Fresh political signals from Imo State indicate Senator Osita Izunaso may be heading for a direct showdown with Governor Hope Uzodimma over the All Progressives Congress ticket for the Orlu Senate seat ahead of the 2027 election.
The developing contest comes after reports that Uzodimma has indicated interest in returning to the Senate to represent Imo West Senatorial Zone, a seat he held for two terms between 2011 and 2019. His re-entry calculations have reportedly unsettled existing alignments inside the ruling party.
The zone is currently represented by Izunaso, who is also believed to be seeking another term. Party insiders quoted by The Nation on Sunday said a primary contest between both men could become one of the toughest internal battles the APC may face in Imo before 2027.
According to those sources quoted by the national newspaper, both politicians remain influential figures in Orlu politics, making the decision over who gets the party’s ticket a delicate one. Some party members fear a bruising contest could strain internal unity if not carefully managed.
Matters escalated on Saturday when APC stakeholders from Orlu zone publicly moved in support of Uzodimma, saying they had purchased Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for him to contest the Senate seat.
The Imo APC leadership, led by state chairman Austin Onyedebelu, reportedly told the delegation at the party secretariat in Owerri, where the forms were presented amid calls for the governor to accept the pressure to run.
In the statement circulated after the meeting, party leaders urged other aspirants from Orlu zone to reconsider any plans to challenge the governor, arguing that he had emerged as the preferred consensus option within the zone.
That position, however, places immediate pressure on Izunaso, whose camp has yet to issue any formal statement on whether he will seek re-election or step aside for the governor.
Izunaso is no fringe actor in the zone’s politics. He previously served as senator for Imo West from 2003 to 2007 before returning to the chamber in 2023, making him a two-time senator with an entrenched political network across Orlu.
His supporters are expected to argue that incumbency, legislative experience and continuity favour his return, especially as he is only midway into his present tenure.
But Uzodimma commands the state party machinery as governor and remains one of the most dominant figures in Imo politics. If he formally joins the race, many APC members may find it difficult to openly resist him.
For now, silence from the Izunaso camp is fueling speculation. Yet one thing is already clear: if both men insist on the ticket, Orlu zone may become the stage for APC’s fiercest internal confrontation in Imo before the 2027 polls.
