Prominent advocates of an Owerri Zone governorship in Imo State have been cautioned to remain vigilant over what have been described as quiet but potent political forces in Okigwe and Orlu zones ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
The warning was directed at two leading pressure groups — the Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought and the Imo Harmony Project (IHP) — both of which have been at the forefront of sustained advocacy for the implementation of the Imo Charter of Equity in favour of Owerri Zone.
The groups have anchored their campaign on the belief that Governor Hope Uzodimma is committed to zoning the governorship to Owerri Zone in 2027, a confidence reinforced by repeated courtesy visits to Government House and the governor’s public assurances on equity and inclusion.
The Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought is led by Prince Charles Amadi, Prince Alex Mbata, Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo and Chief Lemmy Akakem, while the IHP is spearheaded by Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Dr Kema Chikwe, Barrister Soronnadi Njoku, Barrister Willie Amadi and Dr Nick Oparandudu. Both groups are known supporters of Uzodimma’s 3R administration.
However, political analyst and journalist, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo warned that beyond public endorsements and formal engagements lie influential actors in Okigwe and Orlu zones who neither grandstand nor seek publicity but wield significant behind-the-scenes power capable of reshaping political outcomes.
According to him, these actors — described metaphorically as political “termites” or “oke nchas” — rarely make open moves, avoid routine political pilgrimages, and often operate outside public scrutiny, yet possess the capacity to influence key decisions at critical moments.
Onwuemeodo specifically pointed to Okigwe-born billionaire Chief Tony Chukwu as a major power broker whose political reach and access to the governor remain largely underestimated, citing his past roles in shaping electoral outcomes and candidate emergence within the state.
He noted that Chukwu has openly questioned the application of the Charter of Equity to Owerri Zone in 2027 and recently stirred debate by suggesting the relocation of the state capital to Okigwe Zone as a condition for zoning the governorship to Owerri.
In Orlu Zone, the analyst identified renewed elite backing for former ISOPADEC managing director Charles Orie as another indication that power blocs aligned with the current administration may still be weighing alternative succession options outside Owerri Zone.
He further warned that the lack of a unified front between the Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought and the Imo Harmony Project — both of which have announced separate sensitisation tours — risks creating the impression of disunity, conflicting ambitions and preferred candidates within Owerri Zone itself.
Drawing lessons from the 2019 political cycle, Onwuemeodo urged pro-Owerri groups to develop a contingency plan, cautioning that reliance on verbal assurances alone could prove costly if the final political equation favours another zone.
He concluded that unless the Owerri advocacy groups harmonise their strategies, confront internal divisions and realistically assess the strength of competing interests, the 2027 governorship race may yet produce outcomes that defy current expectations.
