2027 Imo Governorship: Why the Desperation of the Emekuku/Egbu Cabal Should Scare Owerri Zone and All Imolites – SIXT-MEDIA LANE
2027 Imo Governorship: Why the Desperation of the Emekuku/Egbu Cabal Should Scare Owerri Zone and All Imolites
Governor Hope Uzodinma has only completed one year and eight months of his second term in office, yet a clique—the Emekuku/Egbu Cabal—has already besieged him with relentless pressure. Month after month, they troop to Government House in carefully staged courtesy visits. They occupy the front rows at the Government House Chapel as if to lay claim to spiritual endorsement. They follow the governor to virtually every public function, all in a desperate bid to force his hand to name one of them as his successor.
This brazen desperation is both premature and dangerous. Governor Uzodinma has consistently made it clear, and rightly so, that he does not possess the power to anoint a successor. He has reminded them repeatedly that the process of producing his successor must follow a democratic path, and that the people of Imo, through due process, will ultimately decide. Although he has expressed his belief in the need for a Charter of Equity to guide succession and avoid the mischiefs of the past, he has also cautioned that such a charter does not automatically confer governorship on Owerri Zone. Okigwe Zone, too, has a legitimate claim to the seat, given the injustice of 2011 when its mandate was cut short.
Yet this cabal will not listen. They twist the governor’s words at every instance, distort his well-meant comments, and attempt to hoodwink him into endorsing one of their own. When he refuses, they resort to blackmail. They insult, intimidate, and lambast anyone who does not fall in line with their narrow agenda—even their fellow brothers and sisters in Owerri Zone who disagree with them.
This pattern of behavior is not new. The desperation of this cabal should concern not just Owerri Zone but every well-meaning Imolite. If they are this desperate while still outside the seat of power, what then will they do if they succeed in capturing it? Their history suggests they will use power as a weapon—to hunt down those who resisted them, to witch-hunt political opponents, to probe their predecessors not in the interest of accountability but for vengeance, and to entrench themselves permanently in the state’s power structure.
More importantly, what will become of the so-called Imo Charter of Equity should this cabal have its way? Will they ever allow power to rotate fairly to other zones, or even to other credible candidates from Owerri Zone who are not members of their clique? These are not idle questions—they are fundamental concerns that must worry every Imolite who values justice, balance, real equity, peace, stability, and collective progress.
Let us not forget: this same cabal played a destructive role in 2011, the year Imo’s evolving natural Charter of Equity was destroyed. They are the same people who:
Cleared the path for Rochas Okorocha from Orlu Zone, even though Orlu had already done eight years under Achike Udenwa.
Sold the governorship ticket to Okorocha to challenge a sitting governor from Okigwe Zone, truncating the natural order.
Orchestrated the lies, intrigues, and propaganda that unjustly removed Governor Ikedi Ohakim and cut Okigwe Zone’s rightful mandate short.
They deceived Owerri Zone with a false promise that Okorocha would rule only for four years before handing over power to Owerri. But within just two years, they fell out with him when Okorocha refused to take orders from them—just as they have fallen out with every other governor in the state who refused to be their puppet. They fought Udenwa to a standstill, undermined Ohakim through blackmail and sabotage, turned against Okorocha midway into his tenure, and today, they distort Governor Uzodinma’s speeches and pressure him to name one of them as successor more than two years before his tenure ends. Any Imo governor who refuses to follow their script becomes an enemy marked for destruction.
Already, their desperation is dividing Owerri Zone. At the courtesy call of August 20, the rivalry between the Imo Harmony Project (IHP) and the Owerri Zone Political Leadership Forum (OZOPOLF) nearly degenerated into open confrontation. This was no accident. It was the handiwork of this cabal, who thrive on sowing division among brothers and sisters in order to dominate the field and allocate power and resources to themselves and their cronies.
Imo people must remember: in 2011, Okigwe Zone’s rightful eight-year mandate was unjustly truncated through a civilian coup orchestrated by this cabal and their Abuja collaborators. That injustice has never been corrected, and until it is corrected, no genuine Charter of Equity can take root in Imo State. What we are witnessing now is a replay of the same treachery, with the same actors, deploying the same tactics.
The warning signs are glaring. If Ndi Imo make the mistake of entrusting power into the hands of these desperate warlords and political thugs, we may be signing up for a long and treacherous ride with this cabal at the steering wheel of Imo’s affairs and destiny. Their records are before us and they are not good ones. Their methods are known, and they have been disastrous and calamitous. Their desperation is dangerous and could lead to anarchy and disunity. We cannot afford to gamble with the future of our state. We cannot surrender our future to anarchists and merchants of political treachery.
We therefore call on all well-meaning Imolites—whether from Owerri, Orlu, or Okigwe—to rise against this attempted hijack of our collective destiny. This is not about one zone versus another; it is about whether we will choose justice, fairness, and stability, or surrender to cabal politics and perpetual manipulation.
To the younger generation, we make a passionate appeal: do not surrender your future to this desperate clique of gangsters. Their history shows that they are concerned only with themselves and their privileged circle. They do not mean well for Imo. The fight for justice and equity is your fight, for it will shape the Imo you inherit tomorrow. If you do not speak up now and take action to prevent another disaster by this gang, the same recycled desperation will define your political and economic future.
To Governor Uzodinma, we also appeal to you: do not be distracted by the antics of the Emekuku/Egbu Cabal. These individuals did not support your re-election. The results of the 2023 governorship election are a public record lying on your desk—it is an obvious indictment of the cabal. Yet today, they blackmail you with endless courtesy calls and staged displays of loyalty, all in a desperate attempt to stampede you out of office. Stand firm, Your Excellency. Distance your administration from their manipulations, and remain focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to Imolites. Continue to stand firm on your position regarding the yearnings of Imo people for fairness, justice, and a truly inclusive Charter of Equity.
History has taught us that every time this cabal seizes control, Imo is plunged into division, instability, and political wilderness. Their antics are not the path forward. The path forward is justice before equity, balance, and fairness. Ndi Imo must therefore do everything within their power to stop this cabal in their tracks before it is too late.
The real question before us is simple: Will Imo rise above cabal politics and return to justice and fairness, correcting the mistakes and mischiefs of the past in a real and genuine way? Or will we again allow a handful of desperate individuals, desperadoes, and power mongers to hijack our collective destiny and thrust us into another Egypt era? The choice is ours, and the consequences of that choice will shape our state for generations to come.
Ifeanyichukwu Iheanacho
A concerned Imolite from Umuna, Orlu LGA
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