Senator Ifeanyi Araraume is the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State. He has formidable opponents in the race. Can he lift the crown? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines his chances in next year’s poll.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, banker, businessman and politician, is campaigning to be governor of Imo State on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). He is a household name in the Southeast. Many believe that, when he served in the Senate between 1999 and 2007, he was not a push over. But, can he triumph at the poll next year?
The situation is dicey in the oil-rich state. The four main parties struggling for the soul of Imo are not leaving anything to chances. At one time or the other, the gladiators belonged to the same party. Araraume’s rivals are determined like him.
Senator Hope Ndozinma is running on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to the consternation of Governor Rochas Okorocha. The governor’s in-law and former Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, who failed to get the APC ticket, despite Okorocha’s backing, has defected to the Action Alliance (AA) to seek refuge. The governor has boasted that he will hand over to him. Former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ikheodia is the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There are other candidates contesting in smaller parties. But, according to observers, they will be spectators on poll day.
Araraume’s foes are mounting propaganda against him. To them, he is a serial defector desperate for power, having traversed three parties in his bid to realise his ambition. Others described him as a do-or-die politician who cannot spare thoughts for his limitations.
However, his supporters believe that the Isiegwu-born politician is a subject of envy, stressing that he is ahead of his rivals in terms of political structure and pedigree. “I became a bank director at 32 and I was there for 10 years. I have been in politics since the Third Republic as a member of the Liberal Convention, and later the National Republican Convention (NRC). I was the pioneer chairman of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP). Nobody can boast of having a formidable political structure than me,” Araraume said.
Describing himself as a patriot, the flag bearer said he attracted many projects to the state, especially when he was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power.
Since 2007, the senator has been eyeing the number one seat, but without success. What uis the motivation? His answer: “My expectation about Imo has not been met. Some have come to the seat, but have not performed. They say education is free. It is not. The quality of education is nothing to write home about. Teachers are not motivated. They are not well paid. You cannot give what you don’t have.”
Imo, with 27 local governments, appears to be the biggest in the Southeast. Its location is strategic. As the highest producer of oil in the region, it is in a vantage position to be an economic hub. But, as Araraume observed, there is no functional hospital. People go to the Federal Medical centre, Owerri, for health care. Although former Governor Achike Udenwa built a General Hospital, the equipment have become obsolete.
In the senator’s view, Imo has gone through trauma for 12 years. He said security is also at a low ebb. Chiding the governor for arrogance, Araraume alleged that he has subjected the traditional institution to ridicule by ordering the election of its chairman. “Our local governments don’t function. Coming to become governor of Imo does not add value to my life economically. But, it is an opportunity to serve my people and uplift the state.
“Nobody has seriously dealt with the challenge of governance in Imo. The infrastructure battle has failed, with bad roads all around. They attribute it to the acidic rain that falls only in Imo,” he fumed.
Araraume said Imo is critical to Southeast economic integration. He hailed the Southwest for making progress in this direction. He said the roads linking the state to other states, especially Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital, should not be neglected. When the roads are in proper shape, we should also think of a regional rail to integrate the zonal economy, he said.
Chiding the governor for the state’s 34th position in the Ease of Doing Business index, he lamented that the state, which has the best layout in the Southeast, is not tapping its opportunities. He reiterated that the primary responsibility of government is the creation if an enabling environment for business to thrive. “We should revisit the master plan of Imo built by Ndubusi Kanu and modified by Sam Mbakwe. The selective signing of Certificates of Occupancy contributes to an unease of doing business. There is multiplicity of taxation. You don’t know where the state stops and the local government begins,” he complained.
There are allegations that he had presidential support during the primary because the president urged Anambra State Governor Willy Obiano to pave the way for him become the candidate. Araraume denied it, saying: “I won the primary because of the way I conducted myself.”
To observers, zoning may be an issue next year. Araraume refused to join the debate. “In Imo, people are still a little bit confused. People are not looking at the direction of Orlu, the birthplace of Udenwa and Okorocha. It is unfair for the governor to come from there in the next dispensation,” he said.
But, how will the APGA candidate resolve the perception of an impatient politician and a bad loser with a penchant for defection? Araraume pointed out that there is no clear difference in the parties seeking for power in Imo. To him, what informs the decision of a politician to either stay or leave is how he is treated by the platform. He blamed defection on lack of internal democracy and injustice, stressing that “when someone who decides your fate cannot guarantee fairness or justice, you leave.”
“The president left the ANPP to form the CPC because he was unfairly treated. If I will not receive a fair treatment during the primary, I will leave. I am not the only person who has defected. Okorocha was in AA, PDP, ANPP, CAN and he is now in APC,” he added.
But, should history continue to repeat itself? Araraume said defection is a thing of the past: “I don’t intend to leave APGA,” he emphasised. Besides, he said it may be his last time of contesting for governor. “I am not going to contest for governor again. Never. The only condition is that if we win and we are seeking for another term,” he stressed.
Exuding confidence, the APGA candidate said the next poll will mark the liquidation of the power of incumbency in Imo. He said membership of the ruling party at the centre will not confer any advantage on the divided APC chapter. The key factor, he said, is performance. “If you do well, the president is your friend,” he added.
Araraume rejected the label of a violent politician. He said those making the unfounded allegations are unfair to him, being a product of a Christian home brought up in moral etiquette. “I have no reason to be violent,” he said.
How is reconciliation taking place in Imo APGA, following a hectic primary? No fewer 23 aspirants fought for the ticket. The chapter had to delay the shadow poll till the last day form submission. Reflecting on the crowded race, Araraume maintained that he won the ticket because he has the best political structure. But, after winning the ticket, he said he waved the olive branch.
“They understood that as a former party chairman, I will understand them better. Many of those in APGA were in the APP when I was chairman. They voted for me because they believe if I become the governor, I will understand the challenges facing the party. We have reconciled. My running mate, Ibe Nwoga, was an aspirant. I picked him. It is quite unusual. He is a nice man. I am new in APGA. He is old in the party. He will be the link between the old and new,”Araraume added.
Eyes are on Imo as it warms up for the critical poll. Araraume predicted a balance of forces on poll day. He said representatives of the four major parties will be vigilant in every polling units. He also listed other factors that will guarantee a credible exercise. “What will guarantee a free and fair election are the use of card readers, electronic transmission of results and determination on the part of voters.”