A PDP Chieftain and elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is in trouble. He is not only in trouble with his party, the PDP, he is, also, in trouble with a section of his people, Owerri zone.
Iwuanyanwu’s problem stems from a speech he delivered a few days ago when Owerri zone organized a reception for Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma. The elder statesman was the Chairman of the occasion, during which Traditional Ruiers in the Zone honoured the Governor with a Chieftaincy title.
In his speech, which lasted for about 30 minutes, Iwuanyanwu, according to some people, crossed the border line. He publicly promised the Governor that Owerri Zone will vote for him for a second term in office as Governor, in 2023. He said it was because within just a space of less than one year in office, the Governor has already done a lot for Owerri Zone.
Members of the PDP in the Zone hit the roof. Iwuanyanwu’s speech rankled them. They were not only embarrassed, not a few of them accused the Chief of anti-poverty activities. They called for his expulsion from the party.
They had their reasons.
Iwuanyanwu is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, BOT. He had, on a couple of occasions, said he was instrumental to former Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s victory as the Governor before a Supreme Court judgement removed and declared Uzodinma winner.
The PDP has since then been hurting and crying foul. The party sees Governor Uzodinma as an illegal Governor.
For eight years, the PDP played the opposition role. Ihedioha’s coming gave them a breather. And just before the party even sat down properly, it was roughly pushed out of the seat.
But, on top of that, Owerri Zone, where both Iwuanyanwu and Ihedioha hail from, feel cheated that, again, the Governorship of the State had gone to Orlu zone where Uzodinma hails from.
For 16 years, beginning from former Governor Achike Udenwa who did eight years, Rochas Okorocha, who did another eight years, making it 16 years, Uzodinma’s one term would make it 20 years, and if he does two terms, Orlu Zone would have occupied the Governorship of the Imo for 24 years.
For Owerri zone, which has not got a taste of it since Governor Evan Enwerem’s aborted tenure, the sacking of Ihedioha was like snatching a breast-sucking baby away from her/his mother’s breast.
And, now, there was an Iwuanyanwu, who the PDP and a number of people from Owerri zone, felt understood the issues, publicly endorsing Uzodinma.
Even though the PDP, both at the National and State levels, has not publicly reacted to Iwuanyanwu’s endorsement of Uzodinma, not so, the apex Owerri zone socio-cultural organisation, Olu- Owerri. The body has denounced Iwuanyanwu, and has told him that he spoke for himself, and not Owerri zone.
In a statement, Olu Owerri said Iwuanyanwu had no authority to speak for the Zone.
In an open letter signed by the President General of the union, Chief Martin Opara, and Secretary, Barr Sylvester Nwogu, addressed to Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Olu Owerri advised him to, henceforth, speak for himself and his family.
He was asked to avoid “making comments that could bring him on collusion curse with the good people of Owerri zone.”
The letter informed Chief Iwuanyanwu that: “Owerri people, in the various political parties, are united in their resolve to pursue the Governorship seat in 2023, to address the injustice that has befallen the senatorial zone in the last twenty one (21) years.”
Chief Iwuanyanwu was reminded by the body of his earlier stand of the betrayal of the zone by the former coordinator of OZOPOLF, Chief Charles Amadi, who he has now embraced, saying “it is now clear that both of you are birds of the same feather.
The statement said: “Iwuanyanwu only cried wolf when Amadi outwitted him in their common enterprise. Now he has gone back to him to lick his vomit.”
The group urged Chief Iwuanyanwu to show a good example to the younger generation by separating his appetite for government patronage from the issues of principle, insisting that with his present statements on the governorship of Imo State, he should resign his membership of the PDP and either remain an elder statesman or join the APC.
The letter urged the general public to take the statement accredited to.Chief Iwuanyanwu as his personal opinion, and not the opinion of Owerri zone.
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