Imo PDP Leadership (1999-2019) now good and set for Victory

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It remains a thing of great pride for the Imo PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) since its formation over twenty years ago, it has remained the choice brand political party in Nigeria. The status of PDP did not happen by chance but by a monumental packaging that was founded on integrity. Yes, at the outset of politics of the 4^th Republic, men of great repute gathered to give Nigeria high quality leadership. With the PDP victory in the 1999 polls, they displayed integrity and were accepted by the greater number of the Nigerian electorate. That significant first victory was going to be sustained for straight sixteen years until the defeat of the party in the 2015 polls.

Every other party that kick-started the 4^th republic has today witnessed absolute death or partial death in a submergence of unfriendly friends. Few that are still heard about, like the Alliance for Democracy (AD) have undergone severe structural deformation that it cannot successfully and justifiably 1999. Hence, it is quite convenient to aver anywhere that while all its contemporary political parties have gone, PDP is still going on and strong. No changing! No shaking!

Right at the outset of the 4tht republic in 1999, Imo State swiftly became a PDP state. Many thanks go to such political heavyweight irokos, men of timber and caliber, as Senator Arthur Nzeribe and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Late Senator Evan Enwerem et al; through whom PDP germinated and flourished in Imo State. For the first eight years of the then new democratic system of government in Nigeria, Imo PDP called the leadership shots of the state from Douglas House, the seat of Imo power. But then suddenly the bubble burst into an internal crisis. The first casualty was integrity and trust. Imo PDP lost its integrity and trust.

The consequence was the leeway the crisis granted to Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), an upstart ragtag party, to win the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state that produced the emergency governor in the person of Chief Ikedi Ohakim. No thanks to the many troubles allegedly caused by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume for whom the PDP under the direct control of the then president Olusegun Obasanjo decided to boycott the 2007 election by not fielding any candidate instead of allowing Araraume that had been stigmatized with culpable complicity in the now parabolic “cut throat” politics as alleged and advertized by Obasanjo himself.

Since then in 2007, Imo PDP has, sadly, not won any governorship election. The diagnosis of the protracted debilitated condition of Imo PDP has shown lack of integrity and trust as the main symptoms. And this morbid health seems to worsen in successive election years. Whenever elections draw near, the demon of distrust and betrayal runs riot, possessing and traumatizing the party through some of its supposed but insincere leaders. It cost Imo PDP victory in 2007 and in 2011. Now in 2018, less than twelve months to the guber election, that demon seems to have once again been awoken and unleashed upon Imo PDP to begin to do the bad job that it is now known for; to destabilize Imo PDP and rob it of victory in 2019.

In 2007 it was Senator Araraume that the demon allegedly possessed beyond measure to deny Imo PDP its well-deserved victory in the governorship election. Sadly, in 2011, it was same Araraume that was allegedly used by that demon of destabilization of Imo PDP to overturn the apple cart and jeopardize the vigorous cruise of Imo PDP into Douglas House. However, now in 2018, as the next election approaches that demon as allegedly arrested Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the folk we all know as Samdaddy, and is using him to fight Imo PDP with the obvious aim of truncating the repositioned  party’s resolve to reclaim Government House, Owerri in 2019. That demon of distrust and lack of integrity has been said to have possessed Samdaddy enough pushing him mightily to suddenly turn into a dragon to ruffle feathers and rock the steadily sailing boat of Imo PDP.

Only recently there was a publication of what has since been promptly counteracted as unhealthy wild rumour that caught the fancy of some Imo-based newspapers suggesting that some powerful force in Imo PDP was scheming to oust the ebullient State Chairman of Imo PDP, Barr. Babatunde Ezenwa (I call him Baba T) from office. God forbid! There have been misguided, uninformed and irresponsible insinuations that the sinister plot was crafted by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, the immediate past flag bearer of Imo PDP in the 2015 governorship election. I gather from the grapevine that though the voice may sound like that of Jacob, the hand is certainly the alleged hand that of Samdaddy, who despite an initial declaration of availability to seek re-election as senator in 2019 suddenly made a detour and started babbling about how he has been divinely sent to salvage Imo blablabla as governor in 2019.

Pundits interested in the observation and analysis of the political metamorphosis of Imo PDP are convinced and have concluded that only ungrateful fifth columnists in the party could afford to infect and afflict Imo PDP with the poison of destabilization after the party has remained in opposition for three terms of twelve years. They are also convinced that only irresponsible leaders of Imo PDP would prefer to remain in opposition than support Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to be elected governor in 2019. What joy does anybody derive in being a chronic opposition? Ironically, it is a Samdaddy that is a direct indisputable mega-benefactor of the Ihedioha political machinery that has allowed himself to be possessed by that demon to betray his benefactor. Anyhow, as I say, Judas was a friend of Jesus!

However, thanks to God as the incumbent executive of Imo PDP has invoked the powers conferred upon it to rebuke and reprimand Samdaddy, warning him to be very careful of his utterances, his clandestine activities and romance with the opposition in Government House to avoid the hammer of Imo PDP for falling foul of gross anti-party misdemeanour. The party chairman, Barr. Tunde Ezenwa, roundly condemned the rumour and those peddling it, frowning at the tactics of bringing the party to disrepute by fanning the embers of destructive rumours.

Similarly, the party’s leadership through its publicity secretary, Damain Oparah,has called Samdaddy to order, tasking him to refrain from further castigating Imo PDP and its Board of Trustee (BoT) member in the person of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, and tarnishing its highly cherished image, especially now that the party has put its house to order and regained its integrity and trust, ready to reclaim Douglas House through the ballot box.

Nothing could be more assuring of the renewed hope in the Imo PDP than the bold manner the leadership of Imo PDP have handled the alleged bad behavior of Samdaddy in floating a libelous rumour laced with enough defamation of the personalitry of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. Certainly, there is hope for Imo PDP. I am strongly persuaded that with this same spirit the Ezenwa-led Imo PDP has exhibited, the party will coast home into Douglas House come 2019 after all electioneering hostilities.

Instructively, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and Barr. Tunde Ezenwa were among the winning team that ensured sanity was restored in PDP national after the monumental victory of the Makarfi group at the Supreme Court in 2017. The detail may not be easily accessible and assessable now, but the fact is quite determinable that there is no reason for Emeka Ihedioha to want to destroy his 5 and 6 partner in PDP progress here and there. Ideally, you do not change a winning a team. The understanding, cooperation and formidability of the duo of Ihedioha and Ezenwa may not be easily jolted by a petty rumour mongering traitor that has been deeply fingered as engaging in unholy romance with the drunken, power intoxicated emir in Douglas House, aiming to once again traumatize Imo PDP, push it into disarray to yet again lose the 2019 guber election.

I salute the courage of the leadership of Imo PDP in the face of a situation that portends ample capacity for sustaining the party in shame of opposition in 2019. I commend Barr. Ezenwa for his display of right rational reasoning and his ability to determine the yam that goes to the barn and those that go to the farm. It is with the eye that an experienced farmer knows a ripe corn stock. Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is Mr. Integrity. He is Mr. Humility. He is Mr. Loyalty! From all that form his enviable antecedence, Imo PDP must by now know their son that goes abroad and brings back respect and reward. PDP! Power to the people! PDP! PDP Power to Imo PDP! PDP! Power to Imo State! PDP! Power to Nigeria!