Imo North: Hon. Chikwem Onuoha Calms Supporters, Solicits Support For APC Candidate, Sir Frank Ibezim

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA

Politics of gangsterism, dangerous propaganda, campaign of calumny, pull him down and blackmailing have always jotted Nigeria’s political terrain in every electoral outing that did not favour a particular candidate,  group of aspiring public office holders as well as the political warlords.

Regrettably, the gladiators within a political party who lost their primaries appear more or less as ‘household enemies’ as they pose a greater threat to the party’s survival preparatory to any elections, more than the opposition. This disaffection is also magnified when party delegates, a candidate’s supporters and the actual voters are startled by a loss.

Admittedly, intra -party conflicts of all shapes, forms and complexions have been part and parcel of our democratic journey. However, in recent times, they have become much more pervasive and even assumed crisis dimensions, with negative implications for democratic stability and a political party’s success consolidation when a group of political aspirants and their numerous supporters are obviously aggrieved.

From the light of above, and following the looming danger posed by the total rejection of last Thursday’s APC Primary election for Imo North Senatorial District by the trio of;  Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume, Sen. Athan Achonu and Dr. Mrs. Chidinma Adanne Uwajumogu;  all seems not to be well with the All Progressives Congress in Imo State ahead of the October 31, 2020 by-election as the party has two factional candidates for the election, Sir. Frank Ibezim (Ehime Mbano LGA) and Chief Ifeanyi Godwin  Ararume (Isiala Mbano LGA).

Rather than joining those who are out to fight the Governor and the party leadership, after diligent consultations with his campaign organisation and critical stakeholders in Okigwe Zone,  Chief Chikwem Onuoha, one of the major front liners in the race alongside 6 other aspirants;  closed ranks as they  unanimously endorsed and supported the party’s ‘authentic  consensus candidate’, Sir Frank Ibezim, in line with the All progressives Congress  constitution against the backdrop of certain self acclaimed candidates of the party, who are allegedly playing the scripts of the Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s faction of the APC led by Chief Daniel Nwafor.

In a rather highly commendable display of sportsmanship, political sagacity, exemplary leadership of transparency, accountability and sense of inclusiveness, last weekend, Saturday, September 5, 2020, Chief Chikwem Onuoha,  after the Thursday, September 3, APC Primary election; in which Sir Frank Ibezim was chosen as the party’s candidate, defied the rains as he converged an enlarged political meeting of his campaign organisation, ward coordinators  and supporters across the 6 LGAs in Okigwe Zone at his Umuaro 11 Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano LGA, Imo State, to properly address and debrief them of the political intrigues, hot arguments, challenges, outcome and  agreement among the 7 other aspirants, who have aligned with the State Governor and leadership of the party on Friday, while chatting a way forward as a political family and campaign organisation since politics is about alignment and realignment.

Sound, outspoken, honest and straightforward, Hon. Chikwem Onuoha, while allaying the fears of already furious and enraged  thousands of his supporters who thronged his country home to hear from the horse’s mouth,  strongly refuted the rumours flying in the cyberspace among the opposition, nay sayers, critics and cynics that he collected a paltry sum of Ten Million Naira (N10,000.000.00) from the Governor to step down for the party’s consensus candidate, Hon (Sir.) Frank Ibezim.

Addressing the well seated audience, and mammoth crowd , some, who were standing under the canopies for lack of space, Chief Chikwem Chijioke Onuoha reiterated that, “No matter the height of provocation, no matter the circumstances and no matter what happened, he still remains in the APC with his political structure since he is neither desperate nor power drunk”. To Prince Chikwem Onuoha, having been so richly blessed by God, he is no longer into politics for bread and butter, but on a mission to get Okigwe Zone working again. A dream, which has not been aborted, but shall materialize someday by the grace of God.

In his own words, the proactive and articulate grassroots politician, Chief C.C. Onuoha (Omeiheukwu) posited: “I am duty bound to respect the opinion, decision and choice of our great party APC and our party leader and Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma. We must support the authentic party candidate of APC, Hon. Sir. Frank Ibezim, and not the fake one. Even when people claim that he is not popular, I will ensure that I use my resources, political structure and reach to make him popular within the sloping shores of Okigwe zone”.

“As a formidable political structure and campaign organisation, we must continue to support this Government of Shared Prosperity to a logical end. We must be united in one purpose to fight the Pharaohs and King Herods of Okigwe Zone; those who have been playing god and do not want the development of the zone,  but to hold the destines of her people at ransom.

“We must completely align with the Governor for the total emancipation of our people as the Egyptians we saw yesterdays, we shall see them no more.”

Looking into the future, the bold and courageous Chikwem Onuoha, who, a litany of his supporters address as ‘the David of Okigwe Zone’, assured his campaign organisation that the future is so bright for him and his team. He however, advised them not to be deterred by the outcome of last Thursday’s APC Primary election since the party’s decision must be respected. 
“Always stand by me, always stand by me, and you will not regret it” he reechoed.

An established business mogul and respected community leader, Chief Chikwem Onuoha; a  former Deputy Chief of Staff and SA Special Duties to Governor Ikedi Ohakim, maintained that he would not take up any political appointment in the state that would not place him in a better position to empower as many sons and daughters of Okigwe Zone as possible. 

Recounting his experience with the party leadership and the Governor during the ongoing discussions over their acceptance of a consensus candidate, Sir Frank Ibezim, Chief Chikwem Onuoha also felt elated that the unrelenting efforts and aggressive issue-based campaign of his political structure was  acknowledged and appreciated in the state even as he candidly advised his team and numerous supporters to keep working for the Shared Prosperity Government and also to  keep   ‘HOPE ALIVE’.

There is no doubt, therefore, that Prince Chikwem Onuoha was the only aspirant, who was 100℅  prepared for both the Primary and main elections for Imo North Senatorial District. He campaigned vigorously, distributed food palliatives during the COVID-19 lockdown and despite having a formidable campaign organisation, appealing political structure, army of supporters across the 64 Wards, royal blessings from traditional rulers, endorsements from  organised labour and support groups, resources at his disposable yet, he embarked on aggressive and gorilla campaign traversing the nooks and crannies of Okigwe Zone while identifying their peculiar challenges.

In a rather dramatic personage, 8 -out-of-the -11 aspirants, who purchased expression of interests and nomination forms for the September 3, 2020, APC Primary election, have aligned completely with the party structure in the state to deliver Sir. Frank Ibezim. And since politics is a game of number, the remaining three in the other faction of the APC may end up being sheer distractions for the party rather than being counted as deciding factors as a new political leadership emerges in Okigwe Zone. Good a thing, Chikwem Onuoha belongs to the  emerging political factors in the zone as the twist of political pendulum leaves the older generation for a new generation of vibrant, dynamic and energetic political leaders.

Political analysts and close observers of Okigwe politics are of the opinion that the Counter Attack Strategy, adopted by those who walked out on the Governor during a meeting with all the aspirants at the Exco Chambers, might have shot themselves on the leg by that hurriedly taken decision.

According to a report, while Senator Ifeanyi Ararume saw as an insult the imposition of Frank Ibezim as the party’s consensus candidate on all the aspirants, Sen. Athan Achonu vehemently rejected the outcome of the election even as Dr. Chidinma Uwajumogu is also laying claims to the party’s ticket as one of the winners.

However, while over speeding and overtaking may be allowed in pursuant of earthly wealth and other mundane things, in politics, it is a different ball game. It portrays one as being too desperate and power drunk since politics is played by rules and dictates of the power brokers and party leadership.

The trio of Distinguished Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume, Sen. Athan Achonu (One-Arm -General) and Dr. Mrs. Chidinma Uwajumogu may have flouted the rules of the  game as they vehemently opposed the stand of the State Governor and party leadership on the choice of Sir Frank Ibezim as the party’s consensus candidate.

Moving fast and initiating the attack requires a lot of gut and courage but will often put you at a disadvantage; as it exposes your strategy and limiting your  options.
Smart and calculative, Chief Chikwem Onuoha adopted a more proactive approach to the fallout of the September 3, 2020, APC Primary election, as he aligned with other contenders after closed door discussions with the party leadership to deliver Sir. Frank Ibezim against a seeming common enemy in the zone. The power of holding back and letting the other side move fast and launch the attack, gives you the flexibility to counterattack from any angle.

In 2011, Chief Chikwem Onuoha was robbed of his mandate as the member-elect for Okigwe North Federal Constituency, having been declared winner by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), the political gladiators resisted his emergence as they insisted that he was rather too young to challenge them. The same political melodrama played out in 2019 General elections; as one begins to wonder what these people are really afraid of.

Focused, determined and development-oriented, Prince Chikwem Onuoha has continued to rigorously pursue his dreams of a better Okigwe Zone that is working again! He has remained who he is, and has not accepted the roles the political cartel in the zone want to foist on him. Instead, he has succeeded in recreating himself by forging a new identity of being ‘the David of Okigwe Zone’, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. He has been the master of his own image without letting others define it for him; as they will continue to tell him that he is too young to represent his people at the National level.

With the obvious gang up by a select political warlords in Okigwe Zone against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, ahead of the October 31, 2020 by-election for Imo North Senatorial District, the onions of action now  lies with the Governor to raise a new generation of political foot soldiers that will not only alter the status quo, but also stand very firmly to resist this counterattack, change the political narrative and ensure that the Egyptians the people saw yesterdays would  be seen no more.

The political parley with his campaign organisation was well attended as Chief Chikwem Onuoha was accompanied to the watershed event by the likes of Chief Uche Onuoha (Don king); a real estate billionaire, Lagos State based business man, Prince William Onuoha (Pa Willy), Senior. Comr. Chidimma Onyenagubor; Director General, Chikwem Onuoha Campaign Organisation, Hon. Frank Egwim,  Barr. Darlington Abuchi, Pastor. Maurice Obinali Ohaka (Nwangele LGA), Hon. Udoji Chinedu Udoji (Aristotle, Nwangele LGA) among other high flyer socialites.

Njoku Macdonald Obinna was around to spotlight the highly commendable and impressive address by Hon. Chikwem Onuoha; an emerging political factor in Okigwe Zone.