Date Published: 05/22/11

Governor Theodore Orji's Chequered Journey to Victory by Alaribe Ugochukwu

Theodore Orji

The 2011 governorship election in Abia has been won and lost with the incumbent, chief Theodore Orji emerging victorious. The intrigues and horse – trading that characterized the election wouldn’t be forgotten in a hurry because of the events and personalities that threw their hats into the ring for the contest.

From the campaigns, it was obvious that the race was between the incumbent governor and the candidates of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA), comrade Chris Akomas, Labour Party, Stanley Ohajuruka, Reagan Ufomba of the All progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Action Congress of Nigeria’s Paul Ikonne. The array of seasoned politicians who filed behind the governor when viewed against opposition candidates, especially Akomas backed by the governor’s former godfather, orji Uzor Kalu and threats from certain interest groups in the state, not to support the governor made pundits to predict an upset at the polls. There were opinions that kalu, having installed Orji, his former chief of staff could easily pull another victory .

In fairness to Orji Kalu, most of the political bigwigs in the governor’s camp today, were at one time or the other, his protégés or allies during his 8 years stint at the Abia Government House. There exist a belief in Abia that the ex-governor is one politician you can ignore at your peril in any political battle. This created fear in some quarters that his party, the PPA might spring a surprise at the elections.

During the campaigns, the governor and his foot soldiers took their train to the 17 local councils of the state. Infact, it was one form of rejection or the other as majority of the Abia populace accused the governor of non performance. In February, during the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign team, held at the Enyimba stadium, Aba, the governor was booed by a section of people at the stand as the Firs Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan mentioned his name. The booing peaked when Gov. Orji mounted the podium to address the rally. He was also reported to have abandoned a debate organized by the Catholic Church in umuahia, after he was booed by those he referred to as the PPA supporters.

A new twist was also added to the governor’s woes as Chief Ikechi Emenike who has been laying claim to the PDP governorship ticket started pasting his campaign posters with that of his deputy, Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, as can- didates for the polls after Gov. Orji was reported to have made peace with him.

On the day of the election, the opposition parties accused INEC of conniving with the PDP to rig the polls. Allegations of members of the PDP being engaged as adhoc workers were rife. In Obingwa Local council, which has become one of the hotbeds of Abia politics, the race was expected to be close to call as the PPA candidate, Akomas hail from the area. It was a great battle as he contended with men from the PDP’s Camp – Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, the commissioner for Housing, Uche Ihediwa, Transition committee chairman, Godwin Nna, including the 2007 PDP governorship aspirant, Okezie Orji. Sources say that Akomas failed to get the logistics support which his godfathers, Orji Kalu promised him and could not do much to mobilize his camp for the election.Others hint that Akomas refused to take the ‘Okija treatment’and this made Kalu to show a lukewarm attitude to his campaign as his henchmen said,he could risk another ‘betrayal’.

Although, Stanley Ohajuruka ran a campaign which touched the 182 ward in the state, his party lacked the structures to win an election in the state. ACN”S Paul Ikonne chose to run a media based campaign as he distributed tapes & handbills. The seeming goodwill and support the APGA candidate, Ufomba, was reported to have gotten in Aba couldn’t be sustained as he may have taken it for granted till few days to the election.

Though, there were reported cases of hijacking of electoral materials by PDP chieftains, the opposition parties were ill organized and could put their acts together to checkmate the rampaging PDP. Attempts by the Abia Redemption group led by St Moses Ogbonna to back a candidate from the Ukwa/Ngwa zone comprising nine local councils, couldn’t work on time as they reportedly adopted the PPA candidate, Akomas, 3 days to the polls.

As the returning officer for the Abia State gubernatorial election, Prof. Hillary Edeoga declared that Gov Orji polled 641, 158 votes to defeat 14 other contestants, many opposition parties agents were said to have refused signing the results, alleging widespread irregularities. Immediately the news filtered into Aba town, it was observed that many people went about their normal businesses as they said the results were expected. There was no celebrations on the streets except at the homes of PDP chieftains. None of the governorship candidates of the opposition parties are known to have congratulated the governor since the results were declared. They are reportedly heading for the election petition Tribunal.

Newspoint gathered that Gov Orji would have received the “Ohakim treatment” had he not rallied most of the opposition elements in state to the PDP camp. His efforts were complemented by his son Chinedu, whose strategy of mobilizing youths worked. For Elder Goodluck Njoku, a supporter of the governor, “Gov. Orji’s victory on April 26 did not come as a surprise. The foundation was laid the day he chose to abandoned the PPA, the party which the citizens of the state blame for the poor state of infrastructure in Abia State.

In doing this, he enjoyed the good fortune of having on his side, formidable statesmen, political leaders and strategists of great experience and a well tested campaign structure of interaction with various interest group across the state. He united the various interest groups in the state PDP”. True to Njoku’s words, it is a known fact that senator Abaribe who had earlier declared his governorship aspiration withdrew for the governor. It would have been a clash of the titans.

To some citizens of the state, the governor’s victory was a miracle. Mr. Vincent Ihesinulo, a political analyst, hinted “the tide was against the governor as he battled with the challenges posed by his non performance in the last 3 years which he claimed to have been under bondage in his former party”

But a source at the government house, Umuahia, who claimed to have served both former governor Kalu and Gov.Orji posit that a lot of things have changed from the way things were done during the Kalu years. To them, access to government patronage can now be gotten through some leaders who have the ears of the governor than in the past, when it was between Kalu and his mother.

With the reelection, the people of the state say that the governor need to work tirelessly to give a facelift to the poor state of infrastructure in the state. He should do this to prove that the “setting” in his former party, PPA really prevented him from working for the people.