- Imo 2027/2028: Beyond the Sound and Fury, A Plea for the Charter of Equity
By Chief Elvis C. Anumudu, PhD
(Political Commentator and Analyst)
The familiar winds of political change are beginning to stir again across our beloved Imo State. That unmistakable feeling is in the air—a mix of anxiety, hope, and ambition. Soon enough, the dance will begin in earnest: the posters, the radio jingles, the midnight meetings, and the grand promises. We will be called upon to elect leaders from the Council to the Government House. But as the stage is being set for this great political theatre, I cannot help but feel a profound sense of unease. Are we, the people, preparing with the same vigour as the politicians? More critically, are we preparing to repeat the mistakes of the past, or are we ready to forge a new path?
My heart sinks when I consider the state of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR). It is the most powerful tool in the hands of the common man, yet we treat it with alarming nonchalance. While the politicians are busy calculating and forming alliances, the people are being shut out by a system that seems designed to frustrate. Must our mothers, our market women, our young graduates trek all the way to LGA headquarters just to exercise a fundamental right? Is there no budget for INEC to take this exercise to the wards and the communities? This is not just an INEC problem; it is a failure of leadership at all levels. Where is the voice of our elected and appointed officials? Why are they not championing mobile registration in our communities, making it easier for their own people to be empowered? This silence is a betrayal of the trust we placed in them.
However, my primary message today transcends the urgent need for PVCs. It is a plea for our collective soul. It is a call for us to look beyond the coming sound and fury and address the foundational crack that has crippled our progress: the cancer of political discord and the winner-takes-all mentality that leaves sections of our state perpetually marginalised and aggrieved.
This is why the ongoing conversation around the Charter of Equity (CoE) is perhaps the most critical political development in our state in recent times. I must commend His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, for having the courage to present this as an Executive bill, and our respected Imo Elders Council for their foresight in supporting this principle. For those who may not understand, the Charter of Equity is not a mere document; it is a sacred covenant. It is a pragmatic and peaceful agreement to rotate key political offices, particularly the Governorship, amongst the three senatorial zones of Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe.
This is not about favouring one zone over another. It is about justice, fairness, and the strategic stability of our state. When every zone knows its turn is guaranteed, the desperate, do-or-die politics that often leads to violence and bitterness is significantly reduced. It allows each zone to produce its best, knowing the opportunity is theirs by right of agreement, not by conquest. The Charter of Equity lays a foundation for lasting peace. It is the bedrock upon which sustainable development can be built. To oppose it is to endorse the chaotic cycle we have been trapped in for decades.
The Way Forward for Ndi Imo
As we stand at this crossroads, we must be guided by wisdom, not sentiment. Below is what we must do:
1. Embrace and Codify the Charter of Equity: Our leaders across party lines must come together to not only support but legally entrench this Charter. It must become a permanent feature of our political culture, beyond the tenure of any single administration. This is the ultimate demonstration of statesmanship.
2. A Unified Front for Development: Let our political engagements henceforth be about who has the best blueprint to develop Imo within this new framework of equity. Let the campaigns focus on issues of infrastructure, job creation for our teeming youth, and security, not on sowing seeds of division.
3. Take Back Your Power with Your PVC: The Charter ensures a fair shot at power, but it is your PVC that determines the quality of leadership. Let us organise ourselves. Community leaders, town unions, and youth groups must mobilise to ensure every eligible Imo citizen is registered. We must no longer outsource our future.
Ndi Imo, the time for empty rhetoric is over. We have a golden opportunity to break from a troubled past and build a state where peace, justice, and progress are not mere slogans but a lived reality. The Charter of Equity is our compass. Let us follow it. Let us choose unity over strife, and progress over perpetual conflict. Our children deserve a better legacy.
Chief Elvis C. Anumudu, PhD, writes from Owerri.
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