When
the whistle for National Assembly and State Assembly tickets was blown for the contest in Imo State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
for the 2023 elections, the usual glamour was missing as a result of the staggered
governorship ticket, writes Amby Uneze.
By the time the
national assembly elections and the State assembly elections come up on 25th
February and March 11th, 2023 respectively in Imo alongside the majority
of other States of the federation, the people of the Imo State would be
struggling to know who their candidates for these positions are. As it used
to be the usual pattern in the previous elections when all the State,
Governorship and National Assembly elections take place concurrently, that of
the 2023 elections would not be the same. The State would be having for the
first time a staggering election because the governorship election would be
conducted much later in 2023.
The reason is not fare
fetched. The governorship election for Imo State has been shifted by INEC to
hold on November 11, 2023, in line with the electoral act of 2022.
According to the
Commission, this decision is in fulfillment of the requirement of Section 28(1)
of the Electoral Act 2022 which mandates the Commission to publish the notice
of election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the elections.
Similarly, Sections
178(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999
mandate the Commission to conduct such elections not earlier than 150 days and
not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the last holder of
the office.
Therefore, the tenure
of the incumbent governor of Imo State ends on January 14, 2024, while those of
Kogi and Bayelsa States end on January 26, 2024, and February 13, 2024, respectively.
The statement read in
part, “Accordingly, the Commission has decided to conduct the three elections
on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
“The statutory notice
for the elections was published in the three states on November 14, 2022.
Party primaries will be held from March 27 to April 17, 2023, while the online
portal for the submission of nomination forms (EC9 and EC9B) by political
parties opens at 9.00am on April 24, 2023, and closes at 6.00pm on May 5, 2023.
“The final list of
candidates will be published on June 9, 2023, while campaign by political
parties commences on June 14, 2023, and ends at midnight on November 9, 2023. The
full Timetable and Schedule of Activities has been uploaded to the Commission’s
website and social media platforms.”
Based on the above
information, the Imo State senatorial and House of Representatives elections
would be held on February 25, 2023, while that of the governorship would come at a
distant November 11, 2023. For these reasons, therefore, it becomes pertinent
to highlight brief profiles of some of the candidates of the major four
political parties that are contesting for the positions. These parties are the
All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party
(LP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
For want of space, we
present a few of the candidates that readily come to mind but not in order of
superiority or importance. We believe that all the candidates are qualified for
the positions they are seeking without, of course, losing sight of their
individual strengths and weaknesses.
Senatorial
Ticket
Francis
Ezenwa Onyewuchi (LP, Imo East)
Francis Ezenwa
Onyewuchi is a serving senator representing the people of Imo East with the
ticket of PDP but currently flying the flag of the Labour Party in the red
chambers. Onyewuchi is a two-time member of the House of Representatives as
well as a ranking member of the national assembly. He is an Alumnus of the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and ESUT Business School and he holds a Master's
degree in Management. His empowerment to the people of his senatorial zone is
highly appreciable and would consolidate his ranking to the extent of getting a
principal position in the senate if re-elected.
Chyma Anthony (APGA, Imo East)
Chyma Anthony is a
professional with considerable experience in and out of the courtroom, a
well-established lawyer and businessman with measurable success. He is a
philanthropist of note. A community
leader and respected both in his hometown and abroad, Anthony is a clan chief (high
chief) in Ikeduru LGA, holds a key place in community affairs, and is a major
contributor to community projects.
His passion to continue
in his pet project of providing selflessly to the people and less privileged no
doubt spurs him to seek for elective position.
He plans to partner with the Federal and State Governments to ensure there is
adequate security of lives and properties for the good people of Imo East
Senatorial District.
Among his manifesto
include sponsoring Bills for the Location of some Federal Organizations in the senatorial
district, for prompt Federal Government intervention in areas that are being
endangered by Erosion and Flooding such as Mbieri, Ogwa, etc, to ensure that
youths and women are trained in batches yearly in different skills that will
make them jobs creators and not jobs seekers.
Uche
Onyeagocha (PDP, Imo East)
When it comes to
outspokenness and vibrancy, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha takes his rightful position. A
former member of the House of Representatives that represented Owerri federal
constituency in 2003 having been the first All Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA) in the green chamber. Onyeagocha had contested several elective
positions including governorship in the past until he was appointed the
Secretary of the State Government under the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha’s short-lived
administration. He has promised to give effective representation in the senate
if elected.
Alex Mbata (APC, Imo East)
Prince Alex Mbata otherwise called PAM is a newcomer in Imo politics, especially the Owerri zone. He has no political experience. Although those admirers describe him as a philanthropic gentleman, it is not very clear what his grassroots support base looks like.
Charles Ahize (Labour Party, Imo West)
Chief
Charles Ugochukwu Ahize is a top businessman and philanthropist who is one of
the most successful auto dealers and pharmaceuticals in Nigeria. He is a former
President-General of the Obigbo Socio-cultural organization. Ahize has played a major
role in stabilizing the Igbo race through his peaceful and developmental
persuasive activities. He is the Labour Party (LP) Senatorial candidate for the
second largest senatorial district in the Southeast of Nigeria and a
longstanding campaigner for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction. His plans
for Imo West senatorial district include making sure that the Southeast is
properly integrated into the Nigerian political, economic and development plan.
He argues that the Southeast has been left behind through inexplicable
marginalisation by successive federal administrations since after the civil
war. Creating
jobs, enhancing more access to quality education and opening bigger windows of
opportunities for wealth creation are some of the items on his Orlu Recovery
Plan.
Osita
Izunaso (APC, Imo West)
Izunaso had been a
member of the national assembly (House of Representatives 2003 – 2007) and Senate
(2007 – 2011). He was also the national organizing secretary of the APC. While
at the national assembly, he recalled certain achievements he made, including, sponsoring
life-changing bills, attracting the Assa Gas Plant in Ohaji-Egbema LGA,
influencing the construction of Owerri-Onitsha Road, supporting the creation of
Njaba State made up of the 12 LGAs in Orlu Zone as against the creation of
Urashi State because it excised about 10 LGAs in Orlu Zone.
Jones Onyerieri (PDP, Imo West)
This is a flamboyant
politician. Onyerieri was a two-term House of Representatives member that
represented Nwangele/Nkwere/Isu/Njaba federal constituency. He lost his first
attempt to go to the senate in 2019 to Rochas Okorocha and he is working very
hard to be elected this time around.
Ifeanyi
Araraume Jr, (Labour Party, Imo North)
Araraume junior is the
son a former senator, Chief Ifeanyi Araraume. He is a lawyer and hopes to
represent Imo North in the red chambers in 2023. A young man of 40 years is
hoping to attract a Federal Medical Center in his senatorial zone. He also
desires to champion a bill for the creation of a Federal University in his zone
to stimulate the economy as well as create job opportunities for his people. He
wants to ensure that the South East Development Commission Bill still stuck in
the Senate sees the light of day, among others.
House of Representatives
Chikwem
Onuoha (Labour Party, Okigwe North)
Chikwem Onuoha is a cerebral politician that is highly admired by many who came across him. Chikwem as he is popularly called obtained his degrees in Australia and United Kingdom. An international marketing guru, Chikwem is not new in politics. He has also touched many lives through his humanitarian approach to life and in so doing has given employment to many people. His philanthropy drove him to set up the Chikwem Onuoha Education Trust Fund to cater for the less privileged. His mission and mission is to ensure that new federal infrastructure and amenities are adequately allotted to the communities. Again, if elected, his primary task remains to bring effective representation closer to the people of Okigwe North federal constituency.
Raphael
Nnanna Igbokwe (APC, Ahiazu/Ezinihitte)
Igbokwe is a ranking
member of the national assembly having been a member of Imo State House of
Assembly as well as a member of the House of Representatives representing
Ahiazu/Ezinihitte federal constituency. Before he joined the APC, he had been a
member of the PDP. As a special adviser to the speaker, Hon. Gbajabiamila,
Igbokwe knows the workings of a federal legislator and vows to bring the needed
democracy dividends to his constituents if elected.
Chike
Okafor (APC, Okigwe South)
Chike Okafor is one
federal legislator that has made a remarkable impact in the business of
legislating. A ranking member, serving his second term in the green chamber,
Chike, a former bank was a commissioner of finance, Imo State. According to
him, the essence of holding political office, either elective or appointive is
to use it as a channel to bring the dividends of governance to your immediate constituency,
this he has done severally through empowerment, procurement of medical
equipment/facilities, provision of educational and security equipment, etc.
Uche
Ogbuagu (Labour Party, Mbaitoli/Ikeduru)
Uche Ogbuagu is currently
a member of the 9th house of the Imo State House of Assembly. He
also served as the majority leader. In his quest to serve his federal
constituency better, he is running for the federal house to provide his people
better governance. “My earnest desire
and quest to represent my dear people of Mbaike at the House of Representatives,
come 2023, I pledge to be the embodiment of the true Mbaike spirit of selflessness,
responsibility, fairness, courage, hard work and commitment to social justice. My
manifesto for Mbaike is anchored on cardinal areas of need: education, youth
and women empowerment, infrastructural and industrial development, health and
community development, and above all, giving Mbaike a national voice and unsurpassed
presence at the centre.
Conclusively, space
could not permit us to list other candidates, but suffice it to say that our
mission is to present to the Imo State electorate their would-be representatives
at the national assembly come 2023.
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