2027: ARE OWERRI ZONE LEADERS AT WAR ?

BY
VICTOR AGBARAKWE

One of the major points raised by skeptics is that the quest by Owerri zone to produce the next governor of Imo state, come 2028, will falter on account of the perennial tendency of its political leaders to work at cross purposes. Indeed, the zone was once described by one writer as “an atomistic society perpetually at war with itself”. From Ngor-Okpala to Mbaitoli, from Emekuku to Aboh Mbaise, from Nekede to Umuororonjo, all over, the term, “Owerri Zone” is only a convenient nomenclature employed by some elements to purse self-serving interests. Each of the blocs discriminates against one another.
For some observes, the Emekuku bloc sees Owerri zone only through its own lenses. As far as most politicians from that area are concerned, the talk about an Imo governor of Owerri zone extraction makes sense only in so far as the fellow will come from Emekuku, Egbu or at worst Owerri Nchise. Together with Owerri West local government area, this bloc makes up the Owerri Federal Constituency but again, the Mbaike clan – the Ikeduru-Mbaitoli Federal Constituency – accuses the former (Owerri Federal Constituency) of presuming that Owerri zone belongs to it.

As a matter of fact, the two main groups championing the Owerri zone governorship project, the Owerri Zone Political Leaders Forum (OZOPOLF) and the Imo Harmony Project (IHP), are led by two prominent sons of the two (federal) constituencies, in the persons of Chief Charls Amadi, popular known as Charlvon, and Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho, respectively from the Mbaitoli-Ikeduru Federal Constituency and the Owerri Federal Constituency. But it is not a hidden matter that there is no love lost between the leadership of both groups, arising from the struggle for supremacy over which is the numero uno in Owerri zone.

But in an parent bid to erase the notion that Owerri zone leaders are not working together, the two groups recently staged-managed a get together at the residence of Ihenacho in Emekuku, something one observer described as a “mere deodorizing of an stinking rivalry”.
Meanwhile, the Ngor Okpala bloc feels completely alienated from the “Owerri Zone” concept. For a typical politician from the Owerri Federal Constituency, for example, Owerri zone is made up of Emekuku, Egbu, Nekede, Owerri Municipal, Ikeduru, Orji, Mbaise “INCLUDING” Ngor-Okpala. This description of Ngor Okpala as a mere INCLUSSION is highly resented by indigenes of the latter and is a veritable source of acrimony in the entire zone. Not long ago, Chief Charls Amadi was quoted as talking about “the noise from Ngor Okpala” in an attempt to belittle the governorship aspiration of an illustrious son of the area, Dr. Matthew Chima Amadi. Of course, he was berated for that even though some sympathized with him for the fact that he was apparently trying to curry favour from the sitting governor. It is not a hidden matter that for an average Ngor Okpala person, Dr. Amadi’s aspiration is sacrosanct and that for over 70 per cent of the youths in the area, Gburugburu, as they fondly call him, will get their vote in 2027 if he is on the ballot no matter the political party. This is how one anonymous writer, obviously an indigene of Ngor Okpala, once described the relationship between the area and the rest of Owerri zone: “They usually humour us with bogus alias of the largest LGA in the state, as the food basket of the state and as a good people …Yet, beneath that seeming facade of love lies deep seated hatred and revulsion, the type Hitler had for the Jews. Outside, they laugh and smile with us, inside they frown and mock us. Outside, they talk good of us but inside, we are ‘Nwa Ndi Ngor Okpala’. Outside, they fake love and genuine interest to help, inside they scheme and plot how to finish us politically”. Towards Mbaise, the situation is not better. For a typical “Owerre” fellow, Mbaise people are jinxed because their forebears murdered a District Officer (“Nwa DC”) during the colonial era.
As it is today, there is no prominent Mbaise politician in any of the groups, notably OZOPOLF and IHP, purporting to be championing the Owerri governorship project. A few days ago, a prominent indigene of the Owerri Federal Constituency, Chief Mike Nwachukwu, took a full page advertorial in a local newspaper to canvass that the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, a son of Mbaise, is the most suitable candidate for Owerri zone to present for 2027. Indeed, Nwachukwu described Ihedioha as Owerri zone’s “TRUMP CARD AND THE JOKER”. Who knows, it is possible that Nwachukwu is trying to pre-empt the imminent battle for the 2027 governorship ticket of the trending “coalition party”, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) between Ihedioha and Dr. Chima Amadi of Ngor Okpala.
We can go on and on to illustrate the fact that Owerri zone defies any known political hypothesis in its claim for the ceding of the office of the governor of Imo state to it in 2027/28. At the moment, there are at least six groups in the zone each claiming to be the most qualified to lead it to victory. Apart from the two earlier mentioned – OZOPOLF and IHP – there are at least four others, including the Owerri Zone Political Mandate group, the Owerri Zone Alliance Coalition, OZAC, and the newly formed Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought.
Going by what we have seen above, there can be no doubt that another group will emerge to champion the ambition of Chief Emeka Ihedioha who does not and cannot belong to either OZOPOLF or IHP for reasons that are not difficult to fathom. Still, a sixth group is in the making. As I write, a notice of a meeting of Owerri zone political leaders to be held at the country home of the late Chris Asoluka on Sunday, July 27 2025 is being circulated in the social media. Even though the meeting is in the guise of mourning the late Asoluka, observers argue that its sole convener, Chief Martin Agbaso, is intending to use the opportunity that will be offered by that gathering to form another parallel group to support his own governorship ambition.
While the notice of the Ihiagwa meeting is going round, the IHP has also sent out a notice of a meeting to be held at the residence of its apex leader, Captain Ihenacho, in Emekuku on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Curiously, the Owerri Leaders of Thought had earlier scheduled a meeting on the same date – July 26, 2025 –at the residence of Charls Amadi in Owerri. So, what is happening? Why are the two meetings scheduled for the same date?
Is it possible that the leadership of IHP did not know that the so-called Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought had earlier scheduled for a meeting on the same date? Why is Martin Agbaso calling another meeting just a day after the two of Saturday, July 26 2025? Incidentally, a text message accompanying the invitation letter of the IHP and which is signed by Ihenacho himself reads thus: “Everyone should endeavour to attend the meeting. You are all aware that IHP impact is traumatizing some people. Some of them are offering themselves as agents of destabilization of Owerri zone solidarity. They are trying to steer committed Owerri zone sons and daughters away from this sweeping and invasive success of IHP. IHP must stay strong with their GUINUINE GOALS (Emphasis Theirs). Leadership is not the problem of IHP. Leadership is collegiate. The focus is for Owerri to produce the next governor and unity is the secret and the strength. All roads lead to the Emekuku residence of Captain Emma Ihenacho, convener, IHP”.
Witness the two expressions: “Some are offering themselves as agents of destabilization (SIC) of Owerri zone”; and “… unity is the secret and the strength”. The first is a clear admission that there are Fifth Columnists in the Owerri governorship project; what the author euphemistically referred as “agents”. The second shows that the “unity” needed to pursue the project is not there. Then the last sentence, “All Roads lead to the Emekuku residence of Captain Emma Ihenacho”, is quite revealing. The emphasis on “ALL” suggests that the IHP leadership believes that political leaders in Owerri zone must not look in the direction of any other individual or group apart from Ihenacho and his IHP. There is the rumour making the rounds that the so-called Owerri Zone Leaders of Thought is an idea that is being muted to soften on the stance of Owerri zone on the governorship issue. True or false, it is shameful that our so-called leaders have allowed a situation that made room for such an insinuation to arise in the first place.
It is possible that the leaders of both groups may have a rethink and resolve the clash of dates for their respective meetings but the damage would have been done. There can be no reason why the clash of dates would have arisen in the first place apart from the fact that our leaders in Owerri zone are at war with themselves over the governorship matter. But let no further damage be inflicted on the collective dignity of the majority of Owerri zone people which is not part of this perfidy. I suggest that Nde Owerri demand that all the different groups should disband themselves and allow individuals to pursue their ambition separately.But I believe that a more realistic thing to do is to stop the entire 2027 clamour and allow Okigwe zone to go for another four years as is being widely canvassed.Thereafter in 2031 ,it will become Owerri zone’s turn to effortlessly go for eight years as was initially envisaged before the 2011 general elections.Given the way our leaders in Owerri zone are going, a free for all contest in 2027 will return power to Orlu. AGBARAKWE WRITES FROM INYISHI ,IKEDURU LGA.