Imo Guber Polls: A Four Horse Race Between Rochas, Ihedioha, Ojiri And Ihenacho As the governorship election comes close in Imo State, there are concerns on the capacity of governorship candidates of eleven political parties to win the polls and govern the State from May 29, 2015. A look at the trend of the campaigns of different political parties for the coveted seat shows that only four governorship candidates are in serious contention for the plum job They are Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ken Ojiri of the Accord Party, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and the incumbent Governor, Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressive Congress, APC. This piece will therefore attempt to analyze the electoral chances of these candidates viz- a viz their perception by the populace, the odds for and against their chances at the polls which may influence the outcome of the polls come February 28, 2015. In a state the level of political sophistication of the people has risen above 75%, whoever that emerges victorious in a free and fair contest must have met surpassed many daunting challenges that is on its way to Government House, Owerri Some of those factors are captured in this piece which provides an unbiased analysis of the electoral chances of the four leading candidates who for now are the focus i of the electorate who must vote to have a governor on February 28, 2015.. The candidates in this piece were x- rayed on their personal capacity to win elections, notwithstanding key issues such as zoning that will also be of huge consideration in determining the next governor of the State. I had to overcome the temptation of scoring the candidates to avoid unnecessary misrepresentation of the points, issues and facts canvassed in this piece since the shortlisted candidates’ posses all it takes to take Imo State to eldorado. Ken Ojiri ( Accord Party) Ken Ojiri is the governorship candidate of the Accord party. He decamped from the PDP after losing the party’s governorship primaries which ended in controversy. The Owerri North born international tax expert has successfully mobilized and re energized the Accord party in Imo State to be a potent force in the coming elections. Since Ojiri’s re- entry in the race to Douglas House on the platform of Accord party, the party has continued to grow in leaps and bounds in the State. He has come with the message of changing the battered the face of Imo economy promising to introduce a strong local economy that will create jobs for the jobless and reduce unemployment. He has also spoken on the need to have an economic model that will make Imo State an investment destination and reposition it to be among the developed States in Nigeria. Ojiri is a young political turk whose passion to govern the State burns like a flaming candle. He has successfully earned the support of many support groups in the State and has the backing of some young elites who believe in a new order for Imo State. His greatest political asset in the contest is his age which serves as a bridge between the young and the old. But how he navigates his aspiration to attract the backing of the entire youths in the State is a monumental task he has to accomplish if he wants to get the votes of this largest voting population in Imo State. His Accord party, though an old political set up in Imo State, has not permeated the nooks and crannies of the State yet apparently due to lack of time to market the party as the right choice for the sophisticated Imo electorate. However, Ojiri, a firm believer in a new Imo State has to work hard to convince those who vote at the hinterlands that he is the bridge to a prosperous Imo State. Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha (PDP) Ihedioha is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He has never hidden his passion to govern Imo State having invested so much time and enormous resources to oil his aspiration. Ihedioha has been championing his aspiration from all fronts to be Imo State governor. He has a well oiled political structure that has moved his aspiration to the grassroots in Imo State. Whether the grassroots see him as the perfect alternative for Imo State in 2015 is a question which has no answer for now. The outcome of the PDP primaries in Imo State may have put a blur on Ihedioha’s aspiration, but like a determined soldier, Ihedioha has marched on. Though he has the backing of the powerful elites in the State and in Abuja, the crisis that trailed the PDP governorship primaries has once again put his party- the PDP – on the spotlight as a party where nothing is properly done.This may turn out to be a sore talking point for the Deputy Speaker as the elections come close. Smart and sharp, Ihedioha has marched on overcoming all challenges to coast to victory in the coming elections. He is the only candidate among the four leading candidates that is hitting the incumbent governor Rochas Okorocha so hard by criticizing his policies and programmes. This has earned him accolades in some quarters and of course, criticisms from the camp of the Governor. Ihedioha has unveiled his roadmap to make Imo State a place where things will happen again, even though some of his campaign messages have been buried in his constant verbal altercations with the incumbent governor and the attacking posture of his campaign team Popular among the elites in the State, Ihedioha has a task to convince the grassroots that he is the much sought alternative to Rochas.He also has a duty to douse the impression that the PDP is only struggling to return to power in Imo State to continue the share the money policy which characterized the last two PDP administrations in the State. Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho (APGA) Ihenacho left the PDP before the guber primaries for APGA where he also edged out a fierce rival, Okey Ezeh. Before then, he was at logger heads with his kinsman, Martin Agbaso who later left for the PDP. The Oil and Gas business tycoon enjoys some considerable level of popularity among the grassroots, though such support has continued to fluctuate. Two factors have been fingered why this is so. One, He is the governorship candidate of APGA i which produced the incumbent governor with a massive grassroots support base. Two, he has not re- enacted the spark Rochas ignited in APGA which gave him the governorship seat of Imo State Ihenacho’s message of creating jobs for Imo youths has stuck on to the jobless in the State who recall with nostalgia how he created employment opportunities for hundreds of Imo youths when he served as Minister of Interior. He is known to have consulted widely on his aspiration and has moved to the grassroots in the State to earn their votes. He has one of the finest socio economic road-maps that will accelerate economic development in Imo State. Aside creating job opportunities for the youths which he has consistently promised , Iheanacho has also assured Imolites that he will build industries and factories to diversify the economy of the State from public to private driven. However, his major undoing is his easy resort to open altercations with perceived political opponents. In less than a year, Ihenacho has engaged in series of political battles with either his contenders or political foes. Allegations of temper and arrogance have continued to pop up against him, twin attributes that may rob off on his aspiration if not managed effectively In all, he has some depth of goodwill among the people and how he weaves such support for his political gain will determine if he will get the coveted seat or not at the elections. Rochas Okorocha.(APC) Okorocha has moved his aspiration effectively to the grassroots taking advantage of his position as the incumbent governor of the State. He has been accused of creating a visible class war in the State, pitching the elites and the locals on divisive lines . While the elites express disdain over his policies, the grassroots (those who vote) are in love with him for providing access roads in the hinterlands, free education and other dividends of democracy Though some roads he constructed have been tagged China roads due to its poor quality and shoddy construction and his free education programme dubbed a ruse, Okorocha has somehow retained a multitude of enormous followers across the State. His political summer-saults such as dumping APGA- the party that took him to Government House, Owerri in 2011 and aspiring for the presidency on the platform of the APC when he knew the odds against him were numerous,are sore talking points in Rochas governorship of Imo State. Nevertheless, he has successfully sparked the needed excitement and passion among the local people who have remained his die hard supporters despite his flaws. However, the governor has an array of political enemies to contend with over governorship election in Imo State. He also has die hard opponents to contend with. How he will overcome such ferocious opposition remains a mystery. He is also loosing the support of the enlightened youths who see some of his actions as deceitful. What he has lost politically since he came on board as governor of the State has been regained with a frightening support base that are urging him to forge ahead his guber bid . Rochas has marched on and has built the APC in Imo State as a potent force capable of retaining victory in the polls and has assured that if re elected for a second term, he will place emphasis on industrializing the State to create jobs. With massive infrastructural renewal which he has achieved to a great extent despite allegations of fraud that trailed some of such projects, he is been hailed by many for achieving so much which the PDP never did in the last 12 years. Despite his shortcomings which have been trumpeted by the opposition in Imo State, Okorocha has every reason to forge ahead in his second missionary journey as he relies on his oratory speeches, persuasive and convincing skills to sway votes for his re election.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 21:33:19 +0000
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