Imo State is on the cusp of a critical juncture in its political journey. As the 2027 governorship election draws near, the need for Owerri Zone to form a strategic alliance with Okigwe Zone has become increasingly imperative. This alliance is rooted in the principles of the charter of equity, which seeks to promote fairness, justice, and equity among the three senatorial zones in Imo State. The charter of equity was established to ensure that each zone has an equal opportunity to produce the governor of the state. However, this charter has been breached in the past, leading to a sense of marginalization and discontent among Okigwe and Owerri Zones. It is against this backdrop that the need for an Owerri-Okigwe alliance becomes crucial. This was the crux of the argument by an elder stateman from Owerri Zone, Paddy Obinna, in an interview on Saturday. He argued that by supporting an Okigwe Zone candidate in the 2027 governorship election, Owerri Zone can help to restore balance and equity to the polity. This alliance would not only be a strategic move but also a moral imperative, as it seeks to address the historical injustices that have been perpetrated against Okigwe Zone, adding that Owerri Zone led the injustice done against Okigwe Zone in 2011. Except:
*On Monday, March 11, the Imo Harmony Project (IHP) met with the governor at the government house, Owerri. Predictably, the charter of equity and 2027 governorship election came up. The governor told the delegation led by Captain Emma Ihenacho to go back home and unite the people. He said that he believes in the charter of equity, but that merit must be considered. What do you make of that visit?*
Thank you. That was a very intelligent response from the governor to the Imo Harmony Project delegation. The people who visited were only one in a million organizations in the state, but some people seem to be running faster than their legs, as far as I’m concerned. I appreciate His Excellency’s response when he told them that he still has about three years to go, and he wants to be busy. So, I see the visit as more of a distraction; they were just disturbing the governor about what was going to happen in 2027. The intention of some of these organizations is to give attention to the fact that some of them are selfishly interested in the 2027 governorship election and not for the collective interest of the people.
The business of governance goes with political parties. Candidates come from different political parties, not clubs or gang of people who think that when they now say it is our turn, it is, therefore, their turn. It doesn’t happen that way. And as a result, you know we are a zone and you can find out that there are not less than 50 people angling to become the governor of Imo State in 2027 from Owerri Zone alone, which means that you have over 50 groups supporting them. Because after the zonal thing, the governor, if I get him right, was talking about the charter of equity, and his own concept of the charter of equity is that it would go from one zone to the other, not to individuals. The governor didn’t talk about individuals and their aspirations. But since his last comment, too many individuals have gone around and told their kings and queens that the governor has sometimes promised them the governorship. In an attempt to win, you tell your people, “Oh, this is our thing. The governor has promised me,” even when he has not promised anybody. The charter of equity has not put a stamp that it must go to a particular zone. If a particular zone is disorganized, they can’t get the governorship. There are three zones in Imo State, three solid zones: Owerri, Okigwe, and Orlu. And mind you, when this issue of charter of equity started, it started as a programme of a certain political party. Now, if we want to take it from that angle, and considering that His Excellency is of the APC, it means that the charter of equity is an arrangement of a political party that may not be bought by other parties. And these individuals, who will be looking for where they will now become the governor of Imo State, it then means that you are bringing confusion to the state and distracting His Excellency. That is the way I see that Monday visit.
*The Charter of Equity was meant to rotate power fairly among the three zones you earlier mentioned. But in 2011, Owerri Zone backed an Orlu Zone candidate, Rochas Okorocha, instead of standing with Okigwe Zone. Looking back to what happened in 2011, do you think that Owerri made a mistake?*
You are bringing me back to the ugly story of Ikedi Ohakim not getting his second term in 2011, and Orlu now took it, backed by Owerri Zone. Funny enough, each time this question is asked, I feel guilty as an Obinna that the Obinnas directly and indirectly were involved in that story of backing an Orlu man. When you recall that the Obinnas and the Owerri people, especially with the fact that it was the church that backed the Orlu people, you wouldn’t say they were fair to Ohakim. At that time, you know, we were suffering from colonization and evangelization. Evangelization came and colonized our people. At this stage, it is even worse that our people believe almost everything the Rev Father says. So, the story about the Rev. Father saga was like a story told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. That’s exactly what I see that happened in 2011, where a man was denied what belonged to him based on a devilish propaganda. As of right, when you now consider that every governor from Achike, Okorocha, and Uzodimma are doing two terms of eight years, given all of them from Orlu Zone 24 years, and Okigwe Zone was denied what belonged to them, and yet they are talking about justice, equity, fairness. That was the greatest mistake we made, and it needs to be corrected. If we must survive in this state and let the charter of equity go from zone to zone, truth must be in place after justice, equity, and fairness. So, if you have had a turn and had another turn, did you also consider justice, equity, fair play, and truth in taking what others ought to have taken?
When you consider what happened in 2011, I think what we should be talking about now is atonement in the religious terms, especially now that we are in a lent period. We should be thinking about atonement for our sin, the sins we committed against Okigwe Zone, and that atonement must be done in public. Okigwe Zone does not need anyone to come kneeling down to apologize. Rather, we should atone for our sins by coming publicly with our votes to say sorry for the sin we have committed against Ohakim. Then, there will be justice. When you have this justice, it will now make it convenient for an Owerri Zone man to come to power and stay for eight years. So, the best way to correct this anomaly is by allowing the zone that hasn’t completed their tenure to complete it so that Owerri Zone can complete theirs, and then we can move on. Otherwise, we will make no progress with the charter of equity.
*Owerri Zone was promised power in 2015 as part of the deal with Rochas in 2011, but that promise was broken. Do you feel betrayed as somebody from Owerri Zone? If so, would Owerri Zone have been in a better position today if they had worked with Okigwe instead?*
Anyone who was an active participant in what happened in 2011 must feel disappointed that Owerri Zone did not get power in 2015 as they were promised, because Rochas said he was going to do only one term and handover to Owerri Zone. When you understand the fact that every governor is entitled to two terms, you will also better appreciate the fact that Owerri Zone was deceived to believe that Okorocha was going to do only one term as governor. We made the mistake of believing him, and that is the problem. That is why I’m saying that if we must correct these anomalies, we must go back to where this four-year thing started – it started with Okigwe not completing their term in 2011. With hindsight, if we had continued with Ohakim, we wouldn’t be here discussing this issue because Owerri Zone would have completed their eight years and handed over to someone from Orlu by now.
*Some argue that Owerri’s refusal to support Okigwe Zone in 2011 was what disrupted the charter of equity and left Owerri sidelined for years. Do you agree that fixing that mistake by letting Okigwe complete its turn is the best strategy to ensure Owerri gets power next?*
This is what I have been saying all along. Unless we fix the mistake of 2011, we won’t make headway with the charter of equity. Oweri Zone refusing to support Okigwe in 2011 was worsened by a heavy propaganda from the church. I have said it many times that some of us come from religious families, and we tend to agree with anything because it comes from the church. How many people can refuse to do what their Reverend Father has told them? How many of them can refuse to go by what the pastors have said? So, blame the elders. those who were leading us, from the hierarchy of the priesthood to the hierarchy of the political leadership at the time.
*Justice and fairness demand that the first injustice should be corrected before moving forward. If Okigwe’s tenure was cut short, wouldn’t true equity mean allowing them to finish it first before Owerri claims their turn?*
That is what equity ought to be. Even in the traditional environment, when we go for meat sharing, if either by omission or commission, you don’t get a fair share, you will always tell the person to wait for the next time around. The next time around, the person will be the first to get a fair share, after which everyone else will move ahead. That is how it is done, and that is how culture looks at equity. Unfortunately, we are now living within the concept of foreign culture than living within the concept of our traditional culture that has peace and brotherhood as the bedrock of our living. So, when you now look at your brother crying, you would allow your brother to take his own share because you want peace with your brother. So, for this charter of equity to work, we must go to our cultural norms and respect our culture and atone for the wrong we have done to our brothers for peace to reign.
*Considering the historical injustice done to Okigwe, would Owerri Zone be open to forming a political alliance with Okigwe to reclaim the lost balance and secure 2031 for themselves?*
As an elder stateman, I believe that is the best thing they should do. Owerri Zone should consider being a true brother’s keeper, form alliance with Okigwe Zone, and allow Okigwe to complete their term so that it will be easy for them to have their eight full years. But if Owerri Zone doesn’t allow alliance between them and Okigwe Zone, then they will be forcing Okigwe Zone to enter into alliance with Orlu, and they are more brothers than Owerri is to Okigwe Zone. They are like two neglected brothers or two downtrodden brothers that have now sprung up, and they also want to grow. So, the best thing is for Owerri Zone to have an alliance with Okigwe Zone and wait for 2031. That will help Owerri Zone to prepare and do what the governor has now asked them to do. By that time, they will have enough time to go and unite and begin to prune down the number that are mushrooming for governorship every day.
*2027 presents another opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past. What would be your message to political leaders in Imo on the importance of keeping agreements and respecting fairness in leadership?*
We should start by not telling our people lies of what we will do when we get into office. Many people will promise you they will not do, but we should stick with the man who is limited by our grundnorm to do just one term.
