A lot has happened in Imo Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) since the victory of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was upturned by a Supreme Court judgement on the Tuesday, January 14, 2020 and Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s subsequently sworn in on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
Though the controversial court decision is still in contest ,it has wrecked more havoc in the Peoples Democratic Party since then, as more and more tragic incidents keeps recurring, which unfortunately started with defection of Assembly members of PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC) including the Speaker of the house as well.
The latest is the timely defection of Hon. Patrick Ndubueze from PDP to Accord Party, after exhausting all measures to bring the leadership of the party to see the inconsistencies that led to his shortchange by the party that he has given his youth and timeless effort.
Hon. Patrick has been a founding and funding member of the people’s Democratic Party for decades now, consistent in representing the party in his zone in the state, and has garnered a lot of follower-ship and sympathizers across the 6 LGA which culminated in him winning the last senatorial election in the state on the 23rd February 2019.
Though his victory was out-turned by conspirators in the losing parties, he contested in the bye election as well and lost in a poll that was fraught with inconsistencies but this lost was not his first for the party.
During the 2014 primary election in which he was among those that stood for consideration by the party hierarchies, he lost that primaries to Chief Athan Achonu ‘The One Arm General’ by mere 3 votes and yet remained in the party, and gave him all the support he needed to win that same election which was yet upturned at the judiciary like his victory and APC emerged once again as the second winners.
The Ingenuity of Late Nze Ukwuose.
Hon. Patrick Ndubueze and the late Nze Enwerem popularly known as Ukwuose has a lot in common, they are from the same LGA in the State that is yet to produce a senator among the 6 LGA’s that made up Imo North Senatorial Zone.
Both of them were pivotal in delivering votes that ensured the victory of Emeka Ihedioha in the guber election of 9th March 2019. Nze Ukwuose and his Boling Point political structure were among the major players in the senatorial election victory of Chief Athan Achonu in 2015 and of course Hon. Patrick Ndubueze in 2019 as well.
Nze Ukwuose after his short stint as Commissioner for Lands in the then APGA Government of Governor Rochas Okorocha, which he resigned from when he realised that he won’t have the personal space and independence he needs to make a difference in the state, which is defeating to the developmental plans he has for the state when he left his base in the United States of America.
After Nze Ukwuose’s resignation from Okorocha’s Government ,he went around recruiting youths that he believe has the energy and capacity to help him deconstruct the face of politics in the state, among whom another of his kinsman in Nze Chijioke Ekpunobi emerged as his lieutenant in his Boiling Point Structure.
Nze Ukwuose and his Boiling Point political structure concentrated heavily in making impact in Okigwe Zone politics and sure from his ingenuity , the boiling point recorded repeated success in the zone in terms of electoral victories, regardless that some of them were upturned nicodemously.
Okigwe Son’s and P.D.P Politics at this time.
Nze Ukwuose among other Okigwe sons were consistent in ensuring that the presence of Okigwe LGA was felt in the entire politics of the state, most of them had their mainstay in PDP and stood against all odds to ensure that not just their LGA but the entire zone turns up at the ballot for PDP during elections .
Its very sad that a lot has changed in a year after his death, as important key players in Okigwe in PDP seems to have either lost their way ,as the former party chairman of PDP Charles Ezekwem was branded when he exited the party , or having their exit forced on them with blatant negative exhibition of the party new leadership signalling that they are not wanted anymore, like in the case of Hon. Patrick Ndubueze.
Barely one year anniversary of the demise of the leader who gave his all for the Peoples Democratic Party in Okigwe zone ,both the opposition and incumbent has ran riot in his hometown and shortchanged his people in the process.
From the alleged Fulani Herdsmen attack in Okigwe that led to human loss of about 11 individuals full of life and at their prime , to the exit of the party leader as Charles Ezekwem alleged that he was forced to resign and now Hon. Patrick Ndubueze a party stalwart in the LGA has left PDP for Accord Party in a bid to reclaim his alleged mandate.
Political pundits in the state are observing a seemingly cold war between the people of Okigwe and the former governor of Imo State Chief Emeka Ihedioha, but they are yet to come at a conclusive opinion as the continuous presence of Nze Chijioke Ekpunobi in PDP regardless of the exit of Hon. Ndubueze seems to be proving them wrong.
From PDP to Accord party : The Possible Fate of Hon. Patrick Ndubueze.
The die is cast as Hon. Patrick Ndubueze defected to Accord Party last Wednesday, though Accord Party in the state cannot march the strength and followership of PDP, but we guess Ndubueze opted for defection to have a chance in the 31st October by election, as all the handwriting on the wall indicates that this is his mandate and providence is giving him another chance to aim for his elusive crown.
Ndubueze opted to stand for himself this time, because the will of God supersedes all the selfish interest of man, and regardless of how much he abhors his divorce with PDP a party that he once loved with all his heart and spirit, there comes a time in every man’s life when he must make a certain choice regardless of its consequences.
For Hon.Ndubueze opting to move on in the cold rain without his umbrella, shows that behind that humility of his lies a heart of steel, two things are very sure now to all and that is Hon. Ndubueze is not a coward nor a pushover as he has proven that he is not afraid to make a statement of power in return to the powers that be.
The second is that his decision to forge ahead into the familiar territory in an unfamiliar circumstance is the proof that inside his heart of heart ,he truly believes with a resounding clarity that God wants him to continue fighting for his stolen mandate and we all should remember that ONE with God is majority.
Whichever way the end of this hurtful scenes playing out against the sons of Okigwe in IMO PDP at this time goes, the fact remains that Ukwuose might not have opted to leave the People’s Democratic Party despite the unfavourable situations his kinsmen had found themselves in it.
As Charles Ezekwem seeks for a new political trail and Hon. Patrick Ndubueze changes to a new path in his journey for his mandate ,while Nze Ekpunobi remains back at the home he built with Ukwuose, the final reality of this Okigwe ordeal in the hands of the new leadership of PDP reassures us that Ukwuose is turning in his grave because seemingly loyalty and transparency is being repaid back with a bad coin.
The question is how long will Nze Enwerem continue to rest in an uneasy peace, as Okigwe Son’s are forced to re-define politics for themselves without him.Things are falling apart and Ukwuose is not taking them in peace.
