By Ikenna Onuoha
Five months to the Imo Governorship election, precisely on November 11, 2023, political gladiators have continued to display reservations regarding the possible outcome of the poll.
One of the contenders and incumbent Governor of the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma is rumoured to have started peddling falsehood and unsubstantial allegations against his major rivalry and Candidate of the PDP, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu. As political observers, we had expected Senator Uzodinma to profile all he claims to have achieved in the state within the three and half years he assumed office.
Instead of him to roll out the drums of possible achievements, he is busy emasculating powers and struggling to topedoe the acceptance of his arch rival.
Political pundits are of the view that since the statement made by a former Governor of the state and immediate past Senator for Imo West, Chief Rochas Okorocha during the 58th birthday anniversary of the PDP Candidate, Hope Uzodinma and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state are now in panic mode over the deluge of support and acceptance.
It is no longer news that the Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu and his running mate, Hon Jones Onyereri are gathering much supports across party lines, what is expected of the other parties is to form alliance with their possible contacts instead of peddling falsehood of deceits ahead of the November 11, 2023 Governorship election in the State.
The joy of every Imo person is that the former Governor’s statement painfully perceived by Hope Uzodinma and his government to be an open support for Senator Anyanwu not minding supports from other stakeholders in the State is a development that has rattled the Omuma born politician and his APC administration for which they were accused of resorting to puerile and thoughtless allegations as face-saving measure.
Imo people are of the opinion that the resort to falsehood by the APC administration in Imo State against perceived rivals only confirms that it is unsettled and now in mortal fear of the PDP standard bearer, who according to public opinion, has become the rallying point of the people in their collective quest to liberate and make Imo State Safe Again from the stranglehold of bad leadership.
Since the emergence of Senator Anyanwu as PDP Governorship Candidate in Imo State as the writer observed, the Senator Uzodinma and the APC may have started having sleepless nights and also become frustrated by the unity in the PDP and the overflow of support by stakeholders and majority citizens from across the State irrespective of the rumoured resignation of seven members of the party’s State Working Committee.
The rate in which the APC administration is tackling the PDP candidate with false assertion has made Imo people to wonder if Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu is the only person contesting the Governorship election in the state.
However, the writer and other curious Imo citizens are of the view that instead of threatening the PDP Candidate and sending his commissioners to spew wicked lies, fabrications, falsehood and propaganda, Governor Uzodinma should come to terms with his rumoured rejection by the people of the State due to his alleged abysmal and irredeemable failure in office.
Political analysts concluded that the antics of the present administration in the state has brought excruciating economic hardship, escalated violence, mindless killings, kidnapping and general sense of insecurity in the State.
Instead of dishing out spurious and infantile allegations and counter allegations from the side of the government in power, the PDP campaign council may have challenged Governor Uzodinma to speak out on the recent harrowing report by a Human Rights Organization, InterSociety, that over 1,600 unarmed Imo citizens were killed, 400 disappeared and 1,200 civilian houses burnt down in 29 months under his watch as Imo State Governor.
As it affects the generality of the state citizens, it is therefore pertinent that Governor Uzodinma should speak out on the reported indictment over killings, call for international Visa ban and other diplomatic justice action against him by InterSociety.
Furthermore, the people of Imo State are still waiting for the APC administration and the Chief Driver, Governor Uzodinma to give account of the alleged billions of naira federal monthly allocation paid to the State with no corresponding development in the State.
Now that humongous allegations are gradually trippling all directed to the APC government in the state, the writer is of the view that Governor Uzodinma should come clean on the alleged embezzlement of over N30 billion reimbursed by the Federal Government for work on Orlu and Okigwe federal roads among other heavy sleazes which have made live unbearable in Imo State under his watch.
What else can we say if these threating allegations against the state government is not responded to, especially, now that the people of Imo State have had enough under Governor Uzodinma and his APC administration and cannot wait to hear more before either, voting him in or out in the November poll.
Political pundits had issued report which suggests that the open declaration of support for the PDP candidate by a former Governor in the state is a direct reflection of the Will, feelings and aspiration of the majority of the people of Imo State ahead of the election, adding that no amount of threats, false allegations and fabrication by the Governor Uzodinma-led APC administration can sway the resolve.
A closer look at the PDP Candidate, Senator Anyanwu and his party appeared that they have been receiving flurry of calls, visits and correspondences from other well-meaning leaders and critical stakeholders including those in the APC in support of Senator Anyanwu. One of his official statement assured that very soon, Governor Uzodinma will realize that he is actually standing alone.
As citizens of the state, we are earnest in our yearning for a purposeful and development-driven administration under a refined, humane, resourceful and visionary leader who will perfect a people-based blueprint to revamp and restore Imo State to its pride of place.
What is in dire need now is a committed and focused but productive and issue-based personality with diluted discourse of social emancipation that will not be distracted by the infantile fabrication and baseless allegations from known characters who are hell-bent in fanning the ember of discord.
By so doing, we shall be expecting Imo of our collective dreams!
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
