There is a troubling quiet emanating from Owerri Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Imo State inches steadily toward the 2027 governorship election. It is not the calm of strategy; it is the silence of hesitation. In a state where politics rewards audacity and punishes timidity, the absence of open gubernatorial ambition from Owerri Zone within the ruling party is not just curious—it is politically self-sabotaging.
This silence is particularly baffling because Owerri Zone is not short of capable hands. It has produced technocrats, administrators, lawmakers, and political operators with the intellectual heft and experiential depth to govern Imo State competently. Some of these men—and they are mostly men in the current configuration—are members of the APC. Yet, inexplicably, they remain cocooned in political obscurity, watching history inch forward without them.
The focus on APC in this piece is not accidental, nor is it unfair. The party controls the levers of power in Imo State. In every political system, even in advanced democracies, incumbency confers psychological advantage, institutional reach, and electoral head start. The ruling party is always the party to beat. To pretend otherwise is to deny political reality.
Ironically, Owerri Zone aspirants in opposition parties have shown commendable courage. Emeka Ihedioha and Chima Amadi. They have declared interest, built structures, engaged the public, and aligned themselves with the long-standing aspiration of Owerri Zone to produce the next governor. Whatever their electoral fate is, history will record that they matched conviction with action. Courage, after all, is a political virtue.
Within the APC, however, the story is different—and frankly embarrassing. With barely a year plus to November 2027 guber election, potential aspirants are still “testing waters,” “consulting,” or worse, hiding. Early preparation is not a luxury in politics; it is a necessity. Those waiting for the perfect moment often wake up to find the moment has passed them by.
What makes this hesitation even more difficult to justify is the oft-repeated claim by many APC leaders in Owerri Zone that they are close allies of Governor Hope Uzodimma. These allies are legion. Each brandishes proximity to power, invoking access, familiarity, and influence. Yet, if they are indeed that close to the governor, why the reluctance to step into the race openly? Why the fear of declaration?
The contrast is instructive. Charles Orie from Orlu Zone, a well-known ally of the governor, has had no such hesitation. He declared his interest, owned his ambition, and placed himself firmly in the succession conversation. His action exposes the hollowness of the Owerri APC hesitation. Proximity to power, it turns out, means little without political courage.
I am aware of at least three serious gubernatorial hopefuls from Owerri Zone within the APC who are interested but unwilling to step into the open. Their fear is not ideological; it is psychological. They are afraid of misreading the governor’s body language. They are waiting for a greenlight, an anointing, a nod from above. This is not strategy; it is paralysis disguised as loyalty.
Yes, every sitting governor has preferences about succession. That is political nature, not political crime. But as Niccolò Machiavelli warned centuries ago, “He who waits for opportunity without preparing for it is already defeated.” Succession politics is fluid, volatile, and often cruel to the timid. No governor, however powerful, can ignore a groundswell backed by clarity of purpose.
The frequent visits to the Government House by Owerri Zone leaders, ostensibly to press the case for equity, now ring hollow if they are not matched with action. Lobbying without ambition is mere ritual. If four or five credible aspirants from Owerri Zone within the APC were to declare interest today, it would immediately recalibrate the internal power dynamics of the party. It would signal seriousness, not supplication.
Some argue that the Charter of Equity guarantees Owerri Zone the next governorship slot. This belief is dangerously naive. Charters do not win elections; people do. Power is never handed over simply because it is “your turn.” Edmund Burke captured this truth succinctly when he observed that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of complacency is for serious men to do nothing.”
Political complacency is the silent enemy of Owerri Zone. The zone has made enough noise—inside and outside the ruling party—about its turn to produce a governor. The Owerri-for-governor jingle has been sung loudly and repeatedly. But jingles do not substitute for political action. Declarations do.
Waiting to be adopted is lazy politicking. It is outdated, ineffective, and politically dangerous. Succession is unpredictable; alliances shift, calculations change, and loyalties realign. Those who are invisible during the formative phase of succession are rarely remembered when decisions are finally made.
Owerri Zone must step up, not whisper from the sidelines. Politics respects visibility, courage, and persistence. Those who truly enjoy the governor’s confidence should demonstrate it through action, not caution. Declaring interest is not rebellion; it is participation.
History is unkind to those that sleep while others scheme. If Owerri Zone truly desires the governorship in 2027, its sons—especially those in the ruling APC—must emerge from political hiding. Enough of the rhetoric. The time to step out is now. Silence, in this context, is not golden. It is fatal.
*Onyeukwu writes under his column “Harvest”
“I am aware of at least three serious gubernatorial hopefuls from Owerri Zone within the APC who are interested but unwilling to step into the open. Their fear is not ideological; it is psychological. They are afraid of misreading the governor’s body language. They are waiting for a greenlight, an anointing, a nod from above. This is not strategy; it is paralysis disguised as loyalty”
