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02.09.2014 Feature Article

Re: The PDP Of Imo And 2015

Re: The PDP Of Imo And 2015
02.09.2014 LISTEN

On the 30th of August 2014 , I read an article ''the PDP of Imo and 2015'' written by Dr Samson Nzeribe. In that article Samson explained that PDP in Imo State aims to win the 2015 Governorship elections here in Imo and lead the Government. That for it to happen, the Party must first unite as one group, with one common goal. That when the party remains in unity it can then work with other Independents as a group to beat the incumbent.

I agree with Dr Samson on this. PDP in Imo must intervene in the 2015 elections to rally the working masses, the poor and genuine change seeking elements of Imo State against the current ruling class in Imo that are leading us to disaster. The Party must be in unity so as to wrest power from the current band of marauders in Douglas House. The close to 4 years of Governor Okorocha was years of the locusts, as every facet of social services and public infrastructures plummeted. There were serial attacks on workers and students' rights. In 2007, PDP in Imo State was a divided family, there was no unity and they lost the election. In 2011 Imo PDP was again not united and they lost.

There is need just as Dr Samson said for PDP in Imo to build their house on a rock this time around by being united. The great Nnamdi Azikiwe had his own special “political anthem” when campaigning in the old Western Region populated by the Yoruba. He often sang in Yoruba, to the applause of his audience, a song saying we should build our house on a rock because the one built on sand gets easily washed away. The history books tell us of great nations that have collapsed because many fundamentals were swept under the carpet. Had the defunct Soviet Union followed the path of the United States of America by putting appropriate democratic structures in place, rather than indulging in many decades of sloganeering, it might have survived until today.

Imo PDP should learn from the past and also learn from the history of others if its own is not to be a continuation in the chapter of failure. The goal is to free Imo from the hands of the capitalist looter currently in power, a man who has made Imo a place where so many able-bodied youths have turned beggars due to unemployment. One man is looting Imo dry when so many of our graduates at all levels in the State and across disciplines drive danfos, molues, and keke for a niggardly amount. Others settle for the “Area Boys” specialties and dark alley businesses of assorted brands.

One man is looting Imo when our unemployed youths in the thousands have become a wild and homeless lot and socially disinherited. One man is looting Imo when so many of our elderly are hungry. They depend on public charity and their Good Samaritan neighbours for food and for a place to sleep. PDP cannot keep silent to this capitalist looting when days of sombre discouragement follow our pensioners. Some have died in penury, of hunger and disease. So many of them live a vagabond, lonely, and perilous lives.

This is why PDP must unite to help Imolites by taking power away from the hands of the dragon. It is about saving Imo State from bad governance. We want to go away from the hands of this Pharoah and be free from this locust in 2015. If Okorocha wins the coming governorship election, it will only mean consolidation of anti-poor , anti peoples regime and further diversion of public funds to his personal purse. If he wins again it will mean a continuation of the vast majority of Imo working masses to live in abject poverty in the midst of abundant human and natural resources. The vast majority of Imolites will be further kept in unstable and difficult socio-economic conditions while a tiny fraction have exclusive access to things and comforts of life.

Dr Samson also said that If PDP is serious as a party to take Imo back through the ballot box, then the eventual candidate must come from Orlu zone. I say a big ''No Sir'' to this statement. Bringing someone from Orlu zone to vie for governor when the incumbent is from Orlu zone is a fatal flaw to the ambition to reposition PDP in the 2015 governorship election. Samson suggested that PDP governor ticket should be given to Senator Hope Uzodinma. I also say another ''No Sir '' to this. PDP needs Senator Hope Uzodinma again as Senator for Orlu Zone in 2015. If Hope does not contest for Senate again in 2015, the Party may lose the seat of Imo West Senatoral zone. Senator Hope has formidable structure in 10 of the 12 LGA's of Orlu zone . But for PDP to win an incumbent like Rochas Okorocha in Imo State the party needs someone who has structures in the 3 political zones in Imo (Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe).

Take it or leave it but that is the truth. As a man who has so much fought against Okorocha's impunity in Imo State, i boldly say that the man among the lot in PDP contesting for governor that can beat Owelle in 2015 and correct this mess that Imo is into is Dr Ikedi Ohakim. I say this boldly and i know what i am saying. Also, Ohakim stands in a unique position with regards to Imo chatter of equity and return of zoning in Imo State. He is the only aspirant that his emergence will not offend zoning and the sensibility of Owerri zone. He cannot qualify for re election in 2019. Having being a governor he still commands a very high popularity in the state. His name recognition is unmatchable by any aspirant under PDP today. He remains very highly liked in Imo.

Ohakim has the most intimidating structures among all the PDP aspirants. He is responsible for constituting all the party office holders at the 305 ward level and at least 70 percent of the current party executives of the state. Additionally, the entire 305 ward councillors in the state are loyal to him as well as the past LGA chairmen. This means that Ohakim has available to him a readymade structure in every ward in the entire state. He knows the party inside out, village to village, ward to ward, project to project, traditional rulers, Entraco personnel, development centre coordinators, autonomous communities created by him, last state executive committees all totalling over 400,000 votes that PDP can harvest.

Moreover he has the list of the 10,000 sacked Imo graduate youths as well as the 30,000 sacked non graduate workers. Let him come back and bring back our sacked youths. Let PDP members in Imo work collectively for the general good of the party by supporting Ohakim. Let selfish ambitions be set aside this time around. It should not be winner takes all.

-Kenneth Uwadi, Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria

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