Imo: Why The Odds Favour APC To Win Owerri, Orlu & Okigwe Senate Seats In 2023 

OGU BUNDU NWADIKE, M.A 

Barring any unforseen last minute, after thought, legal contest by defeated candidates in the recently concluded party primaries for the seats of the three Senatorial Districts in Imo State, viz Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe, the candidates have emerged for the two major parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 
They are Hon. Patrick Ndubueze, APC, and Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu PDP, for Okigwe, Senator Osita Izunaso, APC and Hon. Jones Onyereri, PDP, for Orlu, with Chief Alex Mbata, APC and Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, PDP, being for Owerri.

From available information on the candidates, the APC will be fielding very experienced political heavyweights. And their unique selling point is quintessential humanity and goodness. 

In Orlu, Distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso will stand for APC. He’s a one time member of the House of Representatives and the Senator that represented Orlu Zone in the 6th Senate, 2007-2011. Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma took over from him in 2011. He’s popular and very experienced in the business of lawmaking at both the Red Chamber and the Green Chambers.

In Okigwe Zone, Hon. Patrick Ndubueze will be the Senate standard bearer for APC. He’s a former member of the House of Representatives that represented Okigwe. He contested for the Okigwe Zone Senate by-election against Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu in PDP in 2020. He essentially has the requisite know-how in the business of lawmaking. 

In Owerri Zone, Chief Alex Mbata is a very popular candidate, who’s coming from the world of business and economy, commerce and industry. He’s a very reputable businessman and philanthropist, who has touched many lives in the world. His experience in business enterprises will aid his desire to represent Owerri Zone at the Senate beginning from 2023.

On the other hand, on face value, it may seem that the PDP also has a formidable squad in the battle for the three of senate seats in Imo State. But later in this short essay, we will try and establish the edge APC has over PDP in the 2023 elections. 

For example, though Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu pulled some remarkable weight in the December 5, 2020 senatorial by-election in Okigwe zone to fill the vacancy created by the demise of Senator Ben Uwajumogu, he lost to APC and now Distinguished Senator Frank Ibezim. That’s in Okigwe Zone!

In Orlu Zone, though Hon. Jones Onyereri, the PDP Senate candidate, is a two-term member of the House of Representatives, who also ran for the Orlu Senate seat in the 2019 general elections, but was defeated by APC and the now Senator Rochas Okorocha.

In Owerri Zone, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha is flying the flag of the PDP. He’s an ex-parliamentarian, who represented Owerri Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives in the 5th House, 2003-2007. 

He was the Secretary to the Government of Imo State in the short-lived administration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha in 2019. His emergence as PDP’s candidate is understandable as it was strewn with so much controversy that bordered mostly on the ignominious jettisoning of Distinguished Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi from going for a second term.

Of course, Senator Onyewuchi will be a contestant to watch and even to beat in Owerri Zone, because of incumbency powers, coupled with salient advantages as an established Rep and Senator of Owerri Federal Constituency and Owerri Zone.

For various power-play reasons and factors, Senator Onyewuchi can only be torpedoed by Chief Alex Mbata, who has the joker of immense global philanthropy, which neither Senator Onyewuchi or Hon. Onyeagucha has. 

There’s no doubt that the Hon. Onyeagucha candidacy will meet with very stiff resistance and opposition from two very ready opponents. 

The PDP will be at severe straits to survive the expected massive onslaught and bombardment by APC and APGA candidates in 2023. It’ll be a big political fight! 

Another worry is that as PDP sets for the 2023 general elections, their house is still in deep turmoil, with cracked walls. It’s simply PDP House of Commotion! 

And the hottest front is Owerri Zone, with the Senate seat being the biggest bone of contention. 

It has all been worsened with the ticket being grabbed by Hon. Uche Onyeagucha in ways and manners that sharply demarcated the party along Onyewuchi v Onyeagucha lines.

The irreparable wide gulfs in Imo PDP will spell their irredeemable doom, particularly in the Senate category, where their house is divided against the candidate, who many in Owerri Federal Constituency see as an “agent provocateur”, who scuttled a long existing agreement and arrangement that supported the return of Senator Onyewuchi for a second term. The pain is there. The scar is there!

That’s a major consideration that favours the looming success of Chief Alex Mbata in the Owerri Senate seat election, where he’s expected to garner a lot of sympathy/protest votes from PDP in Owerri Zone, as the Onyewuchi v Onyeagucha brouhaha rages and plays out, with both likely losing out in the anticipated “Battle of Musanga”!

In Okigwe zone, the battle will be fierce too. Chief Okewulonu has paid his dues and secured presence in the zone. He has tested the waters and knows that there’s a difference in water and H2°! So, Ikeoha Okigwe, as he’s fondly hailed, will rush and push well.

The fear, however, is when the push turns to shove, will Chief Okewulonu be able to stand on his two feet and participate in the surugede dance in the 2023 general elections? Surugede is the dance of the spirits! Is Okewulonu a spirit? Can he dance, when the chips are down?

Politics is a game of “let us go”! And “let us go” is a walk of more than one person. Hon. Patrick Ndubueze has some very influential superpowers in Imo APC and Abuja APC that very solidly with him as he walks the path of Okigwe 2023 Senate.

With the powers behind him, with the strong stake on which he tethered his ram, with the strength of the person that Hon. Patrick Ndubueze is in his _Political Obi_, the APC looks very good to retain Okigwe senate seat by re-enacting the 2020 feat of again edging out PDP.

Contrary to popular belief that Owerri Zone may be the “death zone” in 2023 senate rush and brush, Orlu Zone promises to be the “rumble in the jungle”.

First, the incumbent executive governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, APC, is from Orlu Zone. He was Orlu Zone Senator for eight years, 2011-2019. He may not want to lose his Senatorial District for anything and any reason whatsoever. His stake in the zone is really quite very high.

Then, there’s the question of who between Senator Izunaso and Hon. Onyereri is the most experienced, the most connected, the most popular, the most credible and the most electable. It’s like quadratic equation and simultaneous equation combined! That question _tara akpu_ no be small! 

However, using a combination of “Almighty formula” and “BODMAS”, it can be seen that the equation is as simple as mathematics!

Beginning with the political brackets of both national lawmakers, it won’t be difficult to realize the correct answer as being that Senator Izunaso possesses a superior tangent and trajectory in Orlu Zone over his opponents in the race.

One, his Kpakpando Foundation, which is now a national project, has its base in Orlu Zone. It’s probably the strongest link in his wider political structure. He has been in and out of both PDP and APC. He was the first National Organizing Secretary of APC. He knows the way.

Above all things, his sound personal qualifications will be richly enhanced and heavily augmented by the unarguable virtue of being “nwanne govano”! This is a big plus for KF Philanthropist! 

The undeniable combined force in Orlu APC will be too robust to be matched by the PDP, which performance in Orlu Zone hasn’t been anything to write home about since after the reign of Chief Achike Udenwa, 1999-2007!

Another factor that must be counted as a plus for APC in the Orlu Zone Senatorial race in 2023 elections is the diplomatic politics that saw Senator Izunaso emerging the unopposed candidate, as such political champions as Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nana Opiah, Chief Ugochukwu Ahize and Chief Uchenna Onyema Ibeh magnanimously but gallantly stepped down for him!

What that implies is that the entire structures of those big political players in Orlu Zone will be systematically and systemically collapsed for the success of the Senator Izunaso for Orlu Zone Senate in 2023 project. That’s the biggest deal among all!

As it is now, the handsome personal attributes of Senator Izunaso, Chief Alex Mbata and Hon. Patrick Ndubueze will make a fine mix with the beautiful personal attributes and structures of a lot of political bulldozers, caterpillars, graders and sweepers across Imo State. Hence, the Imo APC looks very much good and set to score three over three in 10th Senate come 2023!

That’s the size of our package on the forthcoming Senatorial elections in Imo State in 2023 in our short essay series. Coming soon will be an overview of the candidates that will run in the House of Representatives for the various political parties in 2023. It’s loading with facts and figures. Please, stay tuned! 

By God’s grace, Imo State is being rehabilitated, reconstructed and recovered by Governor Uzodimma!