Imo serving politicians who may be politically finished by 2023

As 2023 draws closer, fresh political forces are bound to emerge from across political parties in the state, retiring some who have been on the scene but have failed to utilise the positions they find themselves in.

Chiefly amongst those who’s political career may be over come 2023 is the former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.

At the moment, the Ogboko born Senator is suffering an identity crisis, as he seems confused over which party he belongs to, despite his claims to be contesting for the APC Presidential ticket.

Okorocha who is already one leg out of the APC, has been linked to rumoured defection plans to numerous parties ranging from the PDP to NNPP and more recently SDP, as he skims to retain the Orlu zone Senate seat come 2023.

His claims at aspiring for the presidency, has been deemed a joke by Nigerians and a smoke screen to bargain for a return to the Senate.

While it is not clear which party he would finally pitch his tent for another run at the Orlu Senate seat, the likelihood of returning to the Senate for the former governor, grows dimmer by the day.

It’s already clear to him, that he would not get the APC ticket, going by his relationship with Gov Hope Uzodimma and may be faced with stiff opposition in the PDP, despite his rumoured alliance with Senator Samuel Anyanwu against Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha’s hold on the party in the state, to get the party’s ticket from the likes of Jones Onyeriri or Thankgod Ezeani, both of whom, have been on the scene longer than him, leaving Okorocha the option of seeking the ticket of another party.

After his relationship with APGA, getting that ticket is out of the question for him as the party would not allow him use their platform again for his personal aspirations only to dump them later if he gets it, like he did to the party after it helped him get to power in 2011.

With the way things are going for the former governor, it seems like his days of holding elective positions are gradually drawing to an end.

Second on that list would be Okorocha’s ally and former Okigwe zone Senator, Ifeanyi Araraume.

With the declaration of his son, Ifeanyi Araraume Jnr, for the Okigwe Senate, it seems the father may be considering hanging up his political boots, having suffered a long list of defeats since he started chasing the Imo State governorship seat in 2007.

Araraume lost to Dr Ikedi Ohakim in 2007 and in 2011, lost to former governor Rochas Okorocha. In 2015 he lost to Ihedioha at the PDP primaries and would yet again lose to Senator Hope Uzodinma in 2019/2020.

Araraume would suffer his most humiliating defeat at the hands of a newcomer, Frank Ibezim, when he failed to clench the APC ticket for the Okigwe byelection.

With these long line of defeats under his belt, Imolites are of the view that the Isiebu Isiala Mbano born billionaire should retire from contesting for political offices and face his business as a contractor and supermarket proprietor.

However, some of his supporters are of the view that Araraume is not yet done with contesting for elective positions and may try one last time for the governorship seat come 2023/24.

A factor that may work in Araraume’s favour, would be if the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi becomes president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari steps aside in 2023.

Amaechi is a known ally of Araraume and with his hand on the plough, Araraume may yet have another fighting chance against a political superior Uzodinma.

Another Senator who may be on his last ride is Ezenwa Onyewuchi. The Owerri North born politician who has been regarded as one of the luckiest politicians in the state, may soon have his luck running out on him, as he gears up to face stiff opposition within his party the PDP.

Ezenwa has been regarded by his people as a failure, throughout his reign as a House of Representatives member who represented Owerri Federal Constituency, to his graduation to the Senate.

Ezenwa got into the National Assembly at a time Dr Ikedi Ohakim was blackmailed out of office. The blackmail affected other PDP contestant, including Ernest Ibejiako (Nwa Ndaa) and favoured Onyewuchi.

In 2015, riding on Ihedioha’s back with the Kema Chikwe arrangement, Onyewuchi would return to the National Assembly. Still riding on Ihedioha’s back in 2019 and backed by Kema Chikwe, Onyewuchi got to the Senate but with other close allies of the former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly now gunning for his seat, Onyewuchi may not get the favoratism he enjoyed from Ihedioha in 2023.

It may be mission impossible for him winning the likes of Uche Onyeagocha at the party’s primaries and even if he succeeds, defeating the APC this time, would not be as easy as before.

The APC is currently fielding some heavy hitters such as Prince Ugochukwu Nwachukwu (Ugo Sly), Prince Alex Mbata and Jerry Chukwueke and any of them that emerges after the party’s primaries may most likely be the next Senator of Owerri Zone.

Several National Assembly members such as Henry Nwawuba, Chike Okafor, Kingsley Uju amongst others may also be on their last ride as elected representatives of the people come 2023.

Nwawuba and Chike Okafor are both faced with stiff opposition as they attempt to return for third terms in office while Kingsley Uju’s affiliation with Okorocha may well signal the end of his venture at the National Assembly.

Coming to the local scene, the former Speaker of the Imo Assembly, Rt Hon Chiji Collins, have already been publicly rejected and humiliated by his own people and his third term bid is already dead on arrival.

Without the support of Araraume, Collins would not have gotten to the State Assembly in the first place and his poor performance has probably marked the end of any political aspiration for him.

The likes of another impeached Speaker of the State House, Charles Emeziem and Uche Ogbuagu may also be looking down the barrel that leads to political retirement, as the curtain is set to draw on their political life.

Ogbuagu had declared interest in the Mbaitoli Ikeduru Federal seat, but his chances of getting the APC ticket grows slimmer as the people of MBAIKE seem more taken by the young and pragmatic Akarachi Amadi, who has already attracted numerous projects to the people despite not being in power, than an allegedly inconsistent Ogbuagu.

A lot of other State Assembly members, especially those in the APC, may be finding their way out of office in 2023.

Almost all of them, were products of Okorocha, Araraume and Ihedioha and may give way for core Uzodinma people in 2023.