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In preparation for the upcoming Imo governorship election on November 11, Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party’s candidate, has received counsel to withdraw his candidacy in favour of Governor Hope Uzodinma from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chief Tony Chukwu, the host of the Imo State Council of Elders meeting held at his residence, elucidated that the recommendation was formulated based on a consensus among Imo Elders to revive the practice of rotating the governorship within the state.
He also noted that this rotation would encompass the three zones, with Governor Uzodimma being allowed to serve a second term.
According to Chukwu, the rigorous enforcement of this agreement had become a pressing need to enable the smooth and peaceful rotation of the governorship position, akin to the model in place in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi states.
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Addressing the gathering, he called upon the residents of Okigwe to actively engage in grassroots mobilization efforts to ensure a resounding victory for Uzodimma in the upcoming November 11 election. He reminded them that Okigwe Zone’s six local governments alone couldn’t produce a governor and stressed the need for collaborative support from Orlu and Owerri zones.
Chukwu restated the point that the volume and proportion of votes coming from Okigwe Zone would be the determining factors in gauging the support it could count on from Orlu Zone when the time arrives to solicit their endorsement for the Governor’s role following Uzodimma’s tenure.
He said: ‘We are all brothers and sisters brought together by God and should live in peace and harmony and must therefore avoid anything that threatens to bring crisis to our dear state. The rotation of the office of the Governor as developed and endorsed by 411 elders from across the state must be upheld as sacrosanct.’
He said Uzodimma has more than justified the mandate given to him by his unprecedented service delivery in the state and needs a stronger mandate from the people to continue fighting and delivering for them.
During the meeting, other prominent figures and elders recognized the exceptional achievements of the governor, his constitutional eligibility for re-election, the importance of adhering to the rotational consensus, and officially endorsed him for a second term in office. They also urged the voters of Imo to cast their ballots overwhelmingly in his favour in the upcoming November 11 elections.
