The die is now cast between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his deputy, Eze Madumere, over who occupies the Imo State Government House, Owerri, in 2019.
While Okorocha was reported to be working hard for his son-in-law, who also his present Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, to take over from him, his deputy, Eze Madumere, was said to be seriously angling to take over from his boss.
According to the report, Okorocha had vowed that his deputy, Eze Madumere, would never succeed him and had equally sworn to stop Madumere from contesting Imo governorship next year, while promising to throw his full weight behind his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, who the governor said, is “an honest and very hardworking man”.
On his part, Okorocha’s deputy, Eze Madumere, had said that he must necessarily contest for Imo State governorship in 2019, and that nobody would stop him from doing that.
This has generated a serious tension in Imo State, with the two camps spoiling for war. Incidentally both camps are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
While one will concede to Okorocha’s son-in-law the right to aspire to any position he deems fit once he is qualified, what however is reprehensible is a situation where somebody would be playing God by insisting that ‘A’ must necessarily succeed him, and that ‘B’ or ‘C’ must not be governor.
This does not mean that Okorocha, as an individual, should not have a preference, only that as governor of the state who took an oath “to be fair to all of manner of people”, he should not use the public office to advance his personal interest or favour one particular person against the other. He should be civil and discrete both in his utterances and behaviour.
It was perhaps due to Okorocha’s personal aggradisement and unhidden interest to install his son-in-law as governor that led to the recent alleged manhandling of the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Dr. Anthony Obinna, during a funeral service in Owerri, which had drawn ire of all and sundry.
For Eze Madumere, the deputy governor, Okorocha may not have committed any offence if he fails to back his candidature, afterall, since the advent of the present political dispensation, how many governors had supported their deputies to succeed them? Those who did, are not having it rosy. Ask Kwankwaso how he is currently fairing with Ganduje.
It will however not be surprising if some cockroaches are smelt in the cupboard of the deputy governor and the State House of Assembly invited to start searching for them and in the process give him the boot. This would have for now, ended his governorship ambition, which Okorocha had promised.
