A leading socio-political group in Owerri Zone, Owerri Zone Awareness Coalition (OZAC), has said that it has uncovered plot by some influential persons in Okigwe and Orlu zones within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State to deny Owerri zone the governorship seat in 2027.
In a statement signed by Raymond Nkemdirim, Publicity Secretary of the group and made available to INNONEWS, it claimed that the plotters are perfecting plans to ensure that Owerri zone does not produce the next governor of Imo State after the expiration of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s tenure.
“We are aware of the sinister moves by some powerful individuals in Orlu and Okigwe zones working together to ensure Owerri zone does not get the governorship seat in 2027.”
“Already, they have outlined several plans with various time frames to carry out their plots in phases with sole objective of demarketing Owerri zone guber agitation
“We are also in the know that in the coming weeks and months, there will be intense media attack against Owerri zone guber bid as part of phased plans to undermine the realization of an Imo governor of Owerri zone extraction in 2027.
“The aim is to drown the agitation of the zone and spew gibberish on the social media against some prominent sons of the zone whom they consider will be formidable contenders for Imo governorship in 2027
“At the moment, there is ongoing underground moves by these powerful individuals to woo more gullible persons in Owerri zone to sustain the narrative that the zone does not deserve the governorship of the State in 2027”
“Another plot, in series of plots, is to increase negative narratives in the media against the Imo Charter of Equity.
“This is intended to make the Charter look like a worthless document in the public domain without legal bite and undeserving to be a working tool to choose the next governor of the State in 2027”
“One billionaire from Okigwe zone is being wooed to fund the anti Owerri zone project and support a desperate governorship hopeful from Okigwe zone.
“A popular industrialist from Orlu zone is also being lobbied to galvanize prominent individuals and several groups to put pressure on Governor Uzodimma not to limit his choice sucessor from Owerri zone alone.
“Another top APC chieftain and a former governorship hopeful from Orlu zone has recruited his allies in Owerri zone to continuously speak against the Owerri zone guber project through various public engagements.
“A group of APC chieftains close to the corridors of Power in the State from Orlu Zone are averse to the Owerri zone guber project, and they are unrelenting in their quest for the Charter of Equity to be discarded, or not to be used as a yardstick to select Uzodimma’s sucessor.
“However, OZAC is unperturbed over this emerging development because we do understand that in politics, and in the game of succession, there are underhand practices and plethora of conspiracies.
“We will declare a Hall of Shame for all those willing tools from Owerri Zone who are partners of these external forces working against Owerri zone guber bid.
“OZAC and other well meaning groups championing the Owerri zone guber quest will not be intimidated by these vicious plots into abandoning our collective resolve for an Owerri zone governor in 2027.”
“We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to actualize this noble task”part of the statement read.
The group however “urged all stakeholders in the state to support the quest for power shift to Owerri zone in 2027 on the basis that the zone has been the weeping child of the Imo political family fo decades”
“Owerri zone is over due for Imo governorship. We have supported other zones to produce governors of the State, yet we are been subjected to political annihilation and marginalization.
“Since 1979, we had the first democratic experiment in Nigeria and in Imo State, Owerri zone had produced two governors, Evan Enwerem of blessed memory and Emeka Ihedioha, who collectively spent 29 months in office.
“Okigwe zone produced Late Dee Sam Mbakwe and Ikedi Ohakim. They collectively spent 8 years in office, while Orlu zone, from Achike Udenwa, Rochas Okorocha to Senator Hope Uzodimma are heading to 24 years on the saddle” the statement concluded.