Onyinyechi Amakaulo
As the final leg of the judicial process to determine the actual winner of the Imo State governorship election which comes up today, one of the few actors will be key players of what will happen in the state after the judgment.
Ahead of the judgment, Trumpeta can state that one of the few actors shall have a role to play after the judicial pronouncement in Abuja today.
Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha
Irrespective of what would be the outcome of the Supreme Court as Trumpeta is not aware as at Press time, Ihedioha who has been on stage since May 29, 2019 is the man to catch.
The PDP candidate for the March 9, 2019 governorship election who was declared the winner by INEC will either prime to be a cat wine nine lives or enter his name in the record books as a eight months governor of the state.
Ihedioha has gone through several battles since he emerged victorious after the election. Apart from the cases instituted against him to stop his swearing in, three major contenders; Senators Ifeanyi Araraume, Hope Uzodinma and Chief Uche Nwosu has laid ambush in the law courts and tribunal to stop him from going further.
The Supreme Court decision will end the post election court brouhaha.
Hope Uzodinma:
The two time Senator of Orlu zone can’t be written off as one of the actors to watch.
Senator Hope Uzodinma has been in court since the Imo governorship was decided. Uzodinma caused a minor stir in the tribunal case when he brought in results that would hand him over the mandate. But he has been knocked off by the
Tribunal and Appeal before proceeding to Supreme. One of the Justices at the supreme offered ray of hope to his quest when he gave minority judgment in his favour.
The APC candidate who was formerly of PDP had bulldozed his way to become the party’s candidate. But a twist of fate hangs on his way. While a Reverened Father, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka had prophesized early in 2020 that Uzodinma would outsmart Ihedioha to become the governor, another supreme court ruling which handled Uche Nwosu’s case ruled that the AA candidate stands disqualified because he was candidate of AA and at the same time APC thereby guilty of Double Nomination, an offence against Electoral Act which promited the disqualification.
The Supreme Court decision which came earlier according to legal pundits may jeopardize today’s final judgment.
Ifeanyi Araraume:
The Isiebu Isiala Mbano born politician regarded as the strongman of Imo politics is in his last fight for the battle for Douglas House, office of the Governor, Imo State Araraume used APGA platform to contest for the 2019 election.
His grouse for following up the court cases and adopting a never say die approach is the 25% requirement for a candidate to be declared governor. Since the Tribunal and Appeal thinks otherwise, Araraume is upbeat the supreme will prove him right and cancel the election for a fresh one. Already, in view of a re-run, Araraume has started building political brigdes across other political camps. He was spotted at the residence of the former governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha during the yuletide period. And political observers in the state are of the view that Araraume/Okorocha romance is targeted at positioning their camps for a possible re-run after the Supreme Court verdict.
Uche Nwosu:
The 2019 governorship contest of Imo State can’t be discussed without the name of Uche Nwosu getting mention.
Despite being given technical knockout by the supreme after losing at the tribunal and appeal, Nwosu is waiting on the wings for what would become of the Supreme Court where he is also an interested party.
