By Onyekachi Eze
There are strong indications that the governor of Imo State and leader of the party in Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has disappointed some of his party members in the Imo State House of Assembly who either failed to have a return ticket to the state legislature or had ambition to go higher to Reps.
APC primary was held last weekend and names of successful candidates have been made public.
Trumpeta learnt that before now, the lawmakers of the ruling party had reportedly reached an understanding inside the Imo Douglas House, Owerri, where they were said to have been assured a return ticket and support to go higher to Reps.
This newspaper further gathered that the agreement prompted majority of the state lawmakers to purchase APC forms for second, third missionary journey and Reps ticket.
It was also learnt that the pact made many of the lawmakers of the APC to remain in the party and show loyalty to the governor for the tickets.
However, the outcome of the primaries has proven that many of them have been disappointed by the governor’s assurances.
Trumpeta correspondent who monitored the APC exercise note that five members of the party Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru), Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba) , Ngozi Obiefule (Isu), Arthur Egwim (Ideato North) , Michael Crown Njoku (Ihitte/Uboma), and Blyden Amajirionwu lost the bid to pick federal House tickets.
After two terms in the House, Onwudiwe and Obiefula had wanted to go for the Nkwerre, Isu, Nwangele and Njaba Fed Constituency under APC, but they lost to Barr Harrison Nwadike, while Ogbuagu withdraw for the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Fed Constituency when it became obvious, the son of Chief Charles Amadi (Chalvon) Akarachi would carry the day.
Amajirionwu who is new to the House of Assembly and wanted taste of legislative business in Abuja had his dream cut short as it favoured Ifeanyi Akwiti. Same goes for the Ideato Fed Constituency where Egwim lost out too. The lawmakers had banked on Uzodinma’s assurances to get the ticket.
Crown Njoku of Ihitte Uboma is also in this category. He lost Obowo, Ihitte Uboma and Ehime Mbano Fed Constituency.
Worse hit in the failure of the agreement for a ticket are two former Speakers; Collins Chiji (Isiala Mbano) and Paul Emeziem ( Onuimo). After pledging support and loyalty to Uzodinma, ostensibly for APC ticket, both couldn’t succeed.
Others who tasted a bitter pill of the collapse of the return ticket pact are Ekene Nnodumele (Orsu), Herclus Okoro, (Ohaji/Egbema), Ogbunikpa Chidiebere (Okigwe) all lost out.
