By Chidi Nkwopara, OWERRI
The Presidential and National Assembly elections may have come and gone, but what careful political watchers in Imo State cannot deny is that it has thrown up the capabilities of the individual contestants.

Hope Uzodinma, Emeka Ihedioha,kedi Ohakim, Ifeanyi Araraume

One other glaring fact is that bandwagon effect, following the result of the presidential election, may not suffice in Imo State, even as the state remains a flash-point in the remaining polls.

It is also a truism that the gubernatorial election in the state may be a different ball game, as no fewer than 70 candidates are very desirous, indeed determined to succeed Governor Rochas Okorocha.

The contest is, strictly speaking, open to all candidates, but Saturday Vanguard can authoritatively say that the major gladiators in next weekend’s political battle, may not be more than five.

While the likes of Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Ikedi Ohakim of Accord Party, and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, can be said to be substantially self sufficient in propagating their gubernatorial ambition, Mr. Uche Nwosu is largely dependent on the goodwill and support of his father in-law, Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Nwosu and indeed, all the Okorocha loyalists in the state, regard everyone in their camp as “agburu anyi”, but when they seemingly lost out in the APC’s internal schism, Okorocha, who was still bent on handing over to his son in-law, advised him to seek solace in another political party.

This explains why and how Nwosu grabbed the gubernatorial ticket of Action Alliance, AA, while Okorocha remained in APC, where he slugged it out last Saturday, for the Orlu senatorial seat. There are fears that Governor Okorocha could do anything to instal  his son in-law in next week’s elections.

Okorocha was declared senator-elect of Imo West senatorial zone, by the Returning Officer, Professor Innocent Ibeawuchi, at the collation centre in Orlu.

However, ahead of this declaration, the PDP senatorial candidates, Jones Onyereri, raised an alarm that Ibeawuchi’s life was under serious threat, if he did not do the bidding of Okorocha and his supporters.

“I am here to alert the whole world that the collation centre for Imo West senatorial district, has been invaded. The Governor and his security agents, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Onu, have stormed the collation centres”, Onyereri told journalists.

Confirming the allegation to newsmen in Owerri, Professor Ibeawuchi said that Okorocha gave him one hour to announce him winner of the senatorial election. Ibeawuchi is in the best position to tell his story, himself.

“A group was discussing how they would rig the election, while I was gathering information. As I was on my way into my office, three persons accosted me and asked me to handover the materials to them. They even called their boss but I told them that I would not do so.

“Apart from that most of the card readers were not working. They even tampered with sensitive materials. There are seven or eight local government areas that we had massive rigging and compromise.

“It is for this reason that I told them that I wanted to cancel the results and there would be a re-run. The thugs were working for the APC. They pounced on me. One boy told me that he would kill me if I refused to write the results they wanted.

Okorocha came into the collation centre and told me that the news was everywhere and that I should announce the result. Okorocha told me that he gave me one hour to write the results. I told him that it was not true, because we had not announced the final result.

“I wanted to cancel the results because of massive rigging and compromises. You know that any desperado will not rest until he gets you. My family is in God’s hands. I am afraid now.” In a swift reaction, the Professor Francis Dike, SAN, led Orlu Elders Council, roundly condemned what they called “the unnecessary brigandage witnessed in our senatorial zone, in the last presidential and National Assembly elections”.

Dike, who made their stand known, while addressing newsmen in Owerri, said: “We condemn the high level of brigandage witnessed in our senatorial district, in the last elections. As elders of the zone, we condemn it. The ugly development put our zone in very bad light and we hope that the perpetrators of that dastardly act, will not repeat the act in the next election”, Dike said.

While apologizing to Imo people for the embarrassment caused them by the inglorious electoral violence, the group was equally irked that the act may have portrayed them as an area where impunity reigns supreme.

“We want to commend Professor Innocent Ibeawuchi, for his resilience in standing against impunity, with all the pressure to go against his conscience. Imo State is truly proud of Professor Ibeawuchi”, Dike said.

Addressing his supporters and new converts at Villa Garden Hotel, Owerri, Senator Hope Uzodinma decried what he termed “the glaring electoral lawlessness exhibited by the Governor and his acolytes, during the last election and I am promising you that we will not allow that to happen again”.

Continuing, Uzodinma expressed how determined he was, to “recover and reshape the fortunes of the state and its citizens from the strong vice hold of one family”.

Meanwhile, the results garnered by the PDP in the last election, point to the fact that Chief Ihedioha and his party command large sympathisers.

“I salute Imo people for their courage, resilience and especially, their forthrightness in voting for the PDP, during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections”, Ihedioha said.

The PDP gubernatorial flag bearer also expressed joy that “despite massive vote buying and intimidation, Imo people kept faith by voting the PDP”, adding that “the results from across the state showed clearly that Imo people love and voted the PDP massively”.

Chief Ihedioha then appealed to Imo people to “come out enmasse, March 9, 2019, to vote for PDP, because voting the PDP remains the only sure way to liberate Imo State, from bad governance and place the state on a path of sustained growth and prosperity”.

It must also be said that APGA’s internal crisis took it’s toll on the party’s electoral fortunes in the last outing. Similarly, Chief Ohakim’s spirited efforts to win back people’s love, was not translated to votes. The same is also true of Action Alliance and all the other parties.

Pundits are already of the view that if the gubernatorial election turns out to be free, fair and credible, the contestants will earn their votes and bandwagon effect will not suffice.