If there is one governor whose seat is terribly threatened right now, it is the Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma. For those who are abreast with the political situation in the state, the Governor is sweating profusely in anticipation of the big showdown holding on the 11th of November, a couple of weeks from now. This is the day the people of Imo state will come out enmasse and go to the polls to vote and decide who will govern them for the next four years. And from the look of things, it is going to be a tough electoral battle for Governor Hope Uzodimma.
According to Ciy People findings, the Governor has been under tremendous pressure in the last few months. The public outcry against his government and party has been intense. They say the government has done poorly. They say a lot of its policies have been anti-people. A large percentage of the people of Imo insist they want to have another person occupy the Governor’s seat, while yet another huge percentage of the people insist it is Governor Hope Uzodimma or no one else. And you can trust the opposition, led by the PDP, they are taking full advantage of the situation.
One of the biggest obstacles facing the Uzodimma administration is the disenchantment of the south east with the ruling party, APC. It is common knowledge that the Igbos no longer want to have anything to do with APC owing to the continued animosity and clamour by the Labour Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to take over power via the courts. This has seen him enjoy a lot of solidarity from his kinsmen who are all queing up behind him in his bid to reclaim the mandate he claims was stolen from him. This has been a major problem for Uzodimma. The people make it clear every time they get the opportunity to let the Governor know they no longer want the APC in Imo State. Any other party but the APC will do it for them. It remains to be seen how the governor intends to make the people see things differently before the governorship election comes up on November 11 otherwise, things could go awry for the governor at the polls if the people file out on election day with such disdain for the APC.
Perhaps the biggest headache of the Uzodimma administeration is the economic hardship ravaging the state, a situation the entire country is currently grappling with. Every state presently is groaning hard under the strain of the biting economic realities. There is ravaging inflation and poverty in the land and Imo state is not an exception. But the people do not care whether the situation is not peculiar to Imo state alone, they want to see the situation get better. They want to be able to afford the basic things in life. They want to see the Hope Uzodimma led government produce results. And as far as the people are concerned, if the government cannot make positive things happen in the state, then they will go to the polls and elect a new government. They put the blame of the state’s economic downturn to the ineptitude of the government and demand that they turn things around for them. If the governor does not find a way to pacify the people and get them to appreciate the fact that the economic situation is not peculiar to only Imo State, it could impact negatively on the voting pattern come November 11.
Apart from the aforementioned factors, there are also too many klillings going on in Imo State. The state too is battling with its own share of the rampaging unknown gun men that have taken over the south east. This in truth has nothing to do with the Uzodimma government, but the opposition is using it against the government, claiming the government is using its killer squad to silence opposition. Some of the people believe this, others do not. But for those who do not believe the government has a hand in some of the killings, they still expect that at the very least, the government should do all it can to protect the lives and property of the people, and by their estimation, the Uzodimma led administeration has not done well in that regard. It now remains to be seen whether they would express their displeasure when they go to the polls in less than two weeks from now.
If truth be told, it is not looking bright for Governor Hope Uzodimma. His camp knows for a fact it is certainly not going to be a walk in the park for the APC come election day. This has given the opposition, especially the main contender to the governor’s seat, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP, some confidence. Few days ago, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, expressed confidence that the governor is on his way out, that the people of Imo State have rejected him. .
He also said the PDP condemns in very strong terms the recourse to violence, smear campaign and propaganda by “the embattled Governor Hope Uzodimma-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration against the people of Imo State.”
Ologunagba further said, “It is clear that Governor Uzodimma and the APC-administration in Imo State are in mortal fear of imminent defeat by the PDP, having become overwhelmed by the towering popularity of our governorship candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Deputy Governorship Candidate, Jones Onyereri across the state ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election.
“The APC is frustrated by the open rejection of Governor Uzodimma by majority of the people of Imo State due to his abysmal failure in office, the excruciating economic hardship and mindless killing of thousands of innocent Imo citizens under his horrifying watch.
“Having realised that there is no way Governor Uzodimma can win in a peaceful, free and fair election, the APC has resorted to deploying instrument of State power to hound and harass opposition voices in the State.
“APC’s sinister approach of attacking the people of Imo State is apparently to heighten the already tensed security situation in the State, instill fear in the people, prevent them from coming out to exercise their democratic right to vote, with the intention to creating an enabling situation for the APC to rig the election.
“Such nefarious scheme by the APC apparently informed the vicious invasion and demolition of part of the All Seasons Hotel, Owerri; an attack intended to cow the people of Imo State and subdue their resolve to rescue the State from the stranglehold of the APC.”
Speaking further the PDP Spokesperson said, “Nigerians can also recall how, earlier this month, the APC administration in Imo State attempted to arrest and put the PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr. Onyereri out of circulation under false labelling and trumped-up charges.
“The overwhelming solidarity by Ndi Imo, who stood behind Dr. Onyereri in resistance to the APC plot was a clear signal that the Will of the people, particularly in this election, cannot be subdued.
“Recently, the people of Imo State openly demonstrated their rejection of the APC and Governor Uzodimma by refusing to turn out for the unveiling of the APC Deputy Governorship Candidate; a situation that forced the APC to rent a motley and disorganised crowd from neighbouring States for the event.
“Ostensibly dispirited, Governor Uzodimma, rather than focusing on the unveiling ceremony further exposed his frustration by remaining fixated on the popularity of the PDP candidate, Senator Anyanwu during the event.
“The PDP in clear terms, cautions the APC to know that it is fighting a lost battle and that Imo people are bigger than any individual or group. From history, the people of Imo State have never and will never succumb to tyranny.
“Governor Uzodimma knows that he had never won any election in Imo State. He and the APC should therefore come to terms with the reality of their rejection in this election.” Ologunagba declared that no amount of violence, inducement, intimidation and harassment can subdue the will of the people of Imo State in their resolve to take back and make their state safe and prosperous again on the platform of the PDP.
But the governor, it appears, also has his supporters who are standing solidly behind him. A group called Professionals Movement for Hope has come out to assure the govrernor not to lose sleep over the election because they and the people of Imo are solidly behind him. They insist the governor has done well enough to earn the love, support and votes of the people to secure for himself another four years in office.
The Convener of the group, Engineer Obinna Obiozor, said that the unprecedented achievements of the Uzodimma administration anchored on his shared prosperity agenda have deeply endeared the Governor to the people of Imo and no amount of propaganda by the opposition parties can change the profound love the Imolites have for him.
He said the overwhelming votes given to the All Progressives Congress at the last House of Assembly election by the people of Imo were a resounding vote of confidence in the achievements of his government in the last three years, and the group is confident the Imolites will again demonstrate their unflinching support for Uzodimma when the governorship election gets underway on November 11.
The PMH added that Uzodimma’s government initiated and successfully executed infrastructure development projects, such as road construction and other essential facilities, stimulating economic growth and creating jobs, which have led to improvements in the daily lives of the people.
He added further, “Our people know the leaders that love them; they know that Uzodimma has served them meritoriously in the last three years, and we are happy that our people are also very appreciative of what his government has done, just as they demonstrated during the last election. Those who still think Uzodimma isn’t overwhelmingly popular are amnesiacs because we wonder why they quickly forgot how our people in Imo gave the APC a landslide victory in an election conducted a few months ago.
“This government infrastructural development, particularly its road revolution, has been the key factor that has set the administration apart and won the hearts of the Imo people. The massive electoral support they gave the APC in March is a clear indication that the people of Imo have wholeheartedly embraced Uzodimma’s efforts. The overwhelming and unprecedented support is a vote of confidence in his government’s achievements over the last three years, which is both fulfilling and a call for them to redouble their efforts towards more projects and greater dedication to duty.
“As professionals canvassing for good governance that is capable of engendering prosperity for all, we are happy to know that Uzodimma operates a government that is open and transparent; he engages and connects with the people regularly by rendering reports of his stewardship to his people.”
The group also chided the national leadership of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party for insinuating that the PDP could upstage the APC in Imo, describing the party as contesting the election ‘only for relevance’ as the APC remains the only formidable party in the state.
“It is obvious the PDP is suffering from delusional grandeur; how a drowning party like that thinks our people are with them beats our imagination. APC, through Uzodimma’s administration’s achievements, has endeared itself to our people with numerous projects; that is his selling point! We are confident the Imolites will come out and vote for the Governor en masse so that he can consolidate on his shared prosperity agenda that gives hope to our people,” he said.
But despite this very gloomy looking picture, Governor Hope Uzodimma is confident that his stand out achievements in the last three and half years will secure for him a re-election at the November 11 governorship polls. According to the Governor, his administration in the last three years has fulfilled and even surpassed all its campaign promises, especially in the area of infrasatructure and improvement of the public health care system and if given the opportunity to lead the state for a second term, he will do better and exceed the expectations of Imo Indigenes.
– WALE LAWAL
(08037209290)
