…Owerri zone must rally round him.
By Dave Aguocha
The quest for the enviable position of a state governor is not a child’s play. This is because the road to Douglas House is infested with political undulations, bumps and political landmines.
It is indeed a journey of the large-hearted, the fearless, the visionary, and above all, the experienced. The fight for Imo Douglas House is not for the neophytes because irrespective of the billions in one’s war chest, only experience can make the difference.
In 2019, His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha proved beyond doubt the extent experience and deep understanding of the political terrain can make a difference in a keenly contested governorship poll.
Reality is that Ihedioha didn’t just come from blues to contest the position of Imo governorship. Between 1999 and 2015, Omenkeahurunanya had passed through the necessary political pupillage, maturing so to speak, into a master with loads of experience.
No wonder he seamlessly weathered the political storm and rumpled the candidates of the other political parties including the son-in-law of then incumbent governor, Rochas Okorocha to clinch the 2019 Imo governorship seat.
Undoubtedly, Rt Hon Ihedioha demonstrated beyond rhetorics, how the power of knowledge and experience can succeed where billions of naira failed.
Otherwise who could have imagined that then Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law would lose the 2019 Imo governorship with all the resources at their disposal.
This feat was also made possible by the fact from the time he was in the National Assembly as deputy majority chief whip, deputy speaker and speaker, even as a governor, Ihedioha has always put the people first.
2027 presents ndi Imo another rare opportunity to bring the man – Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha – who, in less than eight months, overhauled governance and set Imo on a new developmental pedestal.
Imolites need not to gamble over the right man to steer the ship out of the socio-economic woods.
Imo people must follow the man ‘wey know road.’
Ihedioha knows the road already. A Three-time member of the House of Representatives, climaxing as deputy speaker and speaker respectively, and a former governor of Imo State, this is no mean feat.
It is trite that Ihedioha will not be coming to begin a learning process in 2027. For eight months, he was in charge as landlord of Douglas House Owerri. He knows where the key to every room in Imo Government House is kept. He knows where the files are. He has transversed all the zones and LGAs, and as a leader ‘anya ruru ala,’ he knows first hand, and understands the challenges facing the various components of Imo.
More importantly, Ihedioha represents the zone that has the logic of equity, fairness and rotation on its side as far 2027 Imo governorship is concerned. That is Owerri Zone.
Although he fought like ‘Dikeassa’ to end the political subjugation and asphyxiation of ndi Owerri Zone in 2019 via a resounding victory at polls, the judicial accident of January 2020 has presented ndi Imo another chance to reset the state.. This will be possible when, by the grace of God, His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha once again returns to the saddle.
