By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
Former governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim has denied the allegation of leading a revolt against the incumbent Govenor of the state, Hope Uzodimma who he described as his bossom friend for over three decades.
The former governor, was reacting to a report in the Daily Sun Newspaper of June 21 which alleged that he was leading a revolt against the governor of the state, Hope Uzodimma over the governor’s refusal to support his ministerial aspiration in president Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a press statement he personally issued on Thursday, said that the report was false and was sponsored to dent his image.
The former Governor disclosed that he had no issue with Uzodinma his bossom friend.
The statement read in full, ” My attention has been drawn to a report in the Daily Sun newspaper of Wednesday June 21, 2023 by one Stanley Uzoaru, wherein it was claimed that I am leading a “revolt” against Imo state governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma over his refusal to support my ‘bid’ for a ministerial appointment under the new administration of President Bola Tinubu. The report further claims that I also hold grudges against the governor for failing to support my earlier bids for the senate and the office of the President-General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo.
“Space constraints would not permit to go into further details of the report more so as I believe that it must have been read by many in the widely circulated newspaper.
“Therefore, I think it is simply sufficient for me to state that the report was a figment of the imagination of the reporter and his sponsors.
Let me also hasten to add that Mr. Uzoaru the reporter who I understand is a free-lance journalist based in Owerri, Imo state, has been used severally in the past by unscrupulous elements in pursuit of political vendetta.
“In the instant case, he merely took up a brief to further a carefully plotted campaign of calumny against me by my detractors and which culminated in the January 2, 2023 attempt to assassinate me and during which I lost four of my security aides.
“Before now, the same people had sponsored a report in the social media in which I was accused of being the medium through which Governor Hope Uzodimma – the same Uzodimma – channeled a whopping one million dollars to truncate the governorship primaries of the Labour Party in Imo state.
“Against this backdrop, let me then state as follows: I do not have any issue, whatsoever, with my governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, to say the least lead a “revolt” against him.
“Senator Uzodimma is a bosom friend of mine and a trusted politically ally. Apart from that as a statesman and former governor of our state I am obliged to support any incumbent governor or administration who is moving in the right direction – at least in the interest of the state and its people – I am personally committed to see Governor Uzodimma, whom I have known for upwards of three decades, not only succeed but also to excel as a governor. Revolting against Governor Uzodimma would be tantamount to revolting against myself and nobody can revolt against himself. Or am I that fool hardy to revolt against a fellow whose performance as a governor has been quite overwhelming and who is getting accolades daily from the good people of Imo state.
“The report claims that I led my group to a meeting in Anambra state where we perfected our plans. Fortunately for me, I have not been to any part of Anambra state in the last four years for any reason, whatsoever.
“That I am not bidding for a ministerial appointment under the present administration. But even if I am, am I not intelligent enough to know that ministerial appointments are not secured through leading or participating in a revolt against a sitting Governor or anybody whatsoever. Besides, ministerial positions are not bided for neither are they contested for.
“In any case, the report under reference claims that among the people I am said to be leading in the revolt is “a popular politician from Okigwe zone…” who is also bidding for a ministerial appointment. So, how can I be bidding for a ministerial job and at the same time leading another fellow from my zone (Okigwe) to bid for the same thing? Am I that naïve?
” I decided to abort my senatorial bid the other time entirely on my own volition after taking certain things into account and for reasons that had nothing to do with Governor Uzodimma. It is, however, interesting to note that in the report under reference, an allusion was made to “those powerful forces” in my zone “still there to scuttle other ambitions he may have”.
“The point, therefore, in that if there are or were “powerful forces” that scuttled my senatorial ambition, and I know them, I couldn’t at the same time be holding the governor responsible.
Therefore, the allusion to “powerful forces” against me is an inadvertent admission that it is the same powerful forces that are behind the fictitious report under reference.
*I never nursed the ambition of becoming the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. It is common knowledge that I was at the forefront of the move to stop some unscrupulous elements from truncating the January 2021 Ohanaeze election that ushered in the immediate past President-General, the late Professor George Obiozor. I personally took a court action against the decedents. The issues are yet to be completely resolved and if anything, I see myself better working from the outside to ensure that every crack in Ohanaeze is smoothened.
“The report alluded to a “dying political career” apparently in reference to me. My dying political career? Nothing can be more fallacious. My political career, which started in 1979, is currently at its peak. My political career has taken me through being a party executive,
State commissioner, chairman of Nigeria’s National gas master plan, a director of Kaduna refining and petro chemical company ltd, a state governor, etc. At the risk of sounding immodest, I can state without any fear of contradictions that it is not possible to draw a list of one hundred successful Nigerians – in a country of more than 200 million people – and Ikedi Ohakim is not there.
“It is nothing but the figment of the imagination of the author of the report and his sponsors to say that my political career is dying. My political career cannot die. My political career is alive and is kicking. Here in Imo state, I am the only former governor who can walk the streets of Owerri and get applause.
“Let me state that this rebuttal is not aimed at getting even with the young reporter who, by all indications, is merely struggling to eke out a bare existence. I have been meant to understand that his only defense is that he made no mention of my name in his report, but his reference to a “former governor from Okigwe zone” needs no further explanation since I am the only living former governor from that part of Imo state.
“Even though I have made my feelings known to the management of Sun newspaper he is stringing for, my major interest is to seize this opportunity to once again join in cautioning against the penchant of our people, Ndigbo, to self destruct(Nshiko mentality) We drag each other down. We destroy ourselves whereas other sections of the country try to support each other for the good of the generality of their people.
“I am, of course, not the only the victim but I have personally come to the conclusion that I will henceforth do everything in my powers to stop any attempt from any quarters to damage my reputation.
“In the instant case, it no rocket science for me to know those behind it. I know those who sponsored Mr. Uzoaru to write his fiction but this will perhaps be my last open reaction to their shenanigans. Next time, we shall meet in Phillippi.”
