“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?” — Psalm 2:1

The current hysteria in Imo State Government House, Owerri, is well understood by by most Imo people. It is all about the fact that Dr Ikedi Ohakim is in the ring for the 2019 governorship election in the state. Ohakim is running for a constitutionally guaranteed last-tern of four years. His declaration to run for one final term has caused unprecedented panic in Uche Nwosu –

Governor Okorocha’s beloved son-in-law and stooge; the former jobless street boy whom he picked in 1999 from Wetheral Road, Owerri. Today, he has been anointed by Okorocha to succeed him in 2019 – and, of course, Okorocha himself.

This kind of panic can only happen when the big masquerade comes out. That was what the highlife music icon, Chief Oliver de Coque, meant when he sang that when the big masquerade comes out, the small ones become jittery and run away.

According to reports, Uche Nwosu was an opportunistic and disrespectful church rat, and a gold-digger who took advantage of the governor’s daughter. This boot-licker and then car-washer is now swimming in money, because he married the governor's daughter and was subsequently appointed into government by his father-in-law. And they have jointly raped Imo State!

In order to protect their loot, the governor has chosen his son-in-law to succeed him. But Imo people cannot allow that.

This is why they have unleashed, once again, all kinds of baseless but misleading information against Chief Ohakim in order to hoodwink few uninformed people.

The recent falsehood, after they had tried others and failed, is to try to find holes in Ohakim’s recent declaration to run for governorship again in 2019. And, when they failed to find any, they resorted to throwing tantrums. It does not work anymore in today’s Imo.

It gladdens the heart that the media interaction with Ohakim on Saturday, February 3, 2018 – tagged Ikedi Ohakim: An evening with the media – was a huge success. Though the event was strictly on invitation, because of the need to control crowd, it was a tremendous success. Because Imo people are now so in love with the former governor, all the guests came and, of course, the event still had more than the invited guests. It was never announced on air or social media. The invitation was extended on Saturday, from morning to afternoon. Yet, there was crowd. Anybody who attended that event would tell you it was a successful event in a cool atmosphere, with cool music and a wonderful comedian doing his job well.

Many people think that Okorocha would not have that kind of successful event without the state purse emptied, or without him hiring a crowd. On their own, Imo people have decided not to be part of Uche Nwosu’s or the governor’s function without being paid. It is true that when a child wants to dodge from work, he would prefer a fight. That is what is going on. Okorocha and Uche Nwosu are in their worst nightmare over Ohakim’s declaration, and the only thing they can do is to continue to throw sand.

Ohakim is not a one-chance bus. His return in 2019 is for the best interest of Imo people, and he has repeatedly said in clear terms what he wants to do. That is part of the reasons for the hysteria. He will do what they could not do in eight years. And, of course, he will ensure that all looted funds and assets are recovered to the last kobo.

On the other hand, Imo people know they have been on one-chance bus since 2011. This was unambiguously stated by former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, who unequivocally affirmed that Okorocha is a one-chance bus. He had sympathised with Imo people for having a governor like that. Referring to Ohakim’s comeback bid as one-chance bus is, therefore, to make caricature of the Okorocha’s government, because that is the one-chance bus Imo people have known for years. Imo people have come to realise within the past seven years that the two motor park touts in the state are Okorocha and Uche Nwosu. Ask Governor Willie Obiano. He will repeat it, that Okorocha is a motor park governor.

According to Punch of February 1, 2017, “The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Wednesdaydescribed the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, as a shameless son who is spitting on his father’s grave.” He also called Okorocha “a Motor Park Governor”. It is, therefore, preposterous to attempt to transfer the governor's well-earned nickname to another person.

Imo people are very happy that Ohakim is coming back to put the state back on track. Only Uche Nwosu and Okorocha and their partners-in-crime are terribly agitated. To, therefore, compare Ohakim and Chief Achike Udenwa is just sheer mischief. Udenwa has been very active politically, but he cannot come back as governor in Imo State. He can be president. But on the other hand, Ohakim has a constitutionally-guaranteed one-term, and he is going about it lawfully. It is only deranged fellows that could expect the two great leaders to adopt similar behaviours and strategies.

By the way, does Uche Nwosu behave the way other sons-in-law to governors behave? Does Okorocha behave like other governors? When Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, pays his workers their full salaries regularly, does Okorocha do same? When others build quality projects, does Okorocha do same?

But how did Ohakim become governor in 2007? Was it “a dicey gamble”? Not at all! It was a well-calculated move that gave him the advantage no one else had, and he became governor. Like every other venture, political contest, especially that of the governorship, is never 100 per cent guarantee to anyone that he would win. That is why people run around and campaign to get votes. Okorocha, for example, had gambled severally for the presidency, but did not win. He had also gambled for the governorship and Senate before he eventually succeeded in 2011, as a result of their criminal conspiracy against an innocent man.

In 2015 Okorocha gambled for the presidency. When he did not win, he came back home and took back the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from his son-in-law. No other wasteful gamble is worse than this. But the difference between Okorocha's gamble and Ohakim's masterstroke is that in the build-up to the 2007 general elections, Ohakim saw ahead of time, the implosion that would happen in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And it happened!

It is only a fool that would see calamity coming and he would allow it happen to him. As a master strategist, Ohakim left the PDP and joined the new Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Things happened as envisaged and he became governor. It is also very instructive to note that that was the first time Ohakim was running as governorship candidate. And he won!

It was no “dicey gamble”. After all, Ohakim was not the only candidate outside the PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

It is normal practice all over the world that when people believe in you – when you become the people’s darling, the beautiful bride – people would willingly invest in your political career. It is a great advantage. Nobody would dare invest in you if you don’t appeal to them.

Moreover, politics and leadership is never one-man show. It is not a family business. And one of the ways to know a man that would run an inclusive government is by the amount of space he provides for others to come in and play. Some of the players invest in the campaigns because governorship is never for sale, or for the highest bidder. It is for the people. Therefore, it is a plus that in 2007 Ohakim had such a wonderful appeal that he became the darling of all. Only the politically naïve would interpret this to mean that Ohakim did not have the money to prosecute his election in 2007. By the way, how much did Okorocha invest in his 2011 governorship election from his pocket?

But if you are called you from your bedroom to make you governor, it means you are the people’s choice, other than some political desperadoes who acquire indigeneship from Owerri zone and acquire chieftaincy titles from far-away North, just to be governor. If people do all the negotiations for you and hand over the governorship to you, it means you are a popular choice. It means your people chose you. You didn’t force yourself on them or try to buy their votes.

This is the nightmare Uche Nwosu and Okorocha suffer. They fear that Imo people have once more gone to Burma Retreat to bring out Ikedi Ohakim to come and salvage the state. This popular appeal is what Okorocha and Uche Nwosu lack, and dread. After all, Okorocha was quoted to have said that he bought his votes in 2015. Ohakim doesn’t buy votes.

Imo people love him and they freely give their mandate to him. They did it in 2007 and 2011, but it was stolen in 2011 by those who have held Imo down and spread poverty like butter on the bread, since seven years now.

As far as Ikedi Ohakim’s second term is concerned, our faith is solidly put in the people and God, who decide who becomes the governor at any given time. When God says yes, no man can say no. Imo people know that no amount of criminal conspiracy, stealing and looting can make anyone governor, if the people don’t want them. Imo people want someone they know, not some overnight-thieving billionaire.

Ohakim is a seasoned politician and a master strategist. He told the whole world that he is still in the PDP. He has not said he has left the PDP. It amounts to playing to the gallery, therefore, for anyone to insinuate that Ohakim does not know his political party.

On the hand, the liars in the government know themselves. They know their good morning is worth no one’s response. Eight times they had promised to conduct local government election, and eight times they failed. They promised to build industries and failed. They promised jobs and failed. Nothing works with them.

To stop these lies and the liars, Imo people have chosen Ikedi Ohakim over them. He will conduct local government election in three months. He will make things work again. He will bring back accountability and due process.

Nevertheless, Imo people are aware that their slave-masters would put up a last fight. But because our faith is in God, the maker of heaven and earth, they shall perish in the Red Sea. And when we cross over to the Promise Land, we would look back and thank God Almighty, because the Egyptians we see today we shall see them no more.

•Collins Ughalaa writes from Oguta, Imo State. He can be reached via ughalaacollins@gmail.com

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