A cock fight is interesting to watch, and so is the sight of our politicians throwing brickbats at each other. Sometimes their words carry the same sting as a physical jab from Anthony Joshua on an opponent’s jaw.
The latest brawl is between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Hope Uzodimma, who also happens to be the governor of Imo State. Both men belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and both have their eyes on the Senate Presidency in 2027.
By throwing his hat in the ring, Uzodimma has stirred the hornet’s nest. His bid for the Imo West Senatorial District seat (what we call Orlu Zone) in the 2027 general elections carries major political, constitutional and leadership implications.
Uzodimma’s second and final term as governor officially ends in January 2028. However, the 11th Senate, which he seeks to lead, will hopefully be inaugurated in June 2027. How does he intend to manage that gap? If he wins the February 2027 Senate election, he will have to resign as governor to take the oath as a senator.
That would cut his governorship mandate short by about eight months. The mandate was earned through a highly controversial Supreme Court judgement that ousted Emeka Ihedioha. After taking over the Douglas House in Owerri from the humble Ihedioha, it took the governor years to win the hearts of most Imo people. The court had awarded the seat to someone rated fourth by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which conducted the election, and that did not go down well with the people.
The figures on which the judgement was premised did not add up well. The uncommon step of challenging a Supreme Court judgement was taken, albeit to no avail. But when the two men walked into an event at that time, it was obvious who got the louder cheers. The scars are still there, only gradually soothed by the governor’s record in infrastructure, specifically major roads and the Orashi Power Project, an independent gas-fired power outfit.
Uzodimma has proved that he is no pushover in behind-the-scenes politics, a quality that has earned him important positions in the ruling party, such as chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, among others. He is also prominent in President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign council. His time in the Senate from 2011 to 2019 may have launched him into the national power play. Akpabio knows his opponent inside out. Like a threatened but obedient Alsatian, he is already growling at another bulldog readying to chase him out of his comfort zone. The stage is set for an open power struggle between the two. Akpabio and allied lawmakers have also pushed back against sitting or incoming governors seeking to upend legislative leadership structures.
The Senate recently amended its standing rules to require candidates for Senate President or Deputy Senate President to have served at least two consecutive terms, including the current 10th Senate. In other words, candidates for presiding officers must have at least eight years (two full terms) of continuous or cumulative service. At least one of those terms must be the one immediately preceding the election, meaning only members who served in the current 10th Senate and return to the 11th can run.
This blocks outsiders and former senators like Uzodimma from presiding over the Red Chamber should they find their way back. He served in the 6th and 7th Senate (representing Imo West from 2011 to 2019), but he was not a member of the 10th Senate, having been busy as governor of Imo State.
Should Uzodimma continue his bid for Senate President? Arguments in his favour point out that he is a ranking, influential former senator and the current chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, which gives him a substantial war chest and a network within the party, although the party is divided over the issue.
Proponents argue that the South-East would be well represented in national leadership if he were there and that Uzodimma has shown strong political leverage, including the ability to influence legislative rules and build consensus across party lines. His ambition is, of course, a valid exercise of political strategy to align the legislative leadership with President Tinubu’s agenda.
While the Imo State House of Assembly and supporting groups have backed his move, critics and other political actors have questioned the ethics of a sitting governor planning a mid-term exit that leaves the state to manage a leadership transition and potentially multiple retirement packages.
Other odds are stacked against him. Akpabio has publicly urged Uzodimma to finish his full eight-year term as governor instead of making a premature move to the Senate. The maverick FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the Rainbow Coalition champion, has openly declared that he will “never support” Uzodimma. Wike accused him of trying to manipulate National Assembly tickets at the primaries, which are actually being contested by Senator Rochas Okorocha.
Indeed, his road to the Senate might be blocked by Okorocha, a former Imo State governor, who has filed a suit at the Federal High Court to dispute the primary results. The suit is yet to be ruled on.
There is also the argument that quitting the governorship early, before the state’s off-cycle election, could jeopardise the APC’s chances, as the party would lose the advantage of an effective incumbency. His exit would require Deputy Governor Chinyere Ekomaru to step in for the remaining months. Ekomaru, essentially, is not a mainstream politician.
On a Candid Note, 2027 looks as unpredictable as 2023, especially as uncommon issues keep popping up and begging for explanations. I know Senator-Governor Uzodimma is an uncommon politician. What I don’t know is how he will scale the hurdles on his way to the Senate President’s seat. I can only say: good luck to Onwa Oyoko.
Dr. Odu can be reached through [email protected] or SMS 07064052031
