Three years to the 2027 governorship election in Imo State, the political atmosphere is already charged, almost as if the polls are holding next year.
Analysts say Imo has one of the most heated political terrains in the South-East, and the tempo of activities has begun to mirror the intensity that rocked the state when former Governor, Rochas Okorocha was about to exit office.
With Governor Hope Uzodimma in his second and final term, the scramble for his successor has triggered a frenzy of intrigues, alliances, and even betrayals across the major political parties. The battle is fierce, and the desperation is palpable.
Within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insiders say that a powerful bloc of some Abuja-based Imo politicians has been quietly scheming to hijack the party structure in the state.
Their calculation is simple: whoever controls the APC machinery in the State ultimately determines the party’s flag-bearer in 2027.
“They believe stopping Uzodimma from producing a successor is the surest way of ending his influence beyond 2027,” a source close to the party hierarchy told this newspaper.
But Uzodimma, often underestimated by rivals, appears to have blunted the plot. Deploying what observers describe as “political wizardry,” the governor has tightened his grip on the APC structure in the State, frustrating those angling to wrest control three years to the governorship polls.
“The Governor has shown he is several steps ahead of his opponents. For now, the so-called Abuja group has been stopped in its tracks,” an influential Imo APC chieftain told INNONEWS.
The opposition, however, is not immune to chaos.
In the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former governor, Emeka Ihedioha — who defected after a bitter divorce from the PDP — has entrenched himself as the dominant force. His loyalists occupy strategic positions in the party structure, making him the engine room of ADC in Imo.
But unity is far from achieved. Emmanuel Amushie, who also lays claim to the state chairmanship, has mounted a formidable challenge. His faction is reportedly bankrolled by a moneyed politician eyeing ADC as a vehicle for his 2027 guber ambition. This politician has been traversing communities across Imo, mobilizing his structure to infiltrate the ADC.
However, in a public disclaimer issued on August 22, 2025, and signed by Sir Bon Unachukwu, the National Vice Chairman (Southeast), the party accused Amushie of impersonation, describing his activities as “false, misleading, and unconstitutional.”
Unachukwu, a protege of Ihedioha, was used to displace Chilos Godsent, as National Vice Chairman (South East) of the party.
The PDP, once the state’s most formidable party, is no better. Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary, is believed to have secured control of the state exco. But this dominance is being contested by loyalists of a sitting House of Representatives member from the State.
Aggrieved members, led by Lambert Eze, had dragged the party to court seeking to nullify the state congress. In response, PDP spokesperson, ,Mr. Lancelot Obiaku dismissed the suit as “frivolous, empty, laughable, and medicine after death,” insisting that the congress was validly conducted describing the petitioners as “non-members meddling in PDP affairs.”
Beyond the party intrigues lies the thorny question of zoning or the much talked about Imo Charter of Equity.
Two geo-political zones — Owerri and Okigwe — are locked in a fierce battle over 2027. Owerri zone, which has only briefly produced a governor in Emeka Ihedioha’s truncated tenure in 2019, is demanding justice.
“The Charter of Equity must be respected. It is unjust and unacceptable that Owerri zone has remained marginalized for decades while other zones recycle power. 2027 is non-negotiable,” declared Emmanuel Okwu, leader of the Owerri Zone Awareness Coalition, OZAC.
Okigwe leaders, however, counter that their short-lived stints in power via Ikedi Ohakim’s one term of four years cannot be regarded as full turns, vowing not to be sidelined again.
As desperation heightens, this newspaper observed that unusual alliances are emerging. Top Imo politicians are said to be holding clandestine meetings in Owerri, Abuja, and Lagos, cutting deals that may collapse or reshape as the election draws nearer.
“The political dynamics you see today may not survive till next year. Everyone is desperate, everyone is scheming,” a political strategist told this newspaper.
However, some observers and groups warn that the feverish politicking three years ahead of schedule could distract the state from governance.
“The elite are chasing shadows while the people suffer insecurity, unemployment, and infrastructure collapse,” said Mr. Amos Ukaegbu, a political analyst in Owerri.
But this is not unusual — Imo state has long been described as the South-East capital of “raw politics,” a place where ambitions run wild, alliances shift overnight, and political battles are rarely fought with restraint.
With three years still to go, one fact is clear: the governorship race has already begun. The scheming, intrigues, and desperation currently at play may just be the opening act of what could become one of the most bruising electoral battles in Imo’s history.
As 2027 approaches, one question looms: who will outwit, outlast, and outmaneuver the others in this high-stakes political chess game? Only time will tell.
