Imo PDP, Emeka Ihedioha And Samuel Anyanwu

One does not need to love or hate Emeka lhedioha and Samuel Anyanwu, respectively, to take the needed courage,  to rate or score them appropriately and devoid of bias, following what has become the portion or fate of the Peoples Democratic Party,  PDP,  in lmo State, for some days now.

lhedioha was in the House of Representatives for three terms of twelve years. That was between 2003 and 2015. This is  2024. That’s about ten years difference, he left the green chambers of the National Assembly. Between 2015  and 2024. He was also governor for about seven months. That’s from May 29, 2019 to January 20, 2020. This is also 2024. About five years gap.

Between that January 2020, when he was removed as governor by the apex court in the land and 2024, he has not held any other political office or position to the best of my knowledge. Permit me to say, he does not hold any political position as l write.  He is an ordinary citizen like any of us. So, at the moment, he has no political cake to share or political favour to dispense or extend to anybody. Do you understand?

He announced his exit or resignation  from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  and right from that moment, men and women of substance,  with known names in lmo Politics or men and women who were among those that made the PDP thick in lmo, began to leave the Party, obviously,  in solidarity for lhedioha, including the Ex-this and  Ex-that. Men and women who had had their names written in gold in lmo Politics. Men and women who could play their own politics, without leaning on anyone. Who could play their politics without having anything to do with lhedioha. lndependent of Ihedioha. But they all decided to leave the PDP because lhedioha had left.

l do not know how to identify or know a powerful politician than a development like this. And when the man in question  has no political position or when he is not occupying any political office. When he has nothing to offer to anyone. And when the PDP stopped ruling the nation in 2015. And stopped governing the State in 2011, aside the seven months of lhedioha in 2019. This is a feat. Worthy of note. Trying too hard or making concerted effort to write off this serious political development in favour of lhedioha, does not make any sense at all. That can only be told to the marines. Love him or hate him, give it to him. That’s the way to go, to enable us raise our fingers to be counted. You do not suppress the truth, because you do not like the person involved. That would be ungodly.

Remember also that these men and women in question, resigned their memberships of the PDP without minding or knowing what the future holds in store for them, with regard to their politics. What the future looks like or will look like. They resigned without counting the costs of their action or  their likely losses. This is faithfulness in action. Dedication at a glance. Principle to behold. They believed in somebody and in  the course of that person, without considering whether it will end in praises or in tears/woes. l would pray that other political leaders in lmo, would have this kind of supporters. Ardent or hardline supporters. Not fair weather supporters. Truth must be told.  And even if lhedioha quits politics today, what happened in the past few days, with regard to the PDP decampees, would remain his take home. His major political legacy. Not even his brief governorship or his twelve years in the House of Representatives. The Mbutu Mbaise born Politician deserves a title.

However, lhedioha also lost a great deal. He lost in the hand of Samuel Anyanwu. His exit from the PDP has made Samuel Anyanwu the defending Champion in lmo PDP or the winner/Champion of the  power struggle in the lmo Chapter of the PDP, between him and lhedioha. Anyanwu succeeded in destroying the long held myth or contention that lhedioha was the “sole proprietor” of lmo PDP.

To most lmo people, including the writer,  lhedioha was seen as lmo PDP and lmo PDP seen as lhedioha. A Party he was in the House of Representatives for twelve years with its ticket. Became its governorship candidate in lmo in 2015. Became its governorship candidate again in 2019, in which he became the governor of the State for seven months.

Nobody in lmo had believed that  anybody in the State chapter of the Party, could battle him to standstill or to the extent of forcing him to leave the Party. The reason his exit has remained unbelievable or shocking to most lmo people. But it has happened. And it took a Samuel Anyanwu to achieve that.  lt’s historic. Worthy of note too.

Anyanwu had frustrated lhedioha out of the 2023 gubernatorial primary of the Party. Became the Party’s gubernatorial candidate. And also remained the National Secretary of the Party, in spite of lhedioha’s opposition to that. At the end of the day, forced him or played him out of the PDP. Some people are still wondering whether this could be true or not. Whether it’s real or mere dream. But it’s real. lt has happened. Samuel Anyanwu had made lhedioha to resign from the PDP. This development has remained a mystery  to a lot of people who had believed that lhedioha had the C of  O,  or the  “power of Attorney” of lmo PDP; That he was in custody of the franchise of lmo PDP. But Samuel Anyanwu has dismantled all these impressions or beliefs. ln other words,  lmo PDP has been liberated from the overbearing influence of lhedioha. And it took Samuel Anyanwu’s doggedness for this to happen. He also  deserves a title.

The most outstanding regret in all these,  is that, these two great or powerful politicians from lmo East, could not harness their political resources or prowess to achieve bigger goals. Bigger political goals. They allowed personal interests or personal desires to torpido or eclipse what could have been a   popular pursuit or common goal, either for lmo at large or Owerri Zone, in particular.

It is also left for lhedioha to work assiduously and pray fervently to see that these resignations do not become  albatross tomorrow. Do not become  fruitless endeavours tomorrow.  A lot of speculations and predictions have taken the centre stage. He should work with all these great men and women who resigned their memberships of the PDP  because of him, to see that these negative predictions or speculations do not come to pass. Together, they must work to  prove a point. They must show strength to avoid mockery.  These resignations and the attendant celebrations on their sides, should be made to produce results. Corresponding results. The ball is in their collective court.

And for Anyanwu, lhedioha and his people had told whoever cared to listen to them that, they left with the soul of lmo PDP. ln other words, without them, PDP is a goner in lmo. Has become history in the State. Anyanwu and his own people must have heard all these.  They must have heard these challenging claims by the decampees.

lt’s now left for the lkeduru man and other members of the Party to prove them wrong or right. But it would be better they are proved wrong in the final analysis.  That’s where the true honour will  lie. Anyanwu and co  should work hard to reposition the Party in the State to prove that,  lhedioha and his fellow decampees didn’t leave with the soul of the Party. The onus falls on Samdaddy and his own crew.

The interesting scenario, the lmo PDP has enthroned, makes a good movie and lmo people have begun to watch it with keen interest, to see who emerges as the Hero of the movie at the end of the day. Who will emerge as the Van Dame.  Or, the Commando. Or,  The Mohammed Ali. The James Bond, 007. Do you understand?  We are watching. We  continue to watch events as they unfold between the decampees and the remnants, with regard to lmo PDP.