By the end of Saturday next elections would have been over and the next distinguished Senator for Owerri Senatorial zone (Imo East) to replaced senator Christy Anyanwu will be determined.
March 28, 2015, remains a remarkable date in Nigerian’s political calendar. After earlier date of February 14, 2015, the date became realistic for conduct of Presidential/National Assembly elections scheduled for that day.
For people in the nine LGAs that make up Oweri zone, the date is another grand opportunity to decide who takes over from the incumbent, Senator Christy Anyanwu. Anyanwu, a female politician who after observing two terms, took a honourable bow to vie for the PDP governorship position.
However, since it is certain that the former information commissioner in Imo state would not return to the Red chamber, scores of senatorial hopefuls are at the moment putting finishing touches to be” the Owerri man in the Senate”.
Even as I am not a soothsayer and do not posses the magical prowess to foresee which of the candidates would get majority of votes in the senatorial contest, statistics will permit me to limit myself to the front runners likely to come out tops at the end of hostilities.
The contest is loaded with power-packed politicians making predictions difficult for any political analyst or election commentator at the moment. So far Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu (aka) Sam Daddy of the PDP and APC’s Uche Onyeaguocha are favoured to emerge victorious. However, one may be found guilty of crass ignorance of dynamics of Owerri zone politics if the likes of Paschal Nneji, and Kelechi Nwagwu of APGA and Labour Party respectively are left out in the discussion. Another figure worthy of having a mention in the preview is Chris Anaele of PPA.
As usual my commentary will not fail to asses the chances of other wise of the contenders with a view to making premature permutations of the would be outcome of the senatorial poll.
Samdaady as Anyanwu, a serving state legislator is called needs no introduction in Imo state politics. A radiant, lively and popular politician from Amaimo, Ikeduru LGA, is the member representing Ikeduru State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly came into political limelight a decade ago when he was elected Executive Chairman of Ikeduru LGA under PDP platform. In 2007, he was elected a House of Assembly member before getting a-back-to-back chance in 2011. Under the present dispensation, SamDaddy is back on familiar terrain this time with a higher ambition; the Senate.
Apart from luck which has been part of Sam Daddy’s political life, the eight years spent in Assembly complex can be said to be enough legislative experience to represent the interest of Owerri zone. The Ikeduru lawmaker can stand to be counted among the outstanding lawmakers that made the chamber of the state legislature glamorous.
Considering the role a Senator is expected to play when elected, Sam Daddy will no doubt put into practice his legislative experience since he will not be a notice to the intricacies involved in politics of that magnitude. Issues related to sponsorship of motions, Bills and constituency representation will not be a new language to him if elected. Besides, oversight functions, another critical aspect of lawmaking has been part of his constitutional responsible in the past eight years. One luck going for Sam Daddy is his Oweri zone background. Undoubtably people of Owerri zone, who have been clamouring for a governor from the zone in 2015 Imo governorship election are found more in the nine LGAs.
Owerri zone is the heartbeat of PDP and to send a warning signal that they desire the governorship position begins with the first election scheduled for March 28, 2015.
Other forces expected to tilt victory in favour of Sam daddy is the influence of the PDP governorship candidate, Emeka Ihedioha. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps and PDP standard bearer is from Mbaise, a powerful clan with strong voting bloc. Mbaise has three LGAs; Aboh, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte. With Ngor Okpala, it has two Aboh/Ngor Okpala. No single bloc has such strength in Owerri Senate. If Sam Daddy pockets his Ikeduru LGA votes alongside that of Mbaitolu, in the Mbaike Federal Constituency fraternity and goes ahead to capture the three Mbaise LGAs including Ngor Okpala, he is within spitting distance to the upper legislative chamber.
Sam Daddy’s towering fame and likelyhood of picking the position may have pitched him against antagonists who are said to have devised unorthodox means to not only distract but also tackle the Ikeduru-born lawmaker. Apart from orchestrated cheap blackmail meant to put Samdaddy’s image in bad light, a coffin with his posters was dropped in front of his family house at Amaimo-Ikeduru.
Irrespective of the odds in his favour, it will not be a smooth sail for SamDaddy as the APC candidate, Onyeagocha is turbo-charged to break the jinx in his growing political misfortune.
After using APGA ticket to cause upset in Imo political records by becoming the only non PDP person that won a federal constituency seat in 2003 election when he shoved aside highly favoured Ibe Ejiogu, younger brother to PDP Women Leader, then Minister of Aviation, Kema Chikwe, to win Owerri Federal constituency elections the next contests became unsuccessful.
Onyeagocha’s Reps victory in 2003 was more of a revolution, reminiscent of the 2011 election that ushered in Owelle Rochas Okorocha as governor against PDP’s Ikedi Ohakim.
Similar to what Okorocha did later, Onyeagocha stirred the hornest’s nest when he dumped APGA in 2007 at the completion of his tenure, to join ACN where he ran for governor. Again, in 2011, Onyeagocha, a lawyer with deep interest inn human right activism sought for the senatorial seat of the zone with ACN platform, but was defeated. At present, Onyeagocha he can be said to be in do-or-die battle for the position.
Judging from his background as a legal professional and interest in welfare of the masses, Onyeagocha will also fit into the type of Senator Owerri Zone needs. Outspoken and fearless, his emergence from the pack of high calibre contestants in APC indicates that he is a strong contender for the race. Another justification is the recent NUJ debate where he excelled. His undiluted romance with governor Rochas Okorocha and member of the ruling party in the state is an added advantage ginger his quest to emerge winner. The APC like PDP has built structures from ward to state levels, including the strategic roles of political appointees empowered to ensure success of the party in the polls. The charge by Okorocha that any appointee who fails during his booth, ward and LGA during the election will fail out of his cabinet is enough signal that will ensure all APC stakeholders to avoid the Armageddon by working for the interest of the party. Onyeagocha is expected to be a beneficiary of this APC strategic measures.
Onyeagocha may suffer difficulties in his Owerri Federal Constituency. The politician that prefers to add MON to his name meaning Mmanu Oha Nile (MON) will face obstacles at the home front. Observers are of the view that breaking through in his Owerri West LGA appears difficult as areas like Owerri North and Municipal will be a war front for all contestants. A winner may not unlikely emerge until the last vote is counted.
Moreso, those who lost to Onyeagocha in APC primaries are said not to be comfortable with his ambition on the premise that the “hands of Esau” was involved in ensuring the former Reps member became the flagbearer. Inspite of the face-mending manoeuvers and reapproachment championed by the governor, the affected APC persons and their supporters are yet to overcome the trauma that trailed Onyeagocha’s declaration as APC Senate ticket holder for Owerri zone.
But for the APGA party ticket, Paschal Nneji, younger brother to transport magnet of ABC transport fame is holding he, would not have desired a mention as senatorial candidate. In party ranking, APGA invariably comes third after the big two; PDP and APC.
Though Nneji has not shown enough razzmatazz associated with one seeking the office, his party cannot be easily waved away as a serious contender to the position. The fact that only party logo than names of candidate will appear on the ballot papers increases Nneji’s chances to garner votes in the zone because another top contender for the governorship position, Emmanuel Ihenacho is from the zone and would try to brighten the party chances during the first election. Nneji will also count on the “Mbaise Spirit” to raise the stake while the influence and perhaps financial muscles of the brother, a billionaire businessman will count.
Nneji can also be said to have come out to be counted among senatorial candidates of 2015 election than a serious contender of controversies following his party’s ticket are anything to go by. Till date, he is yet to be fully confirmed authentic ticket holder as some aggrieved persons have gone to court to challenge his nomination as flagbearer of the party. Two persons, are still seeking court mandate to ollect the ticket from Nneji. His emergence is among the controversial allocation of party tickets to aspirants based on the weight of their pocket and not acceptability of party members. The dust raised by this act is yet to subside and definitely will rub the shine of Nneji’s ambition.
It will appear unwise for other clans to give Nneji from Mbaise their vote when their daughter and wife, Christy Anyanwu kept the seat for eight years. It was this factor that made Nneji ask for the Ngor Okpala/Aboh Reps ticket of APGA before he was handed the senatorial position that appears more like “balancing the act”.
For Nwangwu and Anaele who are from Ikeduru LGA, pundits are of the view that they are either playing a “Spoilers role” of want to be counted among the 2015 candidates. Observers are still trying to fashion out how they will use their relatively unknown parties to manipulate the masses in Owerri zone into using their PVCs to send them to Abuja.
