2027 Guber AgitationsAvert chaos,invoke Doctrine of Necessity,hand over to Okigwe zone, Okenze Nkwoji tells Uzodinma■ Owerri zone should wait for 2031

A political analyst and newspaper publisher from Owerri geopolitical zone in Imo State, Okenze George Nkwoji, has implored Governor Hope Uzodinma to firmly put an end to what he called “cacophonous governorship agitations in the State” by invoking the Doctrine of Necessity and handing over to Okigwe zone as his successor. He also berated political leaders in Owerri geopolitical zone for the leadership crisis plaguing the zone, pointing out that the zone has a catalogue of leaders, but no leadership.

Okenze Nkwoji spoke at his Country Home at Ulakwo in Owerri North Local Government Area during a media chat with journalists over the weekend. It would be recalled that the Doctrine of Necessity was first introduced into Nigeria’s political lexicon in 2010 when former President Goodluck Jonathan was mandated by the National Assembly to mount the nation’s presidency following the death of late President Musa Yaradua while abroad.

According to Nkwoji, Governor Uzodinma “should end the noise” over which zone is rightfully positioned to succeed him in 2028 after the off-circle governorship election in 2027 by “adopting an Executive fiat which empowers him to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity.” He argued that “a little autocracy considering the circumstances surrounding the Imo State governorship aspiration for 2027 will help stabilize our democracy.”

“I studied politics and government. I strongly believe that when democracy graduates to a chaotic situation, applying a measure of autocracy must be infused to regulate the chaos for the sake of our democracy. Applying the Doctrine of Necessity has become both inevitable and desirable in the context of Imo governorship agitations – it will call Imolites to order. Going back to correcting the injustice of 2011 against Okigwe zone is where to begin. If we circumvent that procedure by 2027,there will be more chaos in our State. Okigwe zone was cheated in 2011 and still remains cheated to date. His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma is in a position to apply such Executive fiat and stabilize agitations – I bet you, everyone will be happy, and there will be sanity within the political space,” he asserted.

He recalled that in 2011,Owerri zone was in the league of those who truncated Okigwe zone’s second tenure,which invariably disrupted the equity flow in Imo State.”Let me tell you people, I don’t want to dwell on the fact that Owerri zone led the campaign that truncated Okigwe zone’s second tenure in 2011. Everybody knows what happened then. The issue now is the entrenchment of equity and natural justice – meaning enye ndiebe,enye ndiebe(give these people and also give these people). Okigwe zone through His Excellency, Dr Ikedi Ohakim should be allowed to complete their remaining tenure – that is equity, good conscience, and natural justice,” he stated.

Asked why he is advocating for Ohakim’s return instead of another Okigwe zone person, Okenze Nkwoji explained that “Ohakim was the person directly injured by the 2011 wicked conspiracy which Owerri zone participated in.” He further said that of all those angling for 2027,Ohakim is the most experienced and best situated for the position, has the capacity to sustain the incumbent governor’s legacies and has equity, fairness and justice on his side.” He opined that bringing another Okigwe zone person will infringe into Owerri zone’s turn by 2031. “Another person from Okigwe zone will like to go for two terms and that won’t augur well for us in Owerri zone. Constitutionally, Ohakim can never even stay beyond one more tenure no matter what happens – and I tell you people, Ohakim is the shortest route to Owerri zone’s governorship.”

Explaining why he asserted that Owerri zone only has a catalogue of leaders, but no structured leadership, Okenze Nkwoji argued that such a situation is one of the major problems Owerri zone inflicted on itself. He identified greed and quest to outshine and dominate one another by the multiple sociopolitical groups in the zone as some of the issues bedevilling Owerri zone. In his words, “There are catalogues of educated leaders heading selfish sociopolitical groups but without any defined leadership structure who could be a general rallying point for the zone. Everyone is his own captain, and two captains can not control one ship. Such is not the case with Orlu and Okigwe zones. In our zone, everybody wants to be in charge,yet nobody is in charge. Is that not a recipe for confusion and anti-progress? There is also greed, unnecessary quest for domination amongst us, and that is why we have multiplicity of sociopolitical groups – all prosecuting and pursuing self interests. Is that not pedestrian? There is also a lack of respect for one another in Owerri zone. In the midst of all these foibles, and every group wanting to produce the governor, Owerri zone ends up not only losing out but also making a caricature of itself,” he said.

As a way out of all these problems, Nkwoji advised political leaders in Owerri zone to collapse all the different sociopolitical groups into one group,align with Okigwe zone for 2027 and reorganize themselves ahead of 2031. “We in Owerri zone need to be politically prudent and sagacious by supporting Ohakim and Okigwe zone for 2027 – for just one term only. We need to embrace Okigwe zone, disband all these multiple groups, and then prepare for 2031 with just one group. We can wait. It is just four years and, may be,that would give us time for self reappraisal. But, if it is for 2027,we should forget it because we are not ready,” he reiterated.

He cautioned that if political leaders in Owerri zone fail to be politically prudent, restrategize and learn to speak with one voice, or refuse to align with Okigwe zone for 2027,they would have played into the hands of Orlu zone again. “Waiting for just four years is far better than waiting for eight or more years. Besides, the injustice done to Okigwe zone and its attendant demand for redress will continue unabated. Anything short of correcting the prevalent injustice against Okigwe zone is not equity – but rather an advocation that might is right, and in that case, Orlu might take it again,” he reiterated.