Imo Election: Ibezim emerges APC candidate, faces Okewulonu Onyirimba

..As Ararume, Uwajumogu kick..

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

There seems to  be a headway in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State with the inclusion of Frank Ibezim’s name in the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) list of candidates for the October 31st senatorial  by- election.

Okewulonu of PDP

Ibezim will now join the likes of Emmenuel Okewulonu for the PDP Stanford Onyirimba of APGA and other candidates to contest the Imo North(Okigwe Zone) senatorial by- election.

After the primaries conducted last weekend when the panel sent by the national leadership of the party to conduct the Primary split into two different APC electoral committees, there has been intensed fireworks from the different factions of the party constituting the factions of the party in the state.

With  Frank Ibezim the now candidate of the party coming from the State Caretaker Committee faction led by Marcellinus Nlemigbo that also has the recognition of the National Caretaker Committee led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

APC factional chairmen, Nlemigbo and Nwafor

The Daniel Nwafor faction of the state executive committee of the party backed by former governor, Rochas Okorocha has insisted that Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the winner of the primary election.

Ibezim, has the backing of the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and the junior Minister for Education Hon Emeka Nwajiuba.

The battle seems yet unsettled as other contestants like Chidimma Uwajumogu and Athan Acholonu are still challenging alleged manipulation and imposition of Frank Ibezim on them.

There’s also certificate forgery case hanging on the neck of Ibezim.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, had on Thursday, made a case to  the APC over the alleged failure of its candidate, Ibezim Frank to produce his school certificates.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator of the association while addressing journalists in Abuja,  stated that failure of the APC to produce certified true copies of academic credentials of Frank would throw up issues of integrity and character.

According to Onwubiko, “We don’t even care about whoever is the winner of the primaries of any political party. Our interest is that the person that the APC presented to the people of Imo state as the winner of that primary of their political party has not sufficiently showed the people his certificates.

“He is having certificate issue. He has not defended the allegation that he has no proven record of any academic credential.”

The rights group condemned the alleged role of the Governor Hope Uzodinma and the Minister of State for Education, Nwajiuba, in the emergence of Ibezim, saying,

“In the first place, there is massive evidence to show that the person who won that primary is Ifeanyi Ararume from verifiable records because they said he was among those who went to the field to participate, but the governor sat at Douglas House and conjured a report and his preferred candidate was announced as the winner of that primary.”

Onwubiko further stated that Mr Frank Ibezim who was declared winner should not have been allowed to contest the primaries since the Screening Committee headed by Dr Lawrence Chuku said that Ibezim was not cleared to run.

The battle for the soul of the party and that of the senatorial seat deepens with the sister to the former occupant of the seat, late Senator Ben Uwajumogu, Chidimma Uwajumogu an aspirant having accused Governor Uzodimma and Hon. Nwajiuba of destroying the APC in the state by failing to offer aspirants a level playing ground in the just-concluded APC senatorial primaries.

Uwajumogu laid the claim while fielding questions from journalists at the APC election centre in her electoral ward, Umuihi, Ihitte/boma LGA of the state.

She alleged that the governor name-dropped and used the name of President Muhammadu Buhari to impose an unpopular aspirant whose membership of APC, she claimed was in doubt.

Nwajiuba in handshake with Buhari

Similarly, she accused Nwajuba, of masterminding the imposition of Frank Ibezim whom she said was his (minister’s) close ally.

Uwajumogu noted that such action by the Governor and the minister would spell doom for the party and break the bond of unity which it is known for, calling on the National Working Committee of APC to save the party from imminent destruction.

Araraume, who is the runners up and the major challenger seems ready as ever to  head to court for the alleged malfeasance against him.

By the confirmation of Ibezim, by INEC, it has become clearer that the National Working Committee has recognized the Senator Ajibola  Basiriu led primary committee that returned Frank Ibezim as winner with 13, 637 votes, against the  Umar Gana Nguma committee that returned Senator Araraume as winner.

Results released by the Basiriu committee was as follows, Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume-2708; Sen. Athan Acholonu-1185; Hon. Matthew Omegara-2826; Hon. Mark Uchendu- 1428; Chief Eze Okoro- 54; Bright Nwachukwu- 64 and Chief Chikwe Onuoha- 1466.

The other Committee led by Nguma that returned Araraume has its declared result as thus:Araraume-22, 944; Chidinma Uwajumuogu- 3,757.
Other candidate’s  votes were, Mark Uchenduu-1877; Frank Ibezim- 1, 216; Athan Achonu- 934; Matthew Omegara- 698; Acho Ihim- 212; Bright Nwachukwu- 126; Eze Okoro- 53and Uchenna Uchewuba 51 votes.

What becomes of the Frank Ibezim candidature and the party in the October 31st senatorial by-election is yet unknown as only time will tell. The likes of Ararume and Chidimma Uwajumogu seems not backing down on their determination to fight the injustice mated out to them to the last.