As individuals and political parties prepare for Imo State governorship election, even though two years and eight months away, the much talked about Charter of Equity in the state has come under a big threat. At a time when there are expectations that power would shift to Owerri zone as first choice, or Okigwe zone as second option, Orlu zone, from where the incumbent governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, hails from, may participate fully in the contest.

Some notable politicians from Orlu zone are believed to have concluded arrangements to join the race, contrary to an understanding that the zone should stay away from the contest in the spirit of the Charter.

Already, one prominent indigene of Orlu zone, Chief Charles Orie, has come out openly to declare interest for the top political job. It was gathered that at least four more indigenes from the area are warming up to join the race.

Even though it was gathered that Governor Uzodimma, who is believed to be close to some of the speculated aspirants, is said to be quite uncomfortable with the development, given his open avowal that power should shift from his own zone after his tenure, sources said that people of Orlu zone want to exploit the squabble between Owerri and Okigwe zones over which zone should take the slot in 2028 as Uzodimma?s successor.

Ever since the re-election of Gov. Uzodimma, both Okigwe and Owerri zones have been laying strong claims to the right to produce the next governor of Imo State in 2028, especially after Imo indigenes started pointing at the Charter of Equity that should ensure an orderly rotation of the office of the governor among the three zones.

Owerri zone insists that it should produce the next governor of the state, on the basis that both Orlu and Okigwe zones have occupied the office over a period longer than necessary to its detriment ? 24 years for Orlu and four years for Okigwe, whereas Owerri has been in office for only a total of 25 months since 1991.

On the other hand, Okigwe zone indigenes argue that it should be allowed to do another term of four years to enable it level up with the eight years it was entitled to under the old charter of equity but which was truncated in 2011, when power shifted to Orlu zone.

Even though some elements from Owerri zone give the impression that the incumbent governor is working in favour of the zone, investigations revealed that the governor, outside his interest to ensure that power shifts from his native Orlu zone, has no particular interest in which of the two zones ? Owerri or Okigwe ? his successor will come from.

Governor Uzodimma had, at a meeting with stakeholders from Owerri zone on March 10, 2025, stated that power is not given ?turn by turn? and that whoever will succeed him will be a fellow that will be ready to fight for the interest of the generality of the people of Imo state.

He went ahead to state that some of those claiming to be championing the Owerri zone governorship project are doing so for their self-serving interest.

Although it was gathered that some leaders in Owerri zone felt somewhat disappointed that the governor did not at that meeting come out to say categorically that he was in support of the zone, a general and more popular belief is that it would be unfair to expect the governor to single out any of the zones ? Okigwe or Owerri ? as his favourite at this point in time.

Indeed, Governor Uzodimma had at that meeting warned those asking him to pronounce his preference now to desist from doing so, as that would heat up the polity and distract him from his job, pointing out that he still has close to three years to serve the people.

Before that meeting, some political elements routinely trended a particular video in the social media depicting the governor making a statement to the effect that the Charter of Equity will lead to his successor emerging from Owerri zone. While those behind the circulation of the video claimed that it was evidence that the governor made a ?promise? to hand over to a fellow from Owerri zone, many others, especially from Orlu and Okigwe, dismissed it as a doctored footage aimed at blackmailing the governor.

The latter group points out that the only thing that has a semblance of Governor Uzodimma?s thinking over his successor was when he said, during the campaigns for his re-election in 2023, that any of the zones, between Owerri and Okigwe, that gives him the highest number of votes will produce his successor. Some elements from Okigwe zone have since latched on to that statement, given that the zone gave Uzodimma more votes (even with just six local government areas) than Owerri that has nine. However, many dismissed it as another form of blackmail on the governor, with the argument that it was made at the heat of a campaign.

Following the March 10 meeting, there was a heated debate as to whether the Charter of Equity is a law which must be obeyed or a mere moral issue, which the people of Orlu zone have to be persuaded to buy into, in the spirit of fairness to the other two zones ? Okigwe and Owerri. Quite a good number of commentators from Orlu zone insist that the Imo Charter of Equity is only a moral issue and that those who are insisting on its implementation are, knowingly and unknowingly, plotting to deny the people of Orlu zone their constitutional right to vie for the office of the governor. It got to a point where Uzodimma?s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Declan Emelumba, during a radio interview, stated that not only is the Imo Charter of Equity not a law that is binding, but also that it has been violated by both Orlu and Okigwe who allowed politicians from their areas to contest against Uzodimma in 2023. There were insinuations in some quarters that Emelumba, believed to be one of the closest appointees of the governor, was speaking the mind of his boss, despite the fact that he was reprimanded for that comments.

I was under these circumstances that Chief Charles Orie, immediate past managing director and chief executive officer of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Commission (ISOPADEC) and a known political ally of Governor Uzodimma, declared his intention to run for the office. With the strong rumour that more indigenes of Orlu zone are gearing up to make their interest public, the question on the lips of every knowledgeable Imolite now is, where lies the Imo Charter of Equity? This is even as some prominent indigenes of Orlu zone have, in the last couple of months, argued that for fairness and equity, the implementation of the Charter should start with Okigwe zone whose turn was truncated in 2011.

In a recent interview, a former Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University, and a prominent indigene of Orlu zone, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, was emphatic that the state must return the office of the governor to Okigwe zone in 2028, in order to set the stage for a lasting power sharing arrangement.

Another prominent indigene of Orlu zone, Chief Greg Obioha, a couple of days ago, re-echoed the same sentiment.

Within Owerri zone, several notable indigenes are in favour of Uzodimma?s successor coming from Okigwe zone. Among them are Prince Bob Njemanze, a well-known social critic and activist, Mr. Paddy Obinna, immediate elder brother of the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Owerri Archdiocese, the Most Reverend Anthony J.V Obinna, and Professor Vitalis Ajumbe, another activist and former chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the state.

However, Owerri zone has also gotten the backing of a few Orlu zone fellows. A couple of weeks ago, the incumbent Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Cyprian Akaolisa, gave a well circulated interview in which he argued that for Okigwe to get equity, the issues that arose during the 2007 governorship election, when, according to him, a candidate from Owerri, Chief Martin Agbaso, was stopped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which cancelled the first election he was on the verge of winning, for another election, must be addressed. The second election was eventually won by Chief Ikedi Ohakim from Okigwe zone.

Akaolisa was, however, taken on by the people of Okigwe zone, especially through a widely circulated newspaper article by one of their sons and an erudite scholar, Professor Nnamdi Obiaraeri, who reminded Akaolisa that the matter he was referring to was pursued by Agbaso up to the Supreme Court where it was determined in favour of INEC.

Obiaraeri also referred Akaolisa to an earlier explanation given by the INEC chairman then, Professor Maurice Iwu in 2024, where he said, among other things, that Agbaso was not even a candidate in that election since the faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that fielded him was not recognised by the electoral commission.

Incidentally, Akaolisa is said to be one of the closest appointees of Governor Uzodimma and a long-time friend of his.

In the midst of all the conflicting signals and recent developments from the Orlu axis, several questions are emerging: Is Orlu zone merely flying a kite? Will Governor Uzodimma?s people go against his much-talked about commitment to ensure that power shifts from his native Orlu zone to another?

For observers and analysts, there is no doubt that the Imo 2027 governorship race will be quite interesting. (Saturday Sun)

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