By NGOZI Ezekiel

A meeting between political leaders in Owerri zone and the Imo state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, at the instance of the former, turned out to be a major set back for the zone’s quest to produce the latter’s successor.
The meeting, which held yesterday, Wednesday August 20th 2025, at the Sam Mbakwe exco chambers at the Government House, Owerri was well attended among whom were the crème de la crème in Owerri zone politics was apparently intended to assure the governor that the political leaders in the zone are now united in their quest.
The meeting started on a good note with the leader of the delegation at its spokesperson, Chief Charls Amadi (Chavon), speaking glowingly about the governor’s achievements especially on infrastructure of which, according to him, Owerri zone has been a major beneficiary.
Amadi assured the governor that the zone is now united to pursue the governorship project in one united voice and that earned him a loud applause.
But trouble began when after Amadi had ended his speech, he handed over the micro-phone to one of his well know political allies, Chief Henry Njoku also known as Haritex, to give a vote of thanks.
The hall immediately erupted as the audience murmured in disapproval because Amadi’s move was interpreted to mean that as far as he was concerned,the meeting was over even without giving opportunity to the other leaders to speak.But the governor came to the rescue amid the uproar and directed that a few other leaders should be allowed to speak.
Thereafter, three other leaders, the former minister of aviation, Dr. Mrs. Kema Chikwe; former internal affairs minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho and elder statesman, Sir Ambrose Ejiogu took time to speak.
Again, each spoke glowingly about the governor’s achievements and the resolve by Owerri zone leaders to work together to achieve their objective of producing his successor.
They reminded the governor of his earlier stance that his successor will come from Owerri zone through the Imo Charter of Equity.
Although the three speakers all harped on unity, there was palpable evidence that Chief Amadi’s earlier move was a calculated attempt to prevent leaders of the other rivalry groups from speaking.
Captain Ihenacho in his speech confirmed the fear that the said unity was yet to be achieved when in his speech, he reminded the governor of the existence of the Imo Harmony Project (IHP), one of the rivalry groups, led by him.
He told the governor that the IHP has been projecting his image even outside the country but not surprisingly, his remarks was also greeted with murmuring since the audience disapproved his singling out of his own camp formentioning even while alluding to a so-called unity.
In his response, Uzodimma reminded the audience that he has always maintained that it was wrong to come to him to ask him to appoint a successor since he does not have the power to do so.
He said that his successor will emerge through a democratic process that will involve every part of the state and not just Owerri zone. “It depends on how you go about it.
If you don’t carry other zones along, they will sabotage it. Okigwe people will sabotage it”, the governor told the Owerri zone leaders.
The governor further reminded the leaders to begin to learn to be good sportsmen and women because if at the end they do not get what they want, they should be able to take it in good faith.
Uzodimma pointed out that even though Owerri zone leaders have always harped on the fact that the two other zones have dominated the office of the governor, that it is also a fact that Owerri zone had also once produced the governor through the late Evan Enwerem.
He stated further that as far as he is concerned, the process that will lead to the emergence of the successor must be one that will address some moral issues that arose in the past through the actions of some mischiefmakers, pointing out, however, that in the end, only God will determine who will become his successor.
But he quickly added that those who think that they can achieve it through confrontation are wasting their time because his successor can only emerge through his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It will be recalled that at a similar meeting on March 10 2025, Governor Uzodimma had advised Owerri zone leaders to go home and settle among themselves so as to pursue their objective through a united front.
The March 10 2025 meeting was led by Ihenacho and his IHP but evidently the August 20, 2025 meeting was the brain child of the Owerri zone political leaders forum (OZOPOLF), led by Charls Amadi.