Introduction: A Glorious Past Betrayed
There was a time when the governorship seat, not just in Imo State but across Nigeria, was reserved for men of character, competence, and conscience.
In the days of Dee Sam Mbakwe, Jim Nwobodo, Aper Aku, Solomon Lar, Pa Michael Ajasin, Lateef Jakande, Bola Ige, Melford Okilo, Clement Isong, Bisi Onabanjo, Abubakar Barde, Balarabe Musa, and Abubakar Rimi, governance was a sacred trust. It was about service, about uplifting the lives of the people, and about leaving behind a legacy of hope.
Dee Sam Mbakwe, though a member of the opposition NPP, became known as “The Weeping Governor” because he constantly fought for the rebuilding of Aba and the progress of Imo State, often shedding tears in Lagos to demand justice for his people.
The men who contested elections alongside Mbakwe, Nda Basil Nnanna Ukaegbu, Nda Nnanna Okoro, Chief Collins Obih, and Dee Steve Evuleocha, were all respected names whose reputations were as weighty as their policies.
They built and left legacies, power plants in all zones, industries in every senatorial district, with very limited resources.
Sadly, today, what we have in Imo and Nigeria at large are political vultures: opportunists who circle the corridors of power, preying on public resources and the broken hopes of millions.
The Birth of the Imo Charter of Equity
Against the backdrop of decades of political imbalance and unequal power rotation, the Imo State Council of Elders sought in 2023 to rectify the injustice through a Charter of Equity.
The intention was simple:
To ensure peaceful, rotational transfer of power among Imo’s three senatorial zones, Orlu, Okigwe, and Owerri.
To avoid the bitter and often destabilizing governorship tussles that had marked every election cycle since 1999.
To foster a spirit of fairness, brotherhood, and stability in the state’s political life.
Thus, the Charter was unveiled, with the public endorsement of the Governor, traditional rulers, clergy, and political leaders.
By its provisions, Senator Hope Uzodimma would enjoy a second term (to complete Orlu Zone’s current dominance), after which power would shift to Owerri Zone in 2027.
The Original Sin: A Charter Not Birthed in Purity
However, many of us, from the very beginning, raised red flags.
I personally warned that the Charter was not born out of genuine conviction but out of political convenience, lubricated by pecuniary inducements offered to many of the so-called “Elders.”
Disagreements were papered over in exchange for rewards.
Genuine concerns were postponed to be “discussed later.”
Those who raised alarms, like myself, were mocked as naïve, idealistic, or foreigners unfamiliar with “Imo politics.”
Today, the chickens have come home to roost.
The Okigwe Global Forum’s letter demanding a review of the Charter, and the clandestine moves by political merchants from Orlu and Okigwe, have exposed the shallow foundation of the Charter.
Instead of a sacred pact, the Charter has become a convenient weapon for power-seekers to twist and undermine when it no longer suits them.
Where We Are Today: Betrayal in Broad Daylight
The Governor’s silence amid all the attacks on the Charter is deafening.
Members of his cabinet and political allies continue to openly agitate against the agreed 2027 Owerri succession without fear of rebuke.
Letters and public statements by Orlu and Okigwe groups reveal coordinated plans to keep Owerri in perpetual political slavery.
Meanwhile, Owerri Zone Elders, who originally signed the Charter in blind trust, now find themselves betrayed, sidelined, and powerless.
From the OPOCA letter, to Okigwe’s demands for review, to open boasts by Orlu and Okigwe operatives, it is crystal clear: there is no sincerity to hand over power in 2027.
The very man who was the first and biggest beneficiary of the Charter now watches silently as it is dismembered.
Is this Equity?
Is this Justice?
Is this Sincerity?
Even a blind man can see the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob at play.
What Owerri Zone Must Now Do
Owerri Zone stands at a crossroads.
We can either continue begging and whining, or we can rise and fight for our political survival.
Here is what Owerri Zone MUST do immediately:
1. Dump the Charter of Betrayal
Owerri must formally and publicly withdraw from the Charter, stating clearly that the bad faith, provocations, and betrayals have rendered it null and void.
2. Mobilize and Organize Now
Identify and rally behind credible, formidable, and unblemished candidates.
Build alliances beyond Owerri, with honest voices from Okigwe and Orlu who are tired of the deceit.
Activate political structures in every LGA, ward, and polling unit now.
3. Speak With One Voice
No more divisions.
No more multiple candidates diluting the zone’s chances.
No more sitting ducks waiting for others to dictate the terms.
Unity is non-negotiable.
4. Expose the Conspiracy
Use media, town halls, public debates to expose the betrayal.
Name and shame those behind the treachery.
Let Ndi Imo and the world know who is killing Equity.
5. Prepare for Political Battle
Equity is not given; it is taken.
Prepare to contest and win based on the strength of character, competence, and people’s mandate, not on gentlemen’s agreements that are not worth the paper they are written on.
Ultimately: A Call to Conscience
History beckons.
If Owerri Zone fails again, it will have no one to blame but itself.
Political vultures and opportunists have taken over the corridors of power, but it is not too late for men and women of goodwill, conscience, and courage to reclaim the future.
Dee Sam Mbakwe and the heroes of old left indelible legacies with meagre resources.
Will our generation leave behind a legacy of cowardice and betrayal?
The answer is in our hands.
The time to act is now.
Owerri Zone: Arise! Fight! Reclaim your destiny!
By Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
“Duruebube Uzii na” Abosi
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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