According to Dozie Owerri, nothing short of a governor of Owerri senatorial zone extraction will be acceptable to the people in the next political dispensation.
The next Governor of Imo State must come from Owerri Senatorial Zone. This is the position of Dozie/Mezie Owerri, a Socio Cultural organization of professionals and businessmen of Owerri extraction which primary focus is the welfare, well being, human and infrastructural development of Owerri people and the communities in Owerri.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Next Edition, the President of Dozie Owerri, Owerri Branch, Mr. Emeka Nwaneri, a legal practitioner, said, “the position is not just Dozie Owerri, Owerri Branch but Dozie/Mezie Owerri Central Council on the matter of who becomes the next governor of the state is that nothing short of a governor of Owerri Senatorial zone extraction will be acceptable to our people.
“Accordingly any political party in Imo State that seriously wishes to run for the governorship of Imo State come 2019 should look towards Owerri senatorial zone for their candidate.”
Explaining why his association has taken such a position, Mr. Nwaneri said, “in 1999 the fact as regards the civilian governorship of Imo State was that Okigwe zone had produced His Excellency Chief Sam Mbakwe as governor for a full term of four years. He was re-elected for a second term and had assumed office for that second term before the Army scuttled that administration via a coup d’état. His Excellency Chief Evan Enwerem (now of blessed memory) who was from Atta in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State which is in Owerri Senatorial Zone was then appointed Governor of Imo State under the military presidency of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
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“The only zone then that had not produced a governor was Orlu zone. At the time Owerri people were strategically positioned in PDP and APP, the two dominant parties then and with their said positions then ensured that their said parties chose their candidates for the governorship of Imo State from Orlu zone only namely His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa, – PDP (who eventually won the election) and Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu – APP. Chief Achike Udenwa served as governor for two terms.
“After him one would have thought that the people of Owerri zone would have no difficulty producing his successor but that was not to be. Even when Chief Martin Agbaso was coasting home as the governor-elect, that bid was truncated, yet the people of Owerri zone supported His Excellency Chief Ikedi Ohakim who thereafter emerged as successor to His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa. Chief Martin Agbaso is from Owerri zone while His Excellency Chief Ikedi Ohakim is from Okigwe zone. The inability of Chief Ikedi Ohakim to secure re-election for a second term altered the political equation in Imo State thus throwing up the present administration presided over by His Excellency Owelle Roachas Okorocha again from Orlu zone. As this administration winds down in 2019 Orlu zone from zero year as governor in Imo State in 1999 would have occupied the office of governor for 16 sixteen years, Okigwe zone with two terms four years each and three months would have occupied the office of governor for eight years and three months while Owerri zone will remain at one year and 10 months.”
According to him in the entire South East of Nigeria, Owerri Senatorial Zone remained the only Senatorial Zone that is yet to produce a governor. Therefore, it was only equitable that Owerri Senatorial Zone should produce the next governor of the state.
The President of Dozie Owerri, Owerri branch also lamented the fact that successive administrations in Imo State after the administration of His Excellency Chief Sam Mbakwe have been progressively worse than that administration.
