Minus the fact that the newest group of advocates in Owerri zone over the almighty 2027 – the Owerri Zone Progressives Forum (OZOPROF)– sounds like a mimickery of an existing one, (OZOPOLF), it comes with a different, indeed, more refreshing, message. Members of the group, this time around, are saying that concerning 2027, their kinsmen should chill, to allow Okigwe zone go for another four-year term – talking about the office of the governor of Imo state – in order to allow justice and equity reign.
This thinking is not new but it is the first time it is taking the dimension of group advocacy, with an appellation that almost eclipses that of the older and more well-known OZOPOLF, one of the over five groups in the zone that are insisting that it must produce the next governor of the state.
Before now, the view that Okigwe zone should be allowed to do another four years between 2027 and 2031 was being championed by a few prominent individuals in Owerri zone, but who were receiving a lot of abuses from their own kinsmen on the other side of the divide. Incidentally, it was in the process of defending one of these vocal indigenes of Owerri zone – Prince Bob Njemanze – that OZOPROF was born. Njemanze had, in an interview on national television a couple of weeks ago, restated his well-known position that for the much talked about equity to reign in Imo state, Okigwe zone should be allowed to produce the successor to Governor Hope Uzodimma. Even though Prince Njemanze had long been known for this position, as already stated, that particular outing smoked out some his die-hard critics who not only sponsored diatribe against him but also came out openly to attack the Owere Nchise Prince.
Of course, Prince Njemanze, being a thick-skinned pundit who stands steadfastly on a position no matter whose ox is gored, couldn’t care less. But the consequential emergence of OZOPROF has now brought the entire matter to a more open and robust debate. OZOPROF’s intervention has brought to the fore things hitherto not known about a section of Owerri zone that has been laying claims to be champions of the so-called struggle.
For example, it is through OZOPROF that many now know – or at least have been reminded – that this section of Owerri zone had wielded so much power in the past; through powerful positions such as “A” ministers, first lady, deputy governor, industry chieftains etc – but for which its people has nothing to show.
It was from OZOPROF that we now know that this section of Owerri zone deceived the rest of us into believing that the agreement it had with Rochas Okorocha in 2011 that he will do only four years in office, was iron-cast; and that when Okorocha reneged, it – the “cabal” – again wanted to blackmail the rest of the zone into fighting the the governor when he came after one of them.
OZOPROF, perhaps for the first time since the debate began, drew the specific attention of the younger generation in Owerri zone when it came up with the poser in its recent advertorial to wit: “we … appeal to the younger generation not to surrender its future. Do not allow hypocrisy disguised as peity or influence masquerading as public service to hold you down”, adding that “the battle for justice and equity is our battle too, for it determines the kind a future you will interest”.
Going by this segment of the widely publicized press statement, it is obvious that its nine signatories, representing the nine local government areas in Owerri zone,are youths. Needless to say, this is the first time youths in the zone are formally and frontally intervening in the matter which their more older kinsmen have tended to see as their prerogative in determining both the tone of the debate and its envisaged outcome. In other words, the time is now for the youths of Owerri zone to become more deliberate in making contributions to the debate. In doing so, one major thing to bear in mind is that some of their older kinsmen are merely seeing 2027 as another opportunity to realize an ambition they have been pursuing in the last fourteen years. It is either that 2027 is their last chance or that of their god-sons or cronies. But that will be putting the entire zone through the same mistake.
Today, majority of members of this cabal see 2031 as an eternity. Realizing that they may have no other chances beyond 2027, they chant “2027 OR NEVER”, which is an affront to the younger elements who still have plenty of time beyond 2027. A little illustration here: If the Ohakim administration had not been truncated in 2011 – through both direct action and connivance of this cabal – the next governor in 2015 would have naturally come from Owerri zone.
If that had happened, that governor of Owerri extraction would have completed an eight-year tenure of two terms in 2023 to hand over the baton to Orlu zone, all things being equal. The Orlu zone governor would have completed an eight-year tenure by 2031/32 by which time power will return to Okigwe zone and reside there – again all thing being equal – till 2039, when Owerri will take again. By 2039, an Owerri zone youth of today who is 21 years of age and has just graduated from the university will only be 35 years old, the prime of his youth.
It, therefore, means that the fellow saying that it is 2027 or never does not have the youths of today in mind for whom it is yet morning on creation day. Such refrains are only coming from those who know that they no longer have a future in Imo politics, and are bent on scuttling the chances of the younger ones.
Beyond all this geometrical extrapolations, however, is the fact that Okigwe zone, which is also laying a strong claim on the office of the governor in 2027/28, may decide to scuttle the chances of Owerri zone in 2027 if reason does not prevail. Is that a blackmail? Certainly not because those who know better have even given us the expo.
During a recent courtesy visit of Owerri zone stakeholders to Governor Hope Uzodimma, on August 20, 2025 to be precise, he told our people in a plain language that if Okigwe zone is not carried along, it may scuttle our chances for 2027/28. Of course, Governor Uzodimma knows what he is talking about. He knows also that his kinsmen in Orlu are waiting on the wings to prey on both Owerri and Okigwe zones and take back power once another round of confusion ensues. Or, is it a hidden matter that right at this moment, at least four well loaded, highly connected, governorship aspirants in Orlu zone are warming up. While it is their constitutional right to run, their biggest impetus is the looming imbroglio between Owerri and Okigwe zones which they will quickly take advantage of.
. Let no mistake be made, a free-for-all in 2027 will end in favour of Orlu, aided and abeted by some of our people. It has happened before. In 2019, Rochas Okorocha nearly succeeded in forcing his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, a fellow Orlu zone indigene, on the state as his successor. In that bid, he earned reasonable support from our people in Owerri zone.
As is well known, Nwosu won in all the twelve local government areas in Orlu zone, minus Oguta, at the March 9, 2019 governorship election; with a good showing in all the local government areas in Owerri zone except the three in the Mbaise clan where Emeka Ihedioha of Owerri zone got over seventy per cent of his total votes. A run-off was to be conducted between Nwosu and Ihedioha but by a stroke of luck, that did not happen and Ihedioha was wrongfully declared winner. However ,it is not a hidden matter that if that run-off had been held, Nwosu would have emerged.
Still, at the end of the back and forth, another Orlu fellow emerged . If push comes to shove and power returns to Orlu zone in 2027/28, It will remain there till 2035/36 ; and there will be no guarantee that It will leave at that time. In other words, Owerri zone, which would have taken power in 2031/32 and holding It till 2039/40, will find itself in the wilderness. Some of our elder brothers and sisters are still deceiving our youths that the so-called Chatter of Equity automatically cedes power to Owerri zone and even go about claiming that Governor Uzod imma once promised to hand over to an Owerri zone fellow.One of the members of the cabal, a former minister, even claimed, while responding to Njemanze ‘s interview, that traditional rulers in the state raised their Offor in affirmation that the next governor must come from Owerri zone.These are all lies and I want to enjoin our youths not to subscribe to them . I have carefully followed all the interface between the governor and our people and at no time did any of our so-called leaders raise his or her hand to ask, “governor,what of the promise you made to us” .Instead, he has always stated that our people are going about the matter with an entitlement mentality..At the first courtesy call on March 10, 2025, Governor Uzodimma emphatically toid our people that power is not given ” turn-by-turn ” . Our people in Owerri zone should throw over board the ongoing braggadocio and be scientific and realistic. Bon Njemanze and the nine fellow youths who came in defence of him spoke the minds of millions of other youths in Owerri zone. And now that we, the younger elements, have taken over the narrative, there should be no relenting. AMANZE NWACHUKWU WRITES FROM IKEDURU
