– Says Character, Track Record, People-Oriented Disposition, Deciding Factors
By Martin Opara
Nzuko Owere General Assembly (NOGA), the apex socio-cultural umbrella body of the three Local Government Areas that make up Owerri Federal Constituency namely Owerri North, Owerri West and Owerri Municipal Council, on Saturday July 26 2025, held a stakeholders meeting at May Fair Suites along Egbu Road Owerri, the state capital.
The meeting which was attended by front line politicians, captains of industry, renowned academics and traditional rulers from the area deliberated on the need for Owerri zone to produce the next governor of Imo State having been denied the opportunity for a long time and how to set a blue print of action for its actualization.
In his welcome address, the National President of Nzuko Owerri General Assembly, Hon Dan Ikpeazu, who represented Owerri North State Constituency in the Imo State House Assembly set the pace thus, “today, we gather as members of Nzuko Owere General Assembly, united by a shared vision and purpose. Our organization was born out of necessity, reinforced by the need to align and sensitize our people in Owerri Federal Constituency about the importance of having a governor of Owerri zone extraction in 2028
It is necessary at this point to state that Nzuko Owere has no interest in any candidate or candidates for the forthcoming election, as some people may erroneously think. Members hold different political views but believe in one common Owerri agenda of electing our son or daughter as the successor to the incumbent. Our interest lies more in maintaining harmonious inter-zone cordial relationships between us and our brothers from the other zones and winning their support to ensure that the Charter of Equity is firmly rooted in the state.
As we look towards 2028, it is essential that we work together as a zone and achieve the elusive governorship position. This is not a time for individual interests or playing spoilsports; rather, it’s a moment for us to be our brother’s keeper and unite behind a common goal.
Today’s gathering provides us with a unique opportunity to set a road map and discuss the agenda that will usher in a governor of Owerri extraction. This calls for deeper reflection, strategic planning, and collective action. I urge you all to engage in this discussion with open minds, sharing your insights and ideas on how we can achieve our objective.”
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of the occasion, Engr Emeka Udokporo, said, “much as Owerri zone is clamouring for the opportunity to produce the next governor of Imo State, the slot will definitely not be an all comers affairs because certain criteria will be taken into cognizance. The person who will be chosen among the contenders must be articulate and well educated in addition to having impeccable character and unblemished track record.
He must be people-oriented and have the capacity to offer quality, effective and purposeful leadership that will change the narrative of governance and be a reference point for a very long time just like Dee Sam Mbakwe’s memorable 4-year tenure that is still being celebrated till date”.
Other eminent personalities who spoke at the event including Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Barr Ngozi Olehi SAN, among others aligned themselves with the National President and Engr Udokporo’s well articulated speeches.
The keynote Speaker, Prof Valeen Emeka Obinna, Dean Faculty of Humanities, Imo State University, (IMSU) Owerri, in his well researched presentation x-rayed the historical journey and transformation of Nde Owerri, their culture, achievements and challenges.
According to him, “if we think we have competitors in the same game, not necessarily foes, we need to come home and within ourselves. We have so many eminent and eminently qualified governorship materials. All our Owerri political heavy weights, respected and respectable personalities, willing and ready to serve Imo people in the exalted position of Governor, should be “calming down” and “taking it easy”. We must look at ourselves and look at one another in the face and tell ourselves the glaring truth, in terms of quality, merit, experience, inclusiveness and cooperation”.
Continuing, he said, “Wisdom and common sense, combined with humility and tact will need agreement among the various aspirants and pretenders, contenders, contestants and “possible possibles we must embark on necessary reaching out to aggrieved Okigwe zone and people, and wooing of Orlu zone and people, with the best steps of logic and counter points of a stronger entitlement, beyond the mere assumption of enjoying the “Capital city” status: every other zone is enjoying Owerri and even more than the Owerri people. The argument that the capital is located in Owerri and so we should not talk of governorship is a mere distraction and devoid of reasonable logic.
May we pray against any Owerri inordinate exclusive ambition, obsession, desperation, fixation or mania that would go beyond necessary determination and determinism of “whatever will be will be”. Let us war against the spirit of “Ya a wuhum, o nwehu onye ozo”. As we come together here today with the same eyes on the goal, let our goal be a team work of collective victory and not just of the goal scorer. “Otu oyo”, “otu ukwu aziza”, “Obiwuru otu”, “Njikoka” in “Owereland”, “OWERE OKE MBA”, “OWERE KWENU…NKE WU EZI. The challenge is highly herculean from Okigwe zone, and even delicate from Orlu zone, it is even more daunting from our Owerri ranks and flanks. Let us take a careful look at our mirror, a deep breath of conscience, looking straight into our eyes for truth and genuine cooperation and collaboration to wrestle power and receive the support of willing supporters from Orlu, Okigwe and “Owere” faithfuls. Let all the groups and associations of Owerri Zone fuse into a strong alliance of collaboration and coalition now and immediately: NZUKO OWERE GENERAL ASSEMBLY with Imo Harmony Project (IHP), Dozie Owere, Oganihu Owere, Ezumezu Mbaise, OZOPOLF, League of Professionals, Mbaike, Ngor- Okpala…all the groups need to join hands and support the best possible candidate.”
While not necessarily descending to the level of petty politics of retort and retaliation to verbal or near physical attacks by reproducing the 2011 unfortunate events that largely contributed in stopping the Okigwe second term mandate, we might quite well pursue the pronounced promise of the incumbent Governor to handover to Owerri zone, but more importantly, and once again, we need all the political platforms to rally round the “best” Owerri candidate: just one at the opportune time, mobilizing voters across our nine Local Government Area (as against six from Okigwe), seek out those from Orlu zone who support the Owerri cause, and seek out Okigwe sympathizers to Owerri claim. Using the advantage of Owerri as Imo State INEC headquarters, for effective electoral monitoring and genuine results, we must reflect the “Owere” collective vision and mission as a generally accepted entitlement to the state governorship fulfillment in 2027/2028”.
