Things haven’t been looking so rosy in Imo State since Emeka Ihedioha was dubiously ousted by the Supreme Court of Nigeria after some numerical manipulations by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“A nudge here+ Some bribes there + 213,695 votes = Hope Uzodinma”
His removal not only brought tumultuous times to Imo state but the worst hit were his party members, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Had it been a party like the Action Alliance who by right and votes were the second runner-ups in the 2019 Imo state gubernatorial elections, had gotten the victory in the Supreme Court, things might have been easier for PDP political leaders in Imo state. No one expected it to be their direct opposition party APC. The Supreme Court ruling took everyone by surprise as Hope Uzodinma was supposed to be the fourth runner up to the gubernatorial elections.
A bit of electoral manipulations by INEC to generate figures, a bribe here and a nudge there, and voila! 213,695 votes were manufactured bringing Uzodinma to the helm of the gubernatorial table and thus awarding him the supreme court victory thus ousting out Emeka Ihedioha.
“He assumes Position, Guns Blazing”
Hope Uzodinma assumed position as the number one citizen of Imo State and in less than one month under his rule, the state has seen more political restructuring than any since it’s creation in 1976.
He proceeded to sack half of Ihedioha’s appointees taking care to include those in Opposition parties like PDP and APGA. Then he ordered the closure of all ongoing state projects and sacked all contractors while threatening to probe them later on.
Read Also: Imo PDP Defectors Lured With ₦50m, Lands – Scribe
“You either join or leave”
The after-effects of Hope Uzodinma’s restructuring saw a lot of vacant, juicy political positions waiting for who to take them. This resulted in a typical political pandemonium which saw a lot of defections, mostly from PDP to APC, brothers betrayed brothers and party members trampled on their code of conduct as they didn’t hesitate to sell their fellow party members out in other to get into the good books of their new party and hopefully, their new governor.
The ring leader of the defections was the popular Imo political statesman Uche Ogbuagu who took with him 7 more Imo state lawmakers on his journey to APC. His defection as he claimed was due to the “poor treatment” meted out to him in PDP. If you will define “Poor Treatment” as failure to include him in the Party’s Gubernatorial primaries election, or that PDP helped him with a lawmaker position which he didn’t deserve anyways or the fact that PDP didn’t give him 50 million naira and some new lands like they did immediately he joined APC. Then he was indeed “very poorly treated” (pun intended).
This betrayal led to the suspension and sack of many other former political seat holders.
“Carrot and Stick!”
The new Governor, Hope Uzodinma seeing that there were still some key political leaders (who were very vital to his complete assumption and domination of power in Imo state) who hadn’t defected to the APC party decided to build a ‘Carrot and stick’ plan.
He offered a juicy sum of 50 million naira upwards and a choice plot of land in any choice area in Imo state to the die-hard politcal Chiefs and made some subtle threats about security probes and limitations to the Imo state political sphere if they didn’t take the offer.
Many, those who had skeletons to hide and those whose integrity was worth less than some good millions jumped at the offer and didn’t hesitate to decamp.
But a few had a bit of conscience and integrity left in them. One of those was Comrade Philip Ejiogu.
‘The Tree that withstood the storm’
Honourable Member, Comrade Philip Ejiogu, his conscience, goodness, and integrity very much intact bluntly rejected the offer against the advice of friends, family and supposed ‘well-wishers’. Even at the expense of 50 Million naira in this harsh economy, a good land which maybe worth another 10 to 20 million naira and his position as the Education Committee Chairman. He chose to stand and identify with his party, the PDP and for the sake of integrity
It’s time for the people of Owerri North to salute the courage of this young man, Legislator, Hon. Philip Ejiogu.
Posterity most assuredly will adjudge him fairly as he has sworn to be with PDP, and uphold his integrity.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK