By Baron ike
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State may have enlisted the supporters of paid agents to kick against the existing zoning arrangement in Imo as part of several moves to push the governorship aspiration of his son in-law.
Insinuations are high that Okorocha wants his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu who is married to his first daughter to replace him come 2019 against the Imo Equity Charter that makes it possible for the governorship position to rotate between the three senatorial zones of Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe.
Okorocha comes from Orlu and his son in-law also comes from the same zone. Imolites have criticised the plot and are resolved to frustrate it, but the governor and his political hirelings have gone to town to sell the idea of abandoning the arrangement because of their selfish interest.
For instance,one politician and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) believed to be a stooge of Okorocha, Sam Iwuagwu has said those criticizing Okorocha are ignorant.
Iwuagwu spoke in Umuahia during a private visit to another Abia APC chieftain who is also in Okorocha’s pocket.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo had earlier written an article on why Nwosu should be ready to run for Imo Governorship in 2019 which received a lot of flak from people.
Onwuemedo had argued that there was no binding document on zoning formula in Imo which must be adhere to in choosing Okorocha’s successor, a logic that got Prof. E.C. Azubuike infuriated.
However, Azubuike knocked the scholar’s position and instead backed Onwuemedo describing the professor’s outburst as an invitation to ignite fire in Imo politics over zoning
formula which he himself said “does not exist in any signed document by stakeholders in the state neither has it a place in any constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He challenged Professor Azubuike to substantiate his claims by presenting a written document containing zoning arrangement of leadership positions in the state, contending that the issue at stake remained who will deliver in governance rather than where or which zone the person comes from. True to what he was paid to do, Iwuagwu went about to advertise Okorocha’s coming, saying that “within the six years of Okorocha’s administration Imo has witnessed massive transformation and completely changed from its previous neglect by successive administrations to an envy of other states across the federation.”
He said he wondered why zoning system should be an issue when people are looking for quality and better leadership that can maintain the current tempo of development and carry the state to another level.
He argued that what should bother the Imo indigenes should be who would sustain the good legacies of Okorocha and not where or which zone his successor comes from.
But one Duru Amako, an indigene of Orlu criticised the logic of Azubuike, noting that Imo State is not meant for Orlu alone and that contrary to Azubuike’s thinking, Okorocha’s coming has rather brought pains to the people of the state and it would amount to double jeopardy entrusting the state in the hands of another of his stooge, what more his incompetent, colourless in-law.
“The truth is that anybody Okorocha raises his hands as his successor for 2019 will be treated as a leper, and the worse will even be his in-law,” Amako said.