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Tag: Ihedioha

  • Imo: Tribunal orders substituted service on Ihedioha, PDP

    The Imo State governorship and House of Assembly Petitions Tribunal, Thursday granted the application filed by the Counsel to the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Okey Amechi for substituted service on the governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Chairman of the Panel, Justice M.O Adewara, granted the leave to serve the 2nd and 3rd respondents on the wall of their buildings or by delivering same to an agent at the PDP office situated at No 98 Okigwe Road, Owerri.

    The AA governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu, had petitioned the Election Tribunal to quash the March 9 governorship election which was won by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ihedioha.

    Read Also: Ihedioha: Imagine the future of Imo

    Nwosu had prayed the Tribunal to among other things “determine and thus declare that Ihedioha did not satisfy the requirement of Section 179(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) having failed to poll not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the Local Government Areas in Imo State at the governorship election held on 9th March, 2019.

    “An order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a run-off election between the Petitioners and the 2nd & 3rd Respondents into the office of Governor of Imo State forthwith as prescribed under Section 179 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.

  • Breaking: Ihedioha, 27 lawmakers receive Certificates of Return in Imo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday issued a Certificate of Return to the Imo State Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, who presided over the occasion, also presented Certificate of Return to the 27 House of Assembly members-elect.

    Ihedioha won the March 9 governorship election under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Read Also: Court strikes out suit restraining INEC from issuing certificate of return to Ihedioha

    Speaking shortly after receiving the Certificate of Return at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Oweri, Ihedioha promised to be fair to all respective of their tribal or party affiliation.

    He said he will abide by the rule of law in administering the state.

    According to him, “I will be Imo governor in the real sense of the word.”

    He assured members of his transition team would comprise of men and women of integrity who will contribute immensely in the development of the state.

  • Don’t issue Certificate of Return to Ihedioha, 20 political parties, Imo youths tell INEC

    YOUTH Sunder the aegis of Imo Youth Council (IYC) have petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko, to wade into the “constitutional crisis brewing in the state over the outcome of the general election.”

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP), Emeka Ihedioha as the governor-elect.

    But in a petition signed by the National President and National Speaker of the IYC, Comrade Ikechukwu Obiora and Hon Samuel Godstime Chukwubuikem respectively, the youths urged the CJN to prevail on INEC to observe and respect the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution as it applies to the emergence of a winner in a governorship election.

    They posited that the declaration of the PDP candidate as the governor-elect is a clear violation of the constitution and should be reversed before it escalates into full-blown constitutional crisis.

    According to the youths, INEC as an institution should not operate outside the provisions of the constitution or laws establishing it, adding that no person or institution is above the constitution.

    The petition reads in part, “We the youths of Imo State and other well-meaning Imolites have observed with grave concern, the flagrant disregard of the Nigerian Constitution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the governorship election of Imo State.

    Read also: Gbenga Daniel for minister!

    “INEC returned the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha as governor-elect in a reckless  violation of Section 179 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which stipulates  that a candidate for an election to the office of the governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates; he has the highest number of votes cast at the election, and he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.

    “The statistics of the result of the governorship election showed that the PDP candidate did not score the percentage of vote required to be declared as governor-elect. We are therefore as concerned youths of Imo State soliciting your intervention to prevail on INEC to withdraw the purported declaration and order a fresh election to avoid impending constitutional crisis”. “We are therefore demanding that a date be fixed for a fresh election in the state and if a winner emerges in accordance with the provisions of the constitution,  we shall gladly accept the verdict as the collective will of the people of the state, but we will employ all legitimate means to ensure that the illegality foisted on the people of the state by INEC does not stand.”

    Meanwhile, 20 political parties have also called on INEC not to issue Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate because according to them, no winner has emerged yet in the March 9 governorship election.

    The candidates described the declaration by the state Returning Officer for the governorship election,  Prof. Francis Otunta, as shocking and an aberration, adding that,  “as a Professor of Mathematics,  he should have known what 25% of 2-3rd vote cast in the 27 local government areas”.

    They strongly contended that the declaration was not in tandem with the provisions of constitution.  At a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, the governorship candidate of Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Jerry Iheanacho, who spoke on behalf of others, said that they had individually decided to challenge the outcome of the governorship election at the election Petitions Tribunal.

    Iheanacho, noted that the declaration of Ihedioha as the winner of the election was “a rape of our constitution”.

    The governorship candidate said ” it is not about Ihedioha but it is about what the constitution says. From the results as announced by INEC, the PDP candidate didn’t meet the constitutional requirement to have been declared the governor-elect.”

  • ‘Ihedioha can’t govern Imo’

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha lacks the capacity to govern a “complex” state like Imo.

    Okorocha, who was reacting to Ihedioha’s allegations that the government withdrew N17 billion shortly after the governorship election, said Ihedioha has never had any corporate experience apart from being a professional politician.

    He described the allegation as frivolous and cheap blackmail.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “Chief Emeka Ihedioha, who was announced winner of the governorship election, has been making careless statements and unfounded allegations, including the N17 billion he said the government withdrew, with a threat to recover what he called “Imo Property” from Okorocha.

    “He had earlier given directives to financial institutions against further transactions with the government. Ihedioha does not have the mental or intellectual capacity to govern a highly endowed state like Imo. He is just smart politically, and political smartness is different from having the capacity for leadership or governance.

    “Ihedioha cannot measure up with Governor Rochas Okorocha’s achievements, and he is only laying the foundation for excuses to the people as to why he will fail as their governor.

    “He was contentiously declared winner on Tuesday, and on Thursday, he came up with the allegation of the government withdrawing N17 billion. He never mentioned how the withdrawal was made, whether in cash or through transfer. “And where in Imo State, with a meagre federal allocation and IGR, can one see N17 billion to withdraw? Like we said earlier, he is not an intelligent guy. He can’t cope with the challenges of governance”

  • Imo: Nwosu, Ihedioha, Uzodinma in epic battle

    Candidates of the Action Alliance (AA) Uche Nwosu; People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Emeka Ihedioha; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Ifeanyi Araraume; All Progressives Congress (APC) Hope Uzodinma and Accord Party Ikedi Ohakim are all in final push for votes ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

    They have devised different means of winning the support of the electorate, which include taking their campaigns to markets, schools, churches and other worship centres to canvass for votes.

    Many have also been engaged in acts of philanthropy, which include paying bills of stranded patients in hospitals.

    One peculiar feature that distinguishes the Imo State governorship election is that apart from Nwosu, the other four leading contenders are assumedly in the ‘departure hall’ of their political careers.

    To that extent, none of them is taking chances or leaving any stone unturned in the election that has been predicted to be the fiercest contest in the political history of the state.

    Results from the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections have shown that the main contest is between Nwosu (AA) and the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, as both showed firm grip in their respective zones.

    While Nwosu is riding on the support of the incumbent governor, Rochas Okorocha and the youths, Ihedioha, who is from Owerri zone, is enjoying the sympathy of people of the zone who are clamouring for power shift.

    Meanwhile, Araraume, Uzodinma and Ohakim could not establish any control in their supposed strongholds, as shown by the results.

    HOW THE CANDIDATES STAND

    NWOSU- the former Chief of Staff to the Imo State governor is actually the candidate to beat in the election. With a massive support base among the youths and women across the state and the power of incumbency, Nwosu stands a better chance of winning the governorship election on March 9.

    One other factor going for the AA candidate is the revolution among the youths, who are determined to topple the old politicians who have remained in power for too long, using him (Nwosu) as the rallying point.

    Another factor that may swing the polls in his favour is the governor’s victory at the Imo West Senatorial election, which has reconciled some of those that left the camp during the primary elections.

    UZODINMA- the major hurdle confronting the APC candidate is the internal crisis in his party. The manner he emerged the governorship candidate at the expense of the governor’s choice, left the APC in tethers. Just a fourth night ago, the APC Chairman in the state, Daniel Nwafor, during a press conference, said that the party does not have any candidate for the governorship election.

    Even though he enjoys the support of the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, the APC candidate, as the result of the last election confirmed, is not in charge in his zone, as two AA candidates and one APC candidate loyal to Okorocha’s camp won in three out of the four Federal Constituencies in Orlu zone, while PDP clinched the fourth constituency.

    However, President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory is likely to buoy the APC candidate’s chances at the election, as politicians are already flocking around him as a channel to penetrate the President.

    IHEDIOHA- Based on statistics available from the results of the last election, the PDP candidate has strong control in his Owerri zone, especially in the three Local Government Areas of Ezinihitte, Aboh Mbaise and Ahiazu, referred to as ‘Mbaise Nation’.

    Recall that in 2015 governorship election, Ihedioha was able to force the election to a rerun with votes from the three LGAs, which were the only Council Areas he won, out of the 27 Council Areas of the state.

    At the just concluded National Assembly election, PDP cleared the Federal Constituency seats and the Senatorial seat in Imo East (Owerri Zone).

    However, the PDP candidate has one major challenge to contend with, the disunity and discrimination among politicians from Owerri zone and the historical rivalry between indigenes of Mbaise and other parts of Owerri zone.

    It is an established fact that an average Owerri man would rather support an Orlu man to be governor, than vote for an Mbaise man.

    OHAKIM- The results of February 23 elections, showed that the former governor and candidate of Accord Party, has completely lost in the power play in his Okigwe Zone.

    It was so bad that during the last election, voting could not take place in his Osu Owerre Ward 1 in Isiala Mbano Council Area, as a result of the absence of INEC officials and voting materials.

    The outcome of the last election also showed that no Accord Party candidate got close to third position in the National Assembly election results and this will largely determine the former governor’s performance in the election.

  • Imo 2019: Uzodinma, Ihedioha, Araraume boycott BBC debate

    THE governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma,  People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Araraume,  yesterday boycotted the governorship debate organized by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Igbo version.

    The much-publicized debate was held at the Ridge Event Centre along the Owerri/ Onitsha Road, with only one out of the four invited candidates, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) in attendance. Fielding questions from BBC anchorman and the participants,  Nwosu said he was in the race to improve and consolidate on the achievements recorded by the current administration. He said he has come to take the state to the next level in terms of infrastructure and social development.

    Read also: Atiku’s visit to U.S. an attempt to score cheap political point —APC UK

    Nwosu also promised improved welfare for civil servants in the state and a better approach to the issue of payment of pensions in the state. He further promised to pay the N30,000 minimum wage if elected into office: “The issue of workers’ welfare will be given priority and my administration will pay any wage approved by the Federal Government”. According to Nwosu, his administration will pay attention to the creation of employment through investing in power and security, which he said will attract investors to the state.

    On his blueprint for the education sector, Nwosu said he will sustain and improve on the free education programme of the state government, “I will not only sustain the free education policy but will ensure that our students gets the best of mentorship”. He also promised to return the schools to the churches to instill morals in the students. On why he left his former party, APC for AA, Nwosu said, “I left APC because of the injustice meted to me by the National Chairman, who robbed me of the ticket which I won but I have to continue with my ambition, so I joined the AA to actualize my ambition”.

  • Owan-Enoh, Jime, Ihedioha, Ogbuoji pick governorship tickets

    MORE governorship candidates were yesterday picked by major parties.

    In Cross River State, Senator John Owan-Enoh was elected the All Progressive Congress candidate.

    Announcing the result yesterday in Calabar, Chairman of Electoral Committee Mr. Ali Magaji said Owan-Enoh scored 82,272 votes from 101,212 votes cast.

    A former Minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Edem Duke got 7,367 votes and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Mr. Usani Usani had 1,778 votes.

    Owan-Enoh expressed happiness with the result, saying the people of Cross River spoke in unity.

    Former Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) Emmanuel Jime won the APC ticket in Benue State.

    All five aspirants stepped down for Jime, a former House of Representatives member.

    These are: Chief Akange Audu, Asema Achado, Michael Iordye, Titus Zam and Benjamin Adanyi.

    Chairman of the governorship primaries in the state, Mr. Mutiu Are, asked those who were in support of Jime’s candidature to affirm by voice vote. And they did.

    Benue APC leader Senator George Akume hailed the aspirants for their decision to endorse Jime.

    Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, emerged winner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in Imo State.

    Ihedioha won the contest with a total of 1,723 votes to defeat the Senator representing Imo East, Mr. Samuel Anyanwu, who came second with 1,282 votes.

    Other aspirants, who participated in the process, are: former senator representing Okigwe senatorial zone, Mr. Athan Achonu, who scored 63 votes, Prof. Jude Njoku, 21votes, Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN), seven votes and Mr. Chukwuemeka Ezeji, 1 vote

    Senator Sonni Ogbuoji representing Ebonyi South was winner of APC governorship primary election held in Ebonyi, which lasted for two days.

    Ogbuoji was declared winner of the keenly contested election by the chairman of the governorship election committee, Senator Domingo Obande, in Abakaliki.

    He polled 785 votes and his closest rival, Prof. Bernard ODO, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, polled 519 votes.

    The former ambassador to Romania during the Obasanjo regime, Ambassador Umar Ilya Damagum, emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP in Yobe State.

    The primary elections of the PDP, which were also held on Sunday produced Ambassador Ilya Damagum after his fellow contestant Ambassador Umar El-Gash decided to step down for him following a consensus agreement at the venue of in Damaturu.

    The presiding chairman of the election, Ahmed Tijani, hailed the peaceful nature of the exercise.

  • Ihedioha clinches Imo PDP guber ticket

    Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has emerged winner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in Imo.
    Ihedioha won the contest with a total of 1,723 votes to defeat the Senator representing Imo East senatorial zone, Mr Samuel Anyanwu, who came 2nd with a total of 1,282 votes.
    Announcing the results, the returning officer, Mr Emma Nwala, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed in various ways to the success of the electoral process.
    “I am most grateful to all security personnel for their painstaking commitment to the security of lives and materials all through the night and on till this morning.
    “Also, I thank all aspirants, delegates and officials for conducting themselves properly.
    “With the power vested on me as returning officer, I hereby declare Emeka Ihedioha the winner and flag bearer of the PDP in Imo for the 2019 governorship  election, ” Nwala he said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise which was originally scheduled to hold on Tuesday Oct. 2 started at 4.00p.m on Monday and ended at 4.30a.m on Tuesday at the Kanu Nwankwo Sports Centre, Owerri.
    The exercise which was largely peaceful, hitch-free and transparent had over 3,000 delegates drawn from the 27 local government areas  in the state participating.
    The party adopted the indirect primaries with delegates casting their votes in alphabetical order of their senatorial zones – Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri zones.
    Other aspirants who participated in the process are: former senator representing Okigwe senatorial zone, Mr Athan Achonu, who scored 63 votes, Prof. Jude Njoku, 21votes, Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN), 7 votes and Mr Chukwuemeka Ezeji, 1 vote.(NAN)
  • Okorocha to Ihedioha: stop using my name to score cheap points

    Okorocha to Ihedioha: stop using my name to score cheap points

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, at the weekend, cautioned former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to stop using his name to score cheap political reasons.

    The governor urged the former lawmaker to purge himself of his “abysmal performance” during his days at the National Assembly.

    He insisted that Ihedioha’s attempt to soil his name in newspapers would not help him win the 2019 governorship election, if he contests.

    A statement by the governor’s Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, reads: “…Okorocha has read the lengthy interview granted to Saturday Sun of April 8 by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, in which told his usual stories and insulted the governor.

    “In less than four weeks, Chief Ihedioha has granted three interviews, all on Governor Okorocha, and in each of the interviews, he skipped talking about the 12 years his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governed the state and the 12 years he spent in the House of Representatives because he knew they were all abysmal.

    “In the latest interview, Chief Ihedioha talked about Governor Okorocha’s style of governance and how he was robbed in the 2015 governorship election and so on. In all the interviews, he was very painstaking not to accuse Governor Okorocha of non-performance.

    “Again, we have also decided not to be reacting to Chief Ihedioha’s constant media attacks on Governor Okorocha because we have discovered that they do all these to give outsiders the erroneous impression that they are still relevant in Imo politics when, in actual fact, they have all gone into political oblivion.

    “The fact is that Chief Ihedioha sustained his growth in politics – from 2003 to 2015 – through name-dropping. That ugly development ended in 2015. Today, he does not have any other name to drop. And if he runs for councillorship in his ward today, he will fail woefully.

    “In 2003, he dropped the name of Atiku Abubakar to grab the ticket of the party and then went to the House of Representatives. He also continued to drop the name of (former President) Goodluck Jonathan until that gimmick was forced to stop in 2015.”

  • We are re-engineering PDP for future elections – Ihedioha

    We are re-engineering PDP for future elections – Ihedioha

    Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, in this interview with journalists in Abuja, spoke about the near mass movement of the south easterners to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and explored PDP crisis, offering the way forward. He also projected into 2019 general elections. Assistant Editor, Onyedi Ojiabor, was at the briefing and reports

    THE APC is already celebrating that they are getting a foothold in the South-East that used to be a PDP stronghold, especially with the defection of people like former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Chief Jim Nwobodo and some others to the party. Do you share this sentiment?

     It is expected when you go through the experience that we went through as a political party having been in office over a period of time and losing it without preparing to lose it. We have some movements outside of our party. What has happened to PDP is not unexpected; the characters in question, who also have moved, are obviously the suspects that would act in the ways and manners they did.

    Why do I say so? Having peeped into their antecedents and how solid and consistent they have been with the PDP, if you would recall even in the course of the election, I had reasons to investigate the activities of one of these elder statesmen and he was indeed working against our political party and he worked against my person; he is outside my state but he had a relationship with my governor. So, I wouldn’t call him a faithful PDP member.

    But because of the stature he has attained in the society, it is right to call him a leader. And so, it is not in my character to castigate our leaders, these actions are expected. I am not surprised. The people in question, I don’t know when last you saw them in any PDP activity, nationally at least where I operate and I don’t know how relevant they were at the point in time in their respective states.

    In my state, Imo State, the people that are being celebrated to have left the PDP were those who worked hard to compromise my election. They were in bed with the APC administration because unfortunately we had lost the presidential election and the governorship election that came two weeks after, the responsibilities that were handed over to them, they had reasons to sabotage them because if you would recall, President Buhari revisited Imo State on a Wednesday before our election on Saturday and he met with these characters, those are characters that are known to act in that manner.

    But to say that the APC is celebrating yes, they have to celebrate. They have gotten some names and they believe these names would give an impression that they are on ground but you know and any close watcher of South-East politics will tell you that these men would not move the grounds.

    In all elections we have had in the South-East, including the re-run election we had in Okigwe, PDP swept the polls in Okigwe Senatorial Zone. What did they do? They conspired with forces to undermine that victory. But I am almost certain that they wouldn’t have it that way anymore. The people are properly guided now; the people now know the various tricks they play and we would be on the watch out.

    Our party is not in the kind of state as it is being projected by the APC. The APC is doing what it should do, propaganda. The propaganda is what will help them to give an impression that they are on ground.

    For instance, the governor of my state would want to, as usual, give the impression that he is attracting people, but my people are asking what benefits has accrued to Imo State through you under the Buhari administration as close as you are. As the chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, we are yet to see any infrastructural development in our state since then.

    I expected being a senior party member, as he claimed to be, a leader of the party from my zone, I think the only APC governor from the South-East, Imo should have gotten a preferential treatment from the federal government; something therefore is wrong.

    PDP crisis simply was that there was an error of judgment; some of our leaders, not conscious of the past and antecedent of Ali Modu Sheriff, brought him to be made chairman and some of us protested. In the interest of the party, we allowed him to stay as chairman but we thought he will turn a new leaf or we thought he had changed. But obviously, it is very difficult for a leopard to change his skin. So, the Ali Modu Sheriff of 1998, of 1997 and 1996 came back to play.

    However I am convinced that what we are going through today is necessary for the revolution, anticipated revolution that will and is taking place today in PDP. If it didn’t happen now, it would have happened sometime later. So, it was better for us that the problem came early enough when we can solve our problems and get back stronger. I bet you, we shall not have such a character again attempting, talk less of becoming the chairman of the PDP.

    With what the APC government has done so far, do you think Nigerians are looking forward to having PDP back in power?

    What I hear from people who speak to me across board is that we should put our house together as quickly as possible and people are encouraged by the efforts we are making. I can tell you that this is about the sanest moments of the PDP. We were carried away by the power that we got in 1999 and so we never bothered to have time to sit back and intensively evaluate our situation to reevaluate our constitution and manifesto.

    Prior to this time, our PDP states were acting on their own but today, it has become very important that we create our identity for ourselves. As a people we are now looking inward to ask questions like; how did we get to where we are and how did we get here? I believe we will guide ourselves by the ugly experiences we have had over the period of time.

    No matter the way you consider the people who have chosen to defect to APC in the South-East, politics is a game of numbers. It appears the APC is actually gaining in-road in the South-East zone. With one state, Imo State in the South-East, you could count the people in APC in the South-East but right now what seems to be “heavy weight politicians” from the zone are moving into APC and they are making pronouncements and when the story is written they say Igbo leaders and the persons out there may not know who is actually a leader. Can you project into 2019; are you foreseeing a situation where South- East will become a battle ground say for the presidency?

    First of all, you cannot deny the fact that Chief Jim Nwobodo and Sen. Ken Nnamani are leaders of the Igbo nation; they are and I can never castigate them. I am not one that would deride them.

    I just talked about their involvement and participation in the fortunes of the PDP in the past. What attracted people to the PDP is not these big names. In 1998, take Imo State for instance, when PDP won clearly, virtually all the big political wigs like Sen. Arthor Nzeribe, Chief Emmanuel Uwuanyanwu and Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume were all in ANPP, none of them was in the PDP, yet PDP won the elections. It is at times like this that we appreciate the tenacity of purpose and the strength of character and the commitment of the Igbo man. I would just simply say just pause and take a deep breath and let’s wait for 2019.

    Recently, a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, said 2019 is right for the Igbo to produce the President of Nigeria but the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, responded and said the Igbo should wait for 2023. How do you look at the scenario that is playing out?

    I have not had time to reflect on the statement of Chief Obasanjo who is a very knowledgeable Nigerian of international repute. He is a critical leader who understands Nigeria and perhaps better than virtually everyone else and I am sure he must have his convictions and reasons.

    As we proceed and as we progress I will study his permutations and projections and see the reality of it. As for Governor Okorocha; he is a show man and he has always set his eyes on the presidency and I am aware that he is trying to position himself to look attractive. I am sure if that is what he is doing, he is going about it the wrong way because I am sure if any party wants to project him, they would be interested in his performance at home and obviously those performances do not sound positive.

    You aspired to be the governor of Imo State, but it didn’t work out. Looking back, how would you rate the performance of Governor Okorocha?

    Obviously if I was governor, I wouldn’t be doing things the way he has been doing things. If I was governor, Imo would be a better state to live in. If I was governor, Imo would be one of the positively talked about states in Nigeria and not a negatively talked about state. If I was governor, our people would have been happy and proud of the fact that they come from Imo.

    I am sure today that many of our people are not proud and happy to say that they have an Okorocha as the governor of their state. Where he has kept Imo today is not where Imo used to be before he became governor and that is not where we expected Imo to have been.

    Imo is a state that is endowed with human and natural resources. What the governor needed to do was to harness those resources and potentials and get the best from the people and out of the system.

    Without deriding him I don’t think it would be an over statement or an understatement that Imo is about the worst governed state today in Nigeria, things are not done the way governance operates. My understanding of governance differs from what I see prevalent at home.

    There is this clamour, especially in this part of the world, about being in mainstream politics. 2019 is just by the corner and a lot of political realignments are going on. Don’t you foresee a situation where the South-East will be in the ‘mainstream politics,’ say in APC?

    The circumstances that gave APC power in 2015 are not prevalent today and you know that it was an accidental situation. Like I said, PDP walked itself into a trap and we are looking at those things.

    If you are asked which is the mainstream party; the answer is clear; PDP remains the only party today that is popular in the South-South, in the South-East, in the North-West, in the North-Central, in the North-East and indeed in the South-West.

    In the North-Central, the circumstances that led to our loss were peculiar to the circumstances in the North-West, ditto to the circumstances in the South-West and the North-East. And so, we are reappraising our situation.

    I know that the South-East has no reason whatsoever to jettison the PDP. I would rather urge you to take it easy. Events will unfold as we progress.