By Ifeanyi Iheakanwa
‘Eziama magic’ has hitherto been discovered in Eziama community of Ikeduru LGA, the country home of Prince Charles Iwuamadi, alias Prince Charls Amadi, the Operational Leader of APC in Owerri zone, whose son, Akarachi Amadi, is the APC candidate for Mbaike federal constituency.
Ogbuagu, in a world press conference held at his Akabo residence on Tuesday, 7th March, 2023, with all the reputable print and electronic media houses across the country, exposed to the world, the perfected plans of Prince Charls Amadi and his cohorts, towards manipulating the forthcoming Mbaike supplementary election to the APC candidate’s favour.
He made startling revelations of how the Eziama-born APC leader took laws into his own hands by relocating booth 020 at Owuzor hall to the residence of his errand boy, Mr. Chuks Metu, where voting took place on February 25th without the approval and consent of the electoral umpire, INEC. Same method, according to him, was also applied in Atta ward II where the desperado leader awarded a separate booth to another of his boy, Anyaehie Okameme, and same electoral padding perfected to have overwhelming votes in those areas.
The Operational Leader of Owerri zone, in connivance with his boys, also relocated booth 021 Eke Amaechi, with a capacity of 1,383 voters, some of whom are fake and foreign names to Eziama people, to his personal abode and perpetrated all kinds of electoral malpractices and irregularities during the February 25th election.
In this his private polling booth, the number of registered voters as published by the INEC portal were 1,382, but for the purposes of the rescheduled supplementary exercise and sheer desperation to manipulate the process to his son’s favour, Charlvon and his cohorts practically falsified the figure to 10, 382. What an Eziama magic!
One however begins to think how a small polling unit in a remote village of Eziama Ikeduru can register even 1000 voters, let alone 10,382, bearing in mind that in Eziama, there is a near zero presence of foreign elements, to the best of our knowledge, who could have made up the figures.
Ogbuagu also wondered why a man who is currently not in any elective or appointive position in government could drive freely with over 25 security men attached to his entourage. And the government is keeping mum over this high level of impunity.
In Ogbuagu’s words, “I am tempted to doubt the genuiness of those armed uniformed men because it is unthinkable that an ordinary civilian, who does not occupy any government position nor received any National Honours could be officially given such a sophisticated security details on an election day.
“I had earlier petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of Department of State Security Service, Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 9, Umuahia, regarding this matter and i know they will do something about it, if their integrity is anything to go by.”
On the Presidential and National Assembly election day, Ogbuagu said that the Eziama-born APC chieftain was busy visiting all the polling units both in Ikeduru and Mbaitoli, intimidating and harassing the Labour Party supporters with his fierce-looking and aggressive security men.
Ogbuagu is very much akin to the CUPP spokesman of Ideato Nation, Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo, who literarily became a nightmare to the APC-led government in the state for exposing the electoral fraud allegedly put in place to manipulate election process.
Had Ikenga Ugochinyere remained silent in the face of all his startling observations, he would have been caused to sleep while the results would be announced against him. The rat doesn’t eat a fish belonging to a man whose eyes are still wide open.
What Charlvon and his boys may have forgotten was that Uche Ogbuagu still remains ‘Nwa-Aba’ which literarily means one who has passed through the thick and thin of life and whose brain has been sharpened to absorb itself of any situation.
Uche Ogbuagu’s world press conference was apt and timely because it will, to a large extent, cushion the effect
of the vicious plots already put in place by the ruling APC to manipulate the supplementary election.
If there would be an alternative way out for them, it would either be infinitesimal or unsuccessful because all eyes must be on them including the security agencies who have been charged to live up to expectations.
But with the level of publicity and political grandstanding so far given to Akarachi’s candidature, and offcourse the several social media claims by his numerous hirelings that he remains unbeatable both in Ikeduru and Mbaitoli, there shouldn’t be any need for rigging.
And for those who believe that Akarachi and his father have expended so much in this project and should be considered and awarded victory, should know that it is the aspirations of the generality of Mbaike that is paramount, and not an individual’s interest.
Those who do money politics are either doing so to boost their popularity or to disabuse people’s minds of their dirty linings especially when they aspire for something. But that’s certainly not a yardstick in measuring peoples credibility to be entrusted with a sacred mandate.
Political mandates are given to those who have proven integrity in leadership. Not for those who want it for some parochial interest.
Again, there is more to say about a man who is at home with his people and who uses his scarce resources to bring succour to the less-privileged, than those who appear at the sound of elections to deceive the people.
Uche Ogbuagu has been a homeboy who is at peace with his people. He dines, wines with them and attends meetings of Umunna because he is thinking for the people.
Ogbuagu would not be queried by anybody if he chooses to live in a hotels as many politicians do but for the love of his people, he decided to live with them and plan for the growth of the community.
How many of the social media irritants who shout ‘Akarachi we know’, actually knew him in the last three years? He was brought home in 2020 upon the emergence of Hope Uzodinma as the Governor, and his father thought he had given out enough in the making of the Governor and wants a pay back with the soul of Mbaike. That a young boy who merely came into political limelight through his father’s stupendous wealth, should rather be told the truth or probably advised to start from the House of Assembly, at least for the purposes of acquiring the rudiments in the job of a legislator, some people are busy siphoning and milking the innocent boy dry without telling him the truth.
What will a young and inexperienced boy be bringing to the table when offcourse he has legislative demigods like Femi Gbajabiamila to contend with at the National Assembly?
Correct me if I’m wrong, would it not have been a better idea if Charlvon, as an APC leader in Imo state, had facilitated the appointment of his son in any managerial or administrative position in the government as a preliminary exercise to his aspiration to representing ‘A WHOLE’ Mbaike?
On the other hand, if Charlvon had offered himself to serve the people of Mbaike, there would certainly be an atmosphere of understanding having played partisan politics for more than 20 years. But his decision to run in proxy of his son is very much akin to the divisive decision of his former principal, Rochas Okorocha, who tried to foist his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, on Imo people as their Governor. That singular act of the former Governor, i bet, led to the fall of his political empire.
Our own very Operational Leader should also recall that part of the reasons he left the Okorocha’s camp for Hope Uzodinma’s at the twilight of the 2019 elections, was nothing more than that horrible decision made by Okorocha. Now, he has started acting the same script.
It is important that Governor Hope Uzodinma steers clear of the Mbaike supplementary election if he actually wants to prove a point from the bold step he took in demystifying and collapsing the imperial plans of the former Governor by wading into the situation. By now, Okorocha’s first son, Afam would have been warming up to take over from Uche Nwosu after 8 years. Thanks for the Coalition forces.
The Governor has fulfilled his promise of securing a ticket for Akarachi, he expects that he, as a young man, goes to the field to test his popularity. If he fails to win, he goes home and restrategizes for next outing. Politics must not be a do or die affair.
I appeal to the Governor not to explore all his executive powers (the way he did for Eugene Dibiagwu of Ohaji/Oguta/Oru-west federal constituency, Canice Moore Nwachukwu of Orlu/Orsu/Oru-east federal constituency, Miriam Onuoha of Okigwe North federal constituency) to fight for the APC candidate in Mbaike who is already losing with a margin of over 5000 votes. There is an extent to which one could fight for his people. Uche Ogbuagu has been chosen by the people of Mbaike and any attempt to subvert the will of the people will incur the wrath of God.
Whether or not the rerun will be held concurrently with the House of Assembly on Saturday, 18th March, 2023, the major concern for the teeming supporters of Uche Ogbuagu, is for the exercise to be held free and fair. The electoral umpire, INEC, is urged to be focused and not to be influenced by anybody.
It is at this point that i want to bring to the peoples notice that what is currently at stake in the Mbaike Supplementary election is about 24,000 votes. This is in variance with what the APC followers told the public that over 49,000 votes are at stake.
Ifeanyi Iheakanwa, a journalist, writes from Owerri Tell: (08038386510)
