In Imo State today, there is a frontline politician, who everybody in the state and beyond knows can never become governor of the state.
That frontline politician is the former Okigwe zone Senator, Ifeanyi Araraume.
The serial governorship aspirant has gotten to the level in Imo State, that people now say, “Araraume again? Won’t this man go and rest?” A lot of people said that in 2019. He’ll be lucky to win in his village in 2023. People are tired of seeing his face coming out every election year to rule Imo State.
Clearly Araraume is not destined to occupy that one seat he could do anything for.
Maybe his son who is now trying his hand where his father started, can do better than the father, if only he doesn’t make the kind of careless enemies his father made that he kept him from going beyond 2007 politically.
Some enemies may not even be political but may be those on their knees with ofo na ogu and their prayers work as a block from the fulfilment of that dream.
Is this becoming Ihedioha’s story?
By 2023, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, the Supreme Court sacked governor of Imo State would be making his third attempt, one shy of his senior colleague Ifeanyi Araraume.
With the body language in the state lately, following his shabby treatment of the most prominent Igbo presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, while rolling out the red carpet for the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Ihedioha might not find so many people ready to listen to him when he starts preaching that it’s the time of Owerri zone which used to be his strongest argument.
It becomes clearer even to the politically blind, that unless PDP wins at the Centre, Ihedioha stands no chance in winning Gov Hope Uzodimma.
He may yet again come out for a fourth round when Ihedioha is leaving office and by then, Imo people will start saying, “Ihedioha again? Won’t this man go and rest?”
Is this man destined to be governor? Is he like Araraume, fated to try and try again until his presence becomes a nuisance to the people of Imo State?
Taking a look backward to 2015, when the carelessness of his lawyer and the overzealousness of his aides working at his orders to keep people away from him, cost him the chance to sack former governor Rochas Okorocha.
Even if we excuse his carelessness then, how can you excuse his carelessness to allow himself yo be kicked out unceremoniously from a seat he warmed for about eight months and by none other, than the person who came fourth by INEC’s count?
Does that not send a very clear signal to Ihedioha that akaraka ya is not in becoming governor of Imo State?
Today he is at it again, struggling and fighting for structure. Is it structure he will use and win or is he just going to waste time for the party yet again?
Time will tell.
