In the last few days, the ugly reports emanating from Imo State is not only pathetic but disgustingly unfortunate. Imo State has become a fertile ground for crass display of executive recklessness, power-intoxication, witch-hurting and venomous politics. This politics of hatred and sadism, as being played in Imo, is not only bad for the state but destructive for the entire South-East zone. Every discerning political observer from the East should be worried and concerned about the unfolding drama in the state. Charlatans have taken over political leadership of South-East; Imo State a case study.
When Senator Rochas Okorocha occupied Douglas House, Owerri, as governor, he behaved like demigod as if a day like this would not come when he would not only be vulnerable but weak to even protect his loots. He literally ran the most nepotistic government in the history of South-East; almost an empire. He made President Buhari looked like a student in Okorocha’s school of nepotism cum cronyism. His immoral attempts to secure third for himself, consolidate his fiefdom via his son-in-law’s aborted ambition, was crushed by Imo people’s resilience who said never again.
Hon. Emeka Ihedioha rode on the horse of anti-Okorocha’s sentiments to become governor. Unfortunately, he was not prepared for the bitter man-eat-man politics of Douglas House in particular, and Imo State in general. The erstwhile deputy speaker of House of Reps. did not know how vicious, desperate and manipulative his adversaries could be. Hon. Ihedioha’s reign as governor was short-lived because he underestimated his rivals and took some important things for granted. He became a victim of his political naivety.
During his seven-month rule as governor, Ihedioha did last thing first and did first thing last. He didn’t get his political intriguing cum machinations right. He was busy romancing and servicing Imo political elites, while Abuja was left unattended to—and later became his Achilles Hill. He closed the stable when the horse had bolted—it was too late. Many of us—political pundits, saw the Supreme Court-instigated coup coming, but unfortunately, the real target was beclouded and subsumed in trivialities and grandstanding.
Even Father Mbaka—unofficial South-East APC’s eyes of the gods, gave out the plot in the guise of prophecy, but Ihedioha was not discerning enough to decipher. He took things for granted. Hope Uzodinma, like a tornado hidden in the dark clouds of election litigations, plotted and executed his judicial coup with surgical precision. When it was time, he struck ferociously, mercilessly and ruthlessly without let. Through political mathematically oxymoron, the fourth became the first—the whole nation was outraged but the deed was done.
Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was caught unawares like a sheep encircled by wolves, and was left hemorrhaging after political life had been sucked out of him. That was when he realized that the river he was swimming for months was crocodiles-infested. Whether he will recover from that political misfortune, is left for time to decide.
Hope Uzodinma “seized” power via unprecedented judicial assault on the electoral rights of Imo people, which earned him the title of “Supreme Court Governor”. After series of protests and failed judicial revolts, the Apex Court refused to undo its wrongs and the people of the state accepted their fate, albeit painfully, and moved on. Enter Hope Uzodinma; a man who got power through disingenuous means, at least, should be sober, reflective and display some level of restraints in his actions as governor. But he saw it as an opportunity to embark on vengeance and vindictiveness.
His use of power since he gate-crashed into Douglas House, has been unsavory and detestable. It is obvious that he is on an ill-conceived mission to fight political enemies in Imo State while beholding to his Abuja masters. Uzodinma has abandoned governance for vile politics. He has literally metamorphosed to a tyrant. For Okorocha, I will say: it serves him right. He is reaping the fruits of parochial politics of aggrandizement he sowed.
Like what Okorocha is experiencing now, it is already a vicious cycle—Uzodinma’s time beckons. He has committed political suicide already by openly accepting that he invited Nigerian Army to kill his own people, just to satisfy his masters in Abuja. Ironically, his Abuja enablers having been vehemently showing solidarity for their brothers who are terrorists masquerading as bandits.
By that infamous cum inflammatory rhetorics, Hope Uzodinma subtly declared war on Ndigbo in the decoy of rooting out ESN. Even if you don’t agree with modus operandi of IPOB and its affiliates, but only an impostor as governor, invites military to come massacre his people just for defending themselves, especially when the security agencies have left them at the mercy of rampaging cum marauding terrorists.
Imo State, I can say categorically, has been unfortunate with the crop of political leaders it has produced since 1999. And its politics has degenerated to crass brigandage and bitterness. When you have political merchants with notorious fraudulent backgrounds, this is what you get—bile politics and vile actions. I am ashamed on behalf of those unashamed charlatans disgracing the Igbo nation. Imo State deserves better.
