■Says calls for Ohakim’s return in order
Amidst growing agitations in Imo State over which geopolitical zone should produce Governor Hope Uzodinma’s successor, a professor of law and former Dean of Faculty of Law,Imo State University, Owerri, Prof Nnamdi Obiaraeri, has stated emphatically that “equity, natural justice and good conscience ” support Okigwe zone’s demand for the 2027 Imo governorship seat. He also pointed out that Owerri zone has no political or moral justification to aspire to govern Imo by 2027 without first addressing the injustice they meted out to former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Okigwe zone in 2011.
Prof Obiaraeri stated this in Owerri over the weekend. He argued that Ohakim performed excellently in his first tenure, “and was good to go but was short-changed and hounded out of office by Owerri zone political leaders and their allies. According to him,Owerri zone can’t truncate Okigwe zone’s turn and now turn around to talk of equity. Equity demands that they remediate the wrongs of 2011. Equity gives a supervising consideration consideration to an unjust situation. The unjust situation requires that Okigwe zone should take a shot at 2027 Imo governorship,based on equity, natural justice, and good conscience. It will certainly not be of good conscience to allow Okigwe zone to suffer deprivation again in 2027.”
The legal luminary in buttressing that Owerri zone was the main antagonist against Ohakim and Okigwe zone in 2011, pointed out that all the places re-run elections were held against Ohakim’s victory in 2011 were in Owerri zone. “If you look at Ohakim’s travails in 2011, where did he have re-run elections? Ngor Okpala, Mbaitoli, and Orji – all in Owerri zone. That wasn’t a coincidence. They had all the opportunity to make good Ohakim’s victory, but they sold out,” he explained.
Obiaraeri argued that the fairest way to resolve the issue so that power does not go back to Orlu zone in 2027 is to allow Okigwe zone to complete its remaining tenure. In his words, ” some people mistake this for angling for Ohakim’s return. And I ask,what is wrong with that? If he decides to come,it will be for just four years only.”
He averred that “of all the propaganda against Ohakim, nobody has ever said that he didn’t perform. Nobody has ever said that he was corrupt.” He posited that Ohakim’s return in 2027 if he chooses to contest will not be the first time it will be happening in Nigeria.”Rabiu kwankwaso did it in Kano, Ayo Fayose, and Kayode Fayemi did in Ekiti State. Such return usually affords the opportunity to correct any observed error in the past. All these former governors who returned performed excellently just as our governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma is doing in our State presently in his second tenure,” he said.
Prof Obiaraeri regretted that for the past 16 years in Imo State, Executive power has eluded Okigwe zone, stressing that if Okigwe zone is again denied the governorship in 2027,it will make it 24 years with eight additional years. “Many Deputy Governors have come from Owerri zone. If governorship goes to Orlu zone, Owerri zone becomes Deputy. If it goes to Owerri, Orlu zone becomes Deputy. Okigwe is nowhere. By computation of time, in the last 16 years, no Okigwe zone person has been either governor or deputy governor. The speakership position is just legislative power and nothing more. We are tired of it,” he stated. He added that “between 1999 to date, Okigwe zone has produced only two federal ministers – Engr Charles Ugwuh and Barr Emeka Nwajiuba. No federal board chairman. No ambassador. This is in sharp contrast to Owerri zone. Our case is really pathetic, has negative implications,and amplifies our marginalisation. We are appealing to Imo people to reason with us,” he said.
Prof Obiaraeri further stated that all federal infrastructure and over 80% development projects of the State government are located in Owerri zone,adding that Okigwe zone also gave Governor Uzodinma the second highest vote after Orlu zone in the 2023 governorship election, a criterion, he pointed out, was a condition precedent set for any zone that would succeed the incumbent governor. He explained that these accounted for why Chief Tony Chukwu demanded State capital in exchange for ceding 2027 governorship to Owerri zone. “It is wrong and unjust for Owerri zone to hold everything very tight and still clamour for 2027 governorship,” he asserted.
He implored Owerri zone political leaders to see 2027 as a survival race, and as such,should embrace Okigwe zone to avert Orlu zone’s incursion, which he said, also has constitutional right to contest, adding that Orlu zone is a big factor in Imo politics. He reminded them that having truncated Okigwe zone’s second tenure in 2011,it would be unfair,unjust, and against natural justice for Owerri zone to take 2027 after what they did Okigwe zone. I expect them to say Okigwe zone take 2027 and let bygones be bygones so that we can move forward. I am sure our brothers in Orlu zone will be happy that Owerri and Okigwe zones have come together,”
Prof Obiaraeri, however, cautioned people he described as having “rough mentality” about zoning to be careful to avoid shooting themselves on the foot politically again. “If Owerri zone does not agree to this framework, it will be a free-for-all contest, and they can not stop Orlu zone. They should be careful,” he reiterated.
