Tinubu Casts Doubt On Ohakim’s Gov. Ambition,  Nominates  Wife,  Three Others, Ambassadors

By Adesina Soyooye

A former First Lady of Imo State,   Lady Chioma Ohakim, has been nominated as an Ambassador by President Bola Tinubu.

Lady Ohakim, a Lawyer, was nominated alongside three others –  former Military Administrator of Rivers State, retired Navy Vice Marshal, Ibok-Ete Ekwe, former Minister for Interior who was also a former Chief of Army Staff, General Abdulrahman Dambazau, and a former Senator, Ita Enang.

The four nominees whose names have been forwarded to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, bring the number of nominees to 39. The first three appointees which included a former Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Rtd. Col. Kayode Areh, have been confirmed by the Senate. Their nomination was followed by those of 32 others who include the immediate past  Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, former President Tinubu-hater-turned-lover Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister. The nomination of the three has been greeted with protests by not a few Nigerians.

Mrs Ohakim is the only nominee, so far,  from Imo State. Her nomination has been received with mixed feelings by her husband’s  political loyalists, and Okigwe Senatorial District (Imo North) in particular, who see it as a diplomatic way to put an end to former Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s Governorship ambition.

Ohakim, who was defeated in his bid for a second term, by Senator Rochas Okorocha,  has been desirous  of contesting again to complete  two terms. Not a few people have been projecting him as the best bet to take over from Governor Hope Uzodinma.

They also think it is better for Owerri Zone, which rightly insists it is its turn to succeed Uzodinma to get to the position since Ohakim, having done a first  term, would be entitled to just a term in office.

However, not a few people think that with the nomination of Mrs wife as an Ambassadorial nominee, Chief Ohakim is not likely to be given the chance to run for the Governorship seat. No one family should produce an Ambassador and a Governor – not to talk of husband and wife, they say.