By Charles Igbo
The visit to Owerri, Imo State, by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday, 1st September, 2023, couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time.
For both Governor Hope Uzodinma, the incumbent, seeking a second term in office, and the Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, popular as Samdaddy, Mrs Tinubu’s visit was of consequence.
She had visited Imo State to grace the grand finale of the Annual August Meeting in the State. In the South-east, the August Meeting, a meeting of the women is important. It is for women home and abroad. It is a period they meet and discuss the progress of their various communities. August meeting is taken seriously by all Igbo women. Those who live outside their communities usually go home to participate. None participation could come with a huge fine.
But the 2023 August meeting in Imo State was one with a difference. It was the first time a President’s wife would grace the grand finale. Not a few people are wondering how the beautiful Mrs Chioma Uzodinma, a Lawyer, pulled the feat. With that feat, Imo became the first State Mrs Tinubu would visit officially. It’s political undertone, especially, in the weeks running to tye Governorship election, was not lost on most people.
It is not known if the Nigerian First Lady knew the significant of her visit to Imo. The supporters of Governor Uzodinma and those of Anyanwu looked forward to it. Perhaps, so did their Principal. Anything she said could lift, or down their morale.
A couple of weeks before her visit, Mrs Tinubu’s name had started featuring in the very bitter politics of the State. Many stories had started circulating on how her support could, and would swing victory the way of a candidate in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election. So, expectations were high. What would she say?
Instructively, as far as many, especially in the opposition PDP were concerned, Mrs Tinubu was not likely to say a word in favour of Uzodinma. If anything, they claimed, Mrs Tinubu was in support of Samdaddy. But because of her position, she perhaps would be diplomatic, and not talk about the elections. If that happens, it would still be a plus for Anyanwu as the interpretation would be that “the First Lady visited and ignored to endorse him.”
The strong speculation which worried a couple of the Governor’s supporters was that Mrs Tinubu “is a supporter of Samdaddy.” Indeed, they, also, claimed that both President Bola Tinubu and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, were in support of Samdaddy, and were anxious for Uzodinma to vacate the Governorship seat.
In the case of Mrs Tinubu, they said she and Samdaddy were in the Senate together, , and so, she would support her fellow former Senator. They cleanly forgot that Uzodinma was in the Senate too with Mrs Tinubu, and so, a fellow former Senator.
For President Tinubu and Gbajabiamila, they said both are against Uzodinma because he, allegedly, was in support of the Presidential ambition of former Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan. They added that the President was even upset that Uzodinma emerged the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum. The bearers of these stories forgot that not only was Uzodinma solidly behind Tinubu on the day of the APC Presidential Primary, he was the only Governor who rallied a number of businessmen and women from the South-east to donate a whopping two billion Naira to Tinubu’s Campaign coffers on the day Tinubu visited Owerri for his Campaign.
Weird as their speculations were, they continued to propagate them, and a few people, even some loyalists of the Governor, were beginning to believe them, and so became panicky. One of them in a very low, worried voice told this reporter a few days before Mrs Tinubu’s visit: “The Governor has done quite well. Ordinarily, the election is his to lose. He would have won the election effortlessly, but for the non- support for him by Abuja.” Asked who in Abuja, he said: “They say Tinubu, his wife and his Chief of Staff are against him.”
But all fake stories about Abuja, Uzodinma and Samdaddy ended on Ist September when Mrs Tinubu visited.
From the minute Mrs Tinubu disembarked from the Presidential Jet at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, she left no one in doubt where his heart is. She made it obvious that she was at home with Governor Hope and Mrs Chioma Uzodinma. Dressed in the popular Igbo “ishi agu”, there was no denying where her loyalty was, and who her support and that of her husband was for. It was for Uzodinma.
At the venue of the grand finale, she emphasized on that. She appealed to Imo women to troop out on election day and massively vote for Uzodinma. Then, as if she had heard of the fake stories, she told the people that the Presidency is fully backing the re-election of the Governor. And the hundreds of women and men roared in support and appreciation. As an icing on the cake, Nigeria’s First Lady empowered 2,000 women.
For Samdaddy, even though Mrs Tinubu’s public, solid, endorsement of Uzodinma was expected, except by mischief makers, it was bad news for him. Within one week, the claims of support for him which have been denied and proclaimed fake are growing.
His supporters had claimed that former Governor Rochas Okorocha, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, and the Youth wing of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s supporters have thrown their very significant weight behind his ambition and endorsed him. But one by one, all issued statements to deny any such endorsement. Mrs Tinubu’s on behalf of the Presidency takes the cake. For Samdaddy , It doesn’t look good, especially, as very loyal PDP supporters of Ihedioha are very strongly against his Governorship ambition. They hold him responsible for Ihedioha’s sudden withdrawal from the Governorship race.
Meanwhile, Uzodinma is “collecting” endorsements from left, right and centre.
November 11 will tell.
