■Insists Okigwe zone deserves 2027 guber
An octogenarian and elder statesman, Prince Bob Njamanze, has strongly advised political leaders in Owerri geopolitical zone of Imo State, angling for the zone to succeed the incumbent governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma in 2027,to drop such “a joke.” He said that governorship position is not for jamboree,asserting that given the prevailing political equation, Owerri zone is not yet ripe for the position until the issue of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s 2011 truncated tenure is addressed in 2027.
Speaking in an exclusive chat, he said that : ” At 82,I don’t play politics, but must say the truth the way it is without minding whose ox is gored. I say truth to power. As an elder statesman,Imo’s overall interest ought to take precedence above personal or zonal irredentism. I have passion for whatever happens around me.” He said that the people of Owerri zone where himself hails from, should avoid mistakes of the past by aligning with Okigwe zone for Ohakim’s reelection in 2027, pointing out that “for me, the best way forward for our people of Owerri zone is Ohakim. But if we go about scrambling for it again, and the food pours away, we will live to regret it. “
According to the octogenarian, who is a Prince in the ancient Njamanze royal dynasty in Owerri Municipality, Owerri political leaders offended the people of Okigwe zone in 2011 when they ganged up against Ohakim and framed him up with the damaging allegation of beating a Catholic Reverend Father, which he averred, was “later discovered by Imo people as a pure lie and wicked deceit,but which many people had believed then only to find out that it was a well orchestrated blackmail after it had ruined Ohakim’s governorship during 2011 election.” He argued that Okigwe zone has been the victim in Imo’s political leadership, stressing that if Owerri zone political leaders gang up again and deny Okigwe zone the opportunity to complete their tenure in 2027, they may inadvertently be denying themselves that, which everyone of them has been looking forward to.
“I have looked inwards and said to myself, Ikedi Ohakim was denied his second tenure, by and large, by Owerri zone. If we have an understanding with Okigwe zone and bring him back to Office; firstly, we have compensated Okigwe zone. Secondly, there will be no way Ohakim will deny Owerri zone as his successor. Personally, I would have loved an Owerri zone person to succeed Senator Hope Uzodinma after his tenure, but then governorship is something serious and not a joke,” Njamanze stated. He maintained that it will be wrong for any Owerri zone person to think of engaging in political war with Ohakim who “in the present political circumstance in Imo State, is our best shot for 2027 governorship and I don’t see what will change this equation.”
“Let me tell you, God’s ways are not our ways. We think we are fighting Ohakim not knowing that we are undoing ourselves and not him.Ohakim is, for us,a comet.He may have been domiciled here for our Imo of tomorrow. So,the earlier we work and reason together,the better for us all,” he said.
On how uncomfortable some people in his Owerri geopolitical zone might feel about his stance on the 2027 Imo governorship, Prince Njamanze bluntly opined that “it is better for us to look at issues dispassionately,truthfully and devoid of zonal irredentism. This has been the bane of our political development. It is better for us from Owerri zone to pair up, merge,and have an understanding with our brothers from Okigwe zone. To be candid, I have no problem with political leaders in Owerri zone. Besides, inwardly, most of them know that Okigwe zone through Ohakim is our best and shortest route to Imo governorship seat. However, for obvious reasons, the majority of them might not be able to voice out their minds freely until the time is ripe.”
Commenting on the controversial Imo Charter of Equity, Prince Bob Njamanze described it as “a loose arrangement hurriedly packaged for political convenience before 2023 election.” He explained that he refrained from “descending heavily on the skewed nature of the Imo Charter of Equity document in order not to throw spanner in our governor’s second term reelection in November, 2023.” He however, reiterated that if the Charter is to be seamlessly domesticated, it must begin with Okigwe zone in 2027 in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice,reasserting that Ohakim remains the only successor to Uzodinma who will hit the ground running from day one. “I tell you, Ohakim is tested and will excel more than all those struggling to be governor in 2027. Ohakim has seen it,he has been with Imo people,and he knows what they are looking forward to,” Njamanze stressed.
