*BY RALPH EJIMKONYE*
The March 3, 2019 governorship and State Assembly elections is around the corner. Imo State is one of the States adjudged to be a “flashpoint” considering the intensity and ferocity of the governorship contest as displayed by the candidates.The contest can be said to be a seven horse race considering ongoing political permutations, changing political dynamics and increasing determination of the contenders to succeed.
Political pundits argue that the guber contest will be fierce as about 64 governorship candidates- the highest in the country- will file out to be voted for by a sophisticated and well informed Imo electorate.
The battle of wits had been limited to four candidates namely Senator Hope Uzodinma (APC), Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Arararume (APGA) and Uche Nwosu (AA) but such narrative is changing in a State political variables play out at will which makes nonsense of political forecasts and predictions.
In recent times, three governorship candidates and their political parties have sent clear signals that they are not in the race to add up to the numbers. They are candidates of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Okey Ezeh, United Progressive Party, UPP, Tony Nwulu and Accord Party, Ikedi Ohakim.
ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS,APC, SENATOR HOPE UZODINMA
The APC is the ruling party in the State with appreciable presence in all the 305 wards in the State. It’s membership remain impressive, constant and ready to go. Despite the internal war in the party between the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the APC in Imo State remain the party to beat.
Governor Okorocha who is in APC is backing his son in law, Uche Nwosu who lost the governorship ticket to Uzodinma and defected to the Action Alliance, AA. However Senator Uzodinma is no political pushover having won Orlu Senatorial seat twice and has retained impressive army of supporters across the State. He has shown remarkable determination reminiscent of a soldier to succeed despite the banana peels in his party.
His party- the APC remains the party to beat in the State having shown signs of overcoming its challenges. How his ongoing cat and mouse relationship with Okorocha turns out may not stop his rampaging moves as he (Uzodinma) has shown a burning passion to succeed.
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PDP, EMEKA IHEDIOHA
The PDP is bent on taking over Douglas House come March 3.The party has a rejuvenated active and functional structures down to the ward levels as party faithful and members remain hopeful that its chances at the polls is bright. The PDP is not new in the game of political power in the State and is poised this time to get it right.
The party’s governorship candidate, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha has shown a relentless and untiring determination to succeed this time after his first attempt failed in 2015.The factor of zoning counts in his favour since his Owerri zone has been marginalised from the power alchemy of the State for over a decade.
Having permeated the grassroots, the party and its governorship candidate have sent strong signals of its readiness for the titanic guber contest. Losing the contest in 2019 may be a bitter pill to swallow after losing the State seat of power more than 10 years ago.
*ACTION ALLIANCE, UCHE NWOSU*
This is Uche Nwosu’s political abode after he lost the APC governorship ticket to Hope Uzodinma. With Nwosu’s presence, the AA has grown in leaps and bounds in the State and has announced its resolve not be a push over during the guber election.
The party has penetrated the nooks and crannies of the State courtesy of its aggressive campaigns by Nwosu and his followers. It has become a major contender in the race considering the impressive reach out of its governorship candidate and his followers. Nwosu has sent clear signals that despite the odds, he is in the race to win and not to make up the numbers.
Up against a resolute opposition, Nwosu and his AA cannot be said to be a push over as the polls draws near just as he has announced his resolve to work for the people of the State if elected.
ALL PROGRESSIVE GRAND ALLIANCE,APGA,SENATOR IFEANYI ARARAUME
The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA in Imo State seem to have overcome its post primary crisis that almost tore it to shreds.Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, the party’s governorship candidate is an old political war horse who is making a fourth attempt at the contest.
He posses so much experience with an amazing financial power to make an impact at the polls. He vows he will recover Imo State if elected. He has revived APGA to re- emerge as a solid political machine battle ready to take on other contenders at the guber polls. APGA has penetrated every hamlet in the State and has shown a fierce determination to retake Douglas House, Owerri in 2019.
However, Araraume and APGA is up against stubborn opposition from other contenders and political parties in the contest.
*UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY, UPP, TONY NWULU*
The United Progressive Party, UPP is also showing some encouraging signs to make a headway at the polls. The party placed fifth in the 2015 governorship election. It now looks determined to improve this time around.
The party’s governorship candidate, Tony Nwulu, is making his debut in the contest but has succeeded in effectively gluing his ambition to a good majority of Imo Youths who constitute a big chunk of the voting population in the State.
Nwulu and the UPP is showing strong signs and has convinced many that he can pull the strings to connect Imo State to the global community through his alliances with Asian tigers such as China and Taiwan.At the moment, the UPP has considerably moved into the hinterlands and has leapfrogged from being one of those parties that just take part in elections to a contender that cannot be ignored.
*SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SDP, OKEY EZEH*
Before the entrance of Okey Ezeh into the Social Democratic Party, SDP in Imo State, the party was seldom known.
But in the last one month, Ezeh and his SDP has grown to be a party to reckon with and now stand a chance at the polls.
Ezeh, the party’s governorship candidate has shown sparks as an intellectual power house who posses the solution to my raid problems bedeviling the State. Analysts contend that Ezeh’s recent political forays should not not be ignored. His SDP is now visible in almost all parts of the State and its grassroots mobilization is paying off rapidly.
*ACCORD PARTY, IKEDI OHAKIM*
The Former Imo State Governor is driving his ambition with the Accord party which in recent times is gaining some foothold in the State.The party’s structures have been energized as Ohakim leverages on his one term tenure as Imo State Governor to stage a come back.
He is pursuing his ambition on the basis that he is the “mechanic” that has come to fix Imo State and posses the relevant experience to make Imo work again. His Accord party is not new in the political turf of the State but whether it will convey the former Governor to his political destination cannot be deciphered.
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