The Imo State Charter of Equity is facing one of its biggest political tests yet as all 27 members of the Imo State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have reportedly obtained nomination forms to seek re-election ahead of the 2027 polls, triggering tension across several communities in the state.
Multiple party sources and community stakeholders told INNONEWS that most of the lawmakers are pursuing second and third terms in office despite existing zoning arrangements in their constituencies designed to rotate legislative positions among clans, wards and political blocs.
The development has unsettled political leaders and youth groups in several local government areas where informal power-sharing agreements had long been regarded as binding political understandings intended to maintain equity and prevent domination by specific communities.
In many constituencies, residents accuse serving lawmakers of disregarding rotational arrangements that previously guided the emergence of House of Assembly candidates. Some stakeholders warned that the move could deepen political divisions and provoke unrest within affected communities if party leaders fail to intervene before the APC primaries for State House of Assembly Aspirants.
“The understanding in many places was that after a tenure, another bloc takes over. What is happening now is creating anger because people feel excluded,” a party source familiar with the internal discussions said.
The controversy is now drawing renewed attention to the Imo Charter of Equity, the political arrangement widely promoted by the APC-led administration as a framework for balancing power among the state’s three geopolitical zones of Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu.
Although the charter was originally advanced to justify governorship rotation among the three zones, political observers argue that its principles should naturally extend to legislative and other elective offices if the ruling party intends to sustain public confidence in the arrangement.
Some critics who spoke to this newspaper say the credibility of the charter could suffer serious damage if the APC fails to apply the same principles of fairness and rotation at constituency levels while simultaneously defending zoning at the governorship level.
“The charter cannot be selective. If equity is good for governorship, then it should also apply to legislative representation in communities,” a stakeholder in Owerri Municipal said.
Party insiders disclosed that Governor Hope Uzodimma is expected to address the growing controversy during a crucial meeting with aspirants seeking Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly tickets under the APC
The meeting, expected to hold at the Government House in Owerri, is seen by party members as a critical attempt to manage escalating tension within the ruling party ahead of the primaries.
INNONEWS Political analyst, Mr.Anselem Emenako warned that the current dispute may evolve into a broader crisis capable of triggering protests, litigations and anti-party activities if zoning grievances are ignored during candidate selection.
He added that the unfolding situation has become more than a contest over legislative seats.
“It is increasingly being viewed as a referendum on whether the Imo Charter of Equity represents a genuine political doctrine rooted in fairness and inclusion or merely a convenient slogan” he said
