that he (Nwosu) was not validly nominated as their party’s candidate.
The Supreme court agreed with the faction that Nwosu was still a member and validly nominated candidate of APC while still standing as AA candidate, and held that his double candidacy is a contravention to both the provisions of the Nigeria constitution and Electoral Act, and disqualified him on that basis.
Days leading to the Jan 14th that the Supreme court had fixed to hear the respective appeals of Okorocha son in-law and candidate of Action Alliance, Nwosu; Ararume the candidate of APGA; and Uzodinma of APC, against the victory of Ihedioha of PDP, all the three challengers entered into collective partnership to work for the interest of each other to unseat Ihedioha, who was seen as their “common political enemy”. That alliance marked the first time that Okorocha and Uzodinma will be on the same page in politics.
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On January 14th, the Supreme court in a unanimous decision upheld the prayer of Uzodinma of APC, invalidated the victory of Ihedioha and declared Senator Uzodinma as validly elected governor of Imo state.
In order to ensure that Uzodinma victory wasn’t jeopardized, both Nwosu, the son in-law of Okorocha, and Ararume of APGA withdrew their appeal right there at the chamber of the Apex Court.
The next day, Okorocha and Uzodinma were captured in a video exchanging friendly banters, while Adams Oshiomole, the national chairman of APC was consumed with happiness. In addition to these, Okorocha’s structure in both AA and APC collapsed with that of Uzodinma, while Ararume led his structure in APGA into APC.
Beginning Of The End of Political Romance…
Signs that the political romance between the camps of Okorocha and Uzodinma became visible when at the first appointment made by Uzodinma, he was accused by loyalists of Okorocha to appoint only his men and sidelined them.
As if that wasn’t enough, Uzodinma dashed the hope of the 21 local government chairmen of Imo state when he nominated and appointed his loyalists to run local government administration in Imo state as Chairmen of local government Interim Management Committee.
The council chairman who belong to the camp of Okorocha and Nwosu and elected in August 2018, were suspended on May 29, by government of Ihedioha. They maintained that Uzodinma has betrayed Okorocha and breached existing peace path by appointing IMC chairmen when the life of their tenure still subsists. They have petitioned the leadership of APC and declared showdown with the Governor.
Read Also: Uche Nwosu Lauds Supreme Court Over Imo Judgement
On the other hand, the camp of Ararume has been accusing Uzodinma of deliberately working against the senatorial interest of Ararume in the forthcoming by election of Imo north senatorial district (Okigwe zone).
Ararume camp fingered the Governor as brain behind the recent defection of Senator Athan Achonu aka One Arm General from PDP into APC in order to have him run for the senatorial by-election against their principal.
Conclusively, all is not well within the Imo state chapter of All Progressive Congress as a full political fallout is inevitable except something is done as soon as possible.
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