By Special Correspondent
A conversation between two concerned Imolites on the forthcoming guber election in Imo State.
Excerpts:
“This governorship election in Imo State will be tough and keenly vied for”
“How, because it seems all the candidates are being sloppy about it”
“Not at all. They are serious. In the past three months, the race has picked up. Candidates are now talking, setting up Campaign Councils and all that”
“It’s a three horse race- the APC, PDP and Labour Party”
“LP is in distress, they cannot win like they did in Abia. This is Imo.
“You are not in this State. You don’t know what is happening.
“How do you mean. I have been following Imo politics for more than a decade”
“And you have not observed that the political dynamics has changed. You fail to understand that it is the APC that will find it very herculean to retain the governorship of the State, come November 11”
“You forget there is a Ben Johnson way of winning elections in this State.
“Not in this 2023 Imo guber”
“It happened in 2019/20, and what happened, nothing, except noise in the media and some people sponsored to run around the streets of Owerri”
“The circumstances are not the same presently. The PDP and Labour party candidates in this election are no push over. They are astute politicians and they can match Ben Johnson”
“Ben Johnson has many techniques of winning elections.He is experienced.Those guys in PDP and Labour party are learners”
“Ben Johnson is very smart. He would not want to be like that man from Okohia, who lost a re- election bid and did only one term”
“The man from Okohia was loquacious. Those who are loquacious do not win elections. Ben Johnson talks less and believes in action”
“INEC will not tolerate any Ben Johnson method of winning elections anymore. Their integrity is at stake. They will like to clean up their mess of the general elections. All eyes will be on them on November 11”
“Which INEC? Old clothes on same skin. Have they ever changed? It is not possible to change someone’s DNA“
“Imolites want to change the narrative”
“Which narrative, biko”
“Narrative of insecurity, hunger and starvation”
“It is everywhere my brother. These triple problems are all over Nigeria
“Are you saying we should continue this way in this State”
“Which way? These problems you mentioned are global problems”
“I m surprised you are saying this. Are you happy about the situation in the State?”
“Which situation”?
“This insecurity, is it not bothering you?”
“Together, you and I, we can change it. Security is everyone’s business.
“We can, if we vote in the right person on November 11″
“And who is the right person”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t, tell me, if you know”
“The candidates will soon begin to campaign”
“Campaign for where”
“Across The State, the problem is,which road will they use to travel that will take them to LGAs to campaign”
“Haba, are you not seeing Owerri-Okigwe road, Owerri- Mbaise- Umuahia road, these are signature road projects
“What about the impassable roads inside and around Owerri metropolis and in the hinterlands”
“Rome was not built in a day”
“Our local governments are not working”
“Is it peculiar to our State? Governors all over Nigeria are suffocating the LGAs, it is not Imo problem”
“And you are happy about it. Local governments are dead and ineffective. And this has affected development”
“It is a perennial problem. Others will do same if they have the opportunity to govern”
“LP and PDP said they would conduct LGA elections after six months in office”
“We always hear such tales before elections. It is a familiar hymn”
“Are you not bothered that our health centers are dead.This is a serious matter”
“None has been functioning for a very long time”
“ We need change in this State”
“You mean, we change from frying pan to fire”
“No, I mean change of leadership. The State is stagnant”
“It has always been. We had seen acidic roads and China projects in the past. Even the man from Jos who carried out these projects was not repentant about it and some people kept on clapping for him”
“I weep for our people”
“Weep not. It is the same cycle. All these razzmatazz for governorship in the State is for Mr. A to go and for Mr B to enter, all of them are the same.”
