With the whistle for 2023 National Assembly tickets already blown for contest in Imo State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, several politicians have lined up to represent their parties in the federal parliament, writes Amby Uneze.
By the time the national assembly and the State assembly elections come up by 25th February and March 11th, 2023 respectively in Imo alongside other States of the federation, the people of Imo State would be struggling to know who their candidates for these positions are. As it is used to be the usual pattern in the previous elections when all the State, Governorship and National Assembly elections take place concurrently, that of the 2023 elections would not be the same. Imo State would be having for the first time a staggered election because the governorship election would be conducted much later in 2023.
The reason is not far fetched. The governorship poll for Imo State has been fixed by INEC to hold on November 11, 2023, in line with the Electoral Act of 2022.
According to the Commission, this decision is in fulfillment of the requirement of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which mandates the Commission to publish the notice of election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the elections.
Similarly, Sections 178(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 mandates the Commission to conduct such elections not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the last holder of the office.
Therefore, the tenure of the incumbent governor of Imo State ends on January 14, 2024, while those of Kogi and Bayelsa States end on January 26, 2024 and February 13, 2024 respectively.
The statement read in part, “Accordingly, the Commission has decided to conduct the three elections on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
“The statutory notice for the elections were published in the three states on November 14, 2022. Party primaries will be held from March 27, to April 17, 2023 while the online portal for the submission of nomination forms (EC9 and EC9B) by political parties opens at 9.00am on April 24, 2023 and closes at 6.00pm on May 5, 2023.
“The final list of candidates will be published on June 9, 2023 while campaign by political parties commences on June 14, 2023 and ends at midnight on November 9, 2023. The full Timetable and Schedule of Activities has been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms.”
Based on the above information, Imo State senatorial and House of Representatives elections would be held on February 25, 2023, while that of the governorship would come up later on November 11, 2023.
It, therefore, becomes pertinent to profile some of the candidates of the four main political parties that are contesting for the National Assembly seats in Imo state. The parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
All the candidates are qualified for the positions they are contesting for without of course, losing sight of their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Senatorial Tickets
Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi (LP, Imo East)
Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi is a serving senator representing the people of Imo East with the ticket of PDP but currently flying the flag of the Labour Party in the red chambers.
Onyewuchi is a two-time member of the House of Representatives as well as a ranking member of the national assembly. He is an Alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and ESUT Business School and holds a Masters degree in Management. His empowerment to the people of his senatorial zone is highly appreciable and would consolidate his ranking to the extent of getting a principal position in the senate if re-elected.
Chyma Anthony (APGA, Imo East)
Chyma Anthony is a professional with considerable experience in and out of the courtroom, a well-established lawyer and businessman with measurable success.
He is a philanthropist of note. A community leader and respected both at home and abroad, Anthony is a clan chief (high chief) in Ikeduru LGA, and holds a key place in community affairs and a major contributor in community projects.
His passion to continue his pet project of providing selflessly to the people and less privileged no doubt spurs him to seek for elective position. He plans to partner the Federal and State Governments to ensure there is adequate security of lives and properties for the good people of Imo East Senatorial District.
Among his manifesto include sponsoring Bills for Location of some Federal Organizations in the senatorial district, for prompt Federal Government’s intervention in areas that are being endangered by Erosion and Flooding such as Mbieri, Ogwa etc, to ensure that youths and women are trained in batches yearly in different skills that will make them jobs creators and not jobs seekers.
Uche Onyeagocha (PDP, Imo East)
When it comes to outspokenness and vibrancy, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha takes his rightful position. A former member of the House of Representatives that represented Owerri federal constituency in 2003 having being the first All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) lawmaker in the green chamber. Onyeagocha had contested several elective positions including governorship in the past until he was appointed the Secretary of the State Government under the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha’s short-lived administration.
He has promised to give effective representation at the senate if elected.
Alex Mbata (APC, Imo East)
Prince Alex Mbata otherwise called PAM is a new comer in Imo politics especially the Owerri zone. He has no political experience. Although his admirers described him as a philanthropic gentleman, it is not very clear what his grassroots support base looks like.
Charles Ahize (Labour Party, Imo West)
Chief Charles Ugochukwu Ahize is a top businessman and philanthropist who is one of the most successful auto dealers and pharmaceuticals in Nigeria. He is a former President-General of Obigbo Socio-cultural organization. He is the Labour Party (LP) Senatorial candidate for the second largest senatorial district in the Southeast of Nigeria and a longstanding campaigner for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.
His plans for Imo West senatorial district include making sure that the Southeast is properly integrated in the Nigerian political, economic and development plan. Creating jobs, enhancing more access to quality education and opening bigger windows of opportunities for wealth creation are some of the items on his Orlu Recovery Plan.
Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West)
Izunaso had been a member of national assembly for eight years in the recent past (House of Representatives 2003 – 2007) and Senate (2007 – 2011). He was also the national organizing secretary of the APC. While at the national assembly, he sponsored life changing bills, that attracted the Assa Gas Plant in Ohaji-Egbema LGA, influenced the construction of Owerri-Onitsha Road, supported the creation of Njaba State made up of the 12 LGAs in Orlu Zone as against the creation of Urashi State because it excised about 10 LGAs in Orlu Zone.
Jones Onyerieri (PDP, Imo West)
Onyerieri was a two-term House of Representatives member that represented Nwangele/Nkwere/Isu/Njaba federal constituency. He lost his first attempt to go to the senate in 2019 to Rochas Okorocha and he is working very hard to be elected this time around.
Ifeanyi Araraume Jr, (Labour Party, Imo North)
Araraume junior is the son a former senator, Chief Ifeanyi Araraume. He is a lawyer and hopes to represent Imo North in the red chambers in 2023. A young man of 40 years is hoping to attract a Federal Medical Center in his senatorial zone. He also desires to champion a bill for the creation of a Federal University in his zone to stimulate the economy as well as create job opportunities for his people. He wants to ensure that the South East Development Commission Bill still stuck at the Senate sees the light of the day, among others.
House of Representatives
Chikwem Onuoha (Labour Party, Okigwe North)
Chikwem as he is popularly called obtained his degrees in Australia and United Kingdom. An international marketing guru, Chikwem is not new in politics. He has also touched many lives through his humanitarian approach to life and in so doing has given employment to many people. His philanthropy drove him to set up the Chikwem Onuoha Education Trust Fund to cater for the less privileged. His mission and mission is to ensure that new federal infrastructure and amenities are adequately allotted to the communities. Again, if elected, his primary task remains bringing effective representation closer to the people of Okigwe North federal constituency.
Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (APC, Ahiazu/Ezinihitte)
Igbokwe is ranking member of the national assembly having being a member of Imo State House of Assembly as well as a member of the House of Representatives representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte federal constituency.
Before he joined the APC, he had been a member of the PDP. As a special adviser to the speaker, Hon. Gbajabiamila, Igbokwe knows the workings of a federal legislator and vows to bring the needed democracy dividends to his constituents if elected.
Chike Okafor (APC, Okigwe South)
Okafor is one federal legislator that has made remarkable impact in the business of legislating. A ranking member, serving his second term in the green chamber, Chike, a former banker was a commissioner of finance, Imo State.
According to him, the essence of holding political office, either elective or appointive, is to use it as a channel to bring the dividends of governance to your immediate constituency, this he has done severally through empowerment, procurement of medical equipment/facilities, provision of educational and security equipment, etc.
Uche Ogbuagu (Labour Party, Mbaitoli/Ikeduru)
Ogbuagu is currently a member of Imo State House of Assembly. He also served as the majority leader. In his quest to serve his federal constituency better, he is running for the federal house to provide his people better governance. “My earnest desire and quest to represent my dear people of Mbaike at the House of Representatives, come 2023, I pledge to be the embodiment of the true Mbaike spirit of selflessness, responsibility, fairness, courage, hard work and commitment to social justice. My manifesto for Mbaike is anchored on cardinal areas of need: education, youth and women empowerment, infrastructural and industrial development, health and community development, above all, giving Mbaike a national voice and unsurpassed presence at the centre.
